Tradition, history and hosts
A journey into the past
Today's Hotel Kiendl in the Val di Nova near Merano has a lot of interesting things to tell.
On Easter Sunday in 1871, a historically significant event happened for the Austrian imperial family and for our family: the 13-year-old Crown Prince Rudolph, son of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (called "Sissi") and Emperor Franz Joseph, fell into distress in the mountains during a hike in the Val di Nova near our hotel. Our great-great-grandmother Karolina Winkler heard his cries for help and started to search.
She brought the Austrian Crown Prince to safety.
The crown prince's companions concealed this event. Only years later did the Austrian Emperor learn of the courageous act. In gratitude, the imperial family gave our ancestor a valuable necklace.
Around the year 1900 the first Merano spa guests were served in the guesthouse Kiendl.
About 40 years later, more by chance, our great-grandmother rented the first guest room to two German students. Thus, over time, our current comfort hotel developed.
Today we look back on a tradition of almost 450 years and are very proud of it. Together as a family we continue the tradition and try to set new modern accents and offer our guests a unique atmosphere at the Hotel Kiendl.
So that you can get to know us better, we will introduce ourselves briefly here:
Before my marriage to Franz Winkler I worked as a primary school teacher at the Schennaberg. In 1982 I moved from my home village Marlengo to the opposite side of the valley to the Val di Nova near Merano, where the Hotel Kiendl is located. I have been working in our hotel for many years now - first with my husband Franz and when he died in 2009, together with my children. The contact with the guests and the staff gives me deep satisfaction. I am especially happy when I see the regular guests of our hotel again, who have become our friends over the years.
I studied business administration and management and then worked for a global auditing company. Since 2017 I've been working at the Hotel Kiendl in the Val di Nova near Merano and I'm involved wherever people need me, especially in administration and reception. For me, a holiday at Kiendl means: arriving, slowing down and enjoying South Tyrol - in a pleasant, modern ambience with tradition.
I grew up with our guests and enjoy working in the service and reception area. In my free time I like to spend my time in our beautiful mountains. I know all the hiking trails in the Merano area and I like to give our guests tips for their active holiday in Merano and surroundings.
I am a passionate farmer and work in the 45,000 m² apple orchard around the Hotel Kiendl in the Val di Nova near Merano and on the Kiendl-Alm. In Freiberg-Montefranco, near the Hotel Kiendl, you will find my fruit and wine estate Bachlerhof, which I farm full-time. We use the fruit we grow ourselves to make jams and our naturally cloudy apple juice.
We are the favourites of our family and also the guests of the hotel. We bring joy and sunshine into the house. In February 2018 our little sister Helena saw the light of day. We enjoy the fact that there is always so much going on here and that we always see new faces.
- © Hotel Kiendl
- Scena near Merano
- Tax no. 02647750211
