How it all started: the history of Stroblhof

Way before the name Stroblhof was established, this place was called ‘Burgstall in Englar’, ‘Baumannhof’ and ‘Englarhof’. The exact origin of today’s name is actually unknown. But here is what we do know. The old ‘Alt-Firmian’ tower house first appears in historical records as early as 1325. For a long time it was owned by the Counts of Firmian, who also owned Sigmundskron Castle at that time. Eventually, the farmstead was built on the same site. All that remains of the medieval tower house is a ruin. Its southern wall, however, has been perfectly preserved, and now serves as a welcome ‘windbreak’ for guests bathing in our biopool.

From 1872, the area of Eppan was officially granted the designation of health resort. Its location at the foot of the Mendel mountain range, in the immediate vicinity of the ‘ice holes’ – which were already a renowned sight the time – attracted scores of guests. Franz Ausserer married into the Menghin family, who owned the farmstead at the time, and set new standards in fruit and wine growing.

His son Franz jr took over Stroblhof with his wife Berta at the end of the 19th century and added to its popularity as a rural inn by hosting a variety of events. The proximity to the royal and imperial shooting range also helped, and while the range lost its purpose after the two World Wars, people kept using Stroblhof as a venue for hanging out.

In the 1960s, the inn became the first hotel with an outdoor pool in the Überetsch area, thanks to a series of conversion and expansion works. In 1972, Josef Hanni-Ausserer, who inherited the hotel, had the indoor pool built – it was the first in the whole region – as well as two tennis courts. He also scaled up the estate’s wine production.

We, Rosi and Christine Hanni and Andreas Nicolussi-Leck, are proud to have ultimately made the Stroblhof hotel and estate into the reality our guests know and love today. Andreas recognised the potential of the local soil for Pinot varieties and built a modern wine cellar that has allowed us to sustainably improve the quality of our wines.

Our children, Anna and Thomas Nicolussi-Leck, have joined the family business and are already helping us break new ground. Today, our main focus is on sustainable tourism and high-quality winemaking.