The sun-drenched Markgräflerland, stretching across the Rhine plain between Freiburg and Basel, is especially prized by lovers of rustic, down-to-earth cuisine. Wholly devoted to the region’s culinary tradition, the Bohrerhof in Feldkirch offers its customers and guests a wide-ranging selection of dining, experiences and hospitality.
Harvest-Fresh Delicacies „From farm to table“
For more than 40 years, the Bohrer family of entrepreneurs has cultivated some 250 hectares of land, growing mainly asparagus, but also courgettes, pumpkins, chicory, lamb’s lettuce and strawberries. In autumn 2022 they added a country hotel with 64 rooms – including 16 family rooms and specially equipped rooms for guests with disabilities – which not only offers its guests a pleasant stay in modern, well-appointed surroundings, but also serves harvest-fresh delicacies in its restaurant, sourced straight from the farm next door and from regional suppliers. This „farm-to-table“ approach benefits not only the day-tripper and the overnight guest, but – thanks to short transport routes – the environment too.
Sustainable Architecture
The boutique-sized country hotel is built almost entirely of timber, sourced from firs and spruces in the neighbouring Black Forest. It is in the furnishing of the rooms in particular that this natural material lends an aesthetic accent. A special treat for the eye are the sweeping, comfortable wooden-design chairs and armchairs by Artisan, which come into their own perfectly against the pleasantly clean, unfussy lines of the furniture.
The Bohrerhof’s environmental record speaks for itself. The timber construction alone saved around 4,500 tonnes of CO2 compared with conventional reinforced-concrete building. The owning family is consistently committed to sustainability across both farm and hotel operations, running both 80 percent on their own resources. All building materials are certified in accordance with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB e.V.); in addition, the family is pursuing a seal awarded – under the strict assessment criteria of the Sentinel Haus Institute (SHI) for healthy living – only to emission-free building materials.
An Ingenious Energy System
If the roof-mounted photovoltaic system – which supplies the dining, hotel and farming operations, and later also a bathing house, with self-generated electricity – along with the heat pump for the heating system can already be regarded as natural elements of this self-sufficient energy approach, then an innovative cooling solution broke genuinely new ground. Anticipating high maintenance costs, the Bohrers did not want to install conventional cooling units in the hotel rooms. So over the summer they experimented with what is known as a chilled-beam system, which works via groundwater exchangers. On a hot day with an outside temperature of 36 degrees, the sample room measured 29 degrees on one day. The chilled beam was then installed and a typical groundwater temperature of ten degrees was simulated. To this end, water in a large basin from the neighbouring chicory forcing house was cooled down to ten degrees. Once the chilled beam was connected to the system, the room temperature fell to 23 degrees within just a few hours. With this proof in hand, the hoteliers returned to the initially sceptical trade firms and were finally able to win them over to their system. All told, the sustainable building technology saves 535 tonnes of CO2 every year.
It takes a great many expert discussions on equal terms – and certainly a fair measure of willingness to experiment – to build sustainably.
Petra Bohrer, senior proprietor
Guests arriving in electric cars also benefit from the on-site power generation: during their stay they can „refuel“ with genuine Bohrer green electricity at 6 charging points. What makes it special is that the charging output is a hefty 22 KW, so even e-mobile restaurant visitors can look forward to a noticeable boost in range for their EV after their visit.
Fine Produce for Body and Soul
A key part of aligning the farm with eco criteria is its seasonal range of agricultural produce for the breakfast buffet and the 200-seat farm restaurant, along with an in-house farm bakery and patisserie that produces breads and baked goods, cakes and gateaux.
The farm restaurant serves homemade dishes from the Markgräflerland and select culinary specialities in a distinctive setting. By day, the light-flooded rooms of Bohrer’s offer a bright, friendly atmosphere, while after sunset they take on a stylish mood. The covered wraparound terrace overlooking the garden provides additional outdoor seating.
The Bohrerhof is also a popular shopping destination, as the adjoining country market offers a wide range of local products. There, alongside residents of the region, most hotel guests usually stock up on culinary keepsakes to take home. Besides harvest-fresh produce from its own cultivation, the spacious farm shop also stocks select specialities such as wines, liqueurs and gift items from regional producers, as well as the farm’s own bakery and patisserie goods.
A Base for Day Trips
The country hotel’s surroundings offer plenty to explore for young and old, families and couples alike. The region awaits holidaymakers with picturesque landscapes of mountains, waterfalls and lakes. The nearby Southern Black Forest is a paradise for hikers, bikers and nature lovers. But small, picturesque towns such as Staufen, with its entirely car-free medieval old town, are equally worth a detour for strolling and lingering.
South of Staufen, the far-branching Münstertal valley leads deep into the Southern Black Forest. No other Black Forest valley holds such scenic variety, presided over by the majestic Belchen (1,414 m). It invites extensive hikes, as does the Blauen, a 1,164-metre-high vantage peak on the western edge of the southern Black Forest.
Anyone who prefers to travel by bike across the comparatively flat plain is well advised to take a leisurely tour along a stretch of the Baden Wine Route, which winds dreamily through the region’s vineyards.
https://www.bohrerhof.de
