The Oberraindlhof has many stories to tell. But what happened here on 19 September 1991 and in the days, weeks and months that followed has never been seen before in our old walls.
This wild animal is a fascinating creature that Benjamin has taken a liking to. You can read why in our latest blog article.
As an old mason, it's fair to say that not everything was better in the past. It was just different. One thing has not changed for me as Oberraindlhof in the last centuries: My chambers and parlours and little rooms were and still are a place where history(s) are written.
At the latest when the old Italo ham "Marina" plays, there is no stopping it: my old parlour shakes under stamping feet, the walls tremble under the clapping, jeering and singing of the guests. A Tyrolean evening like this in the South Tyrolean Schnals Valley is an affair that brings people together and is often the birth of lifelong friendships and holiday love affairs. But let's start from the beginning. Because like many good stories, this one has to be told from the beginning.
If it had been up to great-great-grandfather Anton, there would have been a shoe factory where you are enjoying your holiday today. That's something to think about! I am glad that things turned out differently. Otherwise we - you and I and my courtiers - would never have met in the end. If I feel like it, I'll tell you this story, which is a wonderful example of the fact that the world belongs to the brave and that even a cobbler doesn't have to stick to his last when he longs for something different.
From wine refuser to wine connoisseur? It's possible! The best example is senior chef Helmuth. Until 2005, Helmut didn't drink a drop. And today? Today Helmut knows the world of wine like no one else in the Schnals Valley, and the wine festival at Oberraindlhof has long since become a cult event. Speaking of cult: the glass culture of the Oberraindl sommeliers has almost religious traits. It has to be mouth-blown! But always from the front ...
The people of Schnalstal are said to be downright stubborn. I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that they have lived from and with sheep farming for centuries. Or is it actually the case? That some "stubborn buck" has copied his stubbornness from humans? It's hard to say for sure. But one thing is certain: the stubbornness of the Schnals Valley people has a tradition and now, in late summer, it concerns them precisely. During the traditional drive of the Schnals sheep over the glacier to Austria and back again, there are two "camps", each going their own way.
If you like, you can of course hole up here with me for the whole long winter holiday. I have no objection at all to you watching the snow drift by from my cosy rooms in the Schnals Valley, crawling into my soft, cloudy beds and hibernating. But there are also people who are in the mood for adventure and amusement during their holidays. If you are one of them, you have to read on and discover what my farm people have come up with for you in the winter of 2023/24:
Andrea called the cot makers from Katharinaberg "Norrat", meaning foolish. She couldn't understand why such otherwise decent people retreated to a cellar room for weeks on end and often didn't return home until well after midnight. Of course, a hobby is all well and good, as is faith in the Lord God and his kingdom of heaven. But what the members of the cot building association were up to was simply not quite right for Elisabeth. You guessed it, as in any good story, there had to be a twist. And it went like this:
Celebrate parties as they fall: The Schnalstal Valley has always been good at that. Thank goodness nothing has changed. That's why there's no need to fall into an emotional winter slump, here in the mountains we have a tried and tested recipe for decades to combat melancholy and wanderlust: a few days off in the snow, a few turns on the piste and a few rounds on the dance floor. Discover what you can look forward to over the next few weeks!