HOCHSTRASS BLOSSOMS

On the search for an agricultural estate, Anja and Claus Ziegler discovered the recently vacant Hochstrass Convent in May 2012. In the blink of an eye, the entrepreneurial couple living in the Waldviertel region succumbed to the radiance of this unique place and acquired the estate. On one hand, to be at home here with their daughter Julia and son-in-law Matthias Holzmüller. On the other hand, to uphold the history of Hochstrass and to undertake something new after successfully leading a large company for many years.

Refugium Hochstass Familie Ziegler

A PLACE TELLS STORIES

Together with management consultant Franz Ehrl (www.ehrl-consult.at), the Ziegler Family developed the concept for a very special hotel: Refugium Hochstrass. Like the convent once was, it is to particularly be a place of contemplation and tranquility. The simplicity of the building and the facilities of the former convent, as well as the impressive surrounding landscapes, are integrated into the design concept. The Refugium Hochstrass itself will tell stories from its remarkable past to its guests with unobtrusively placed mementos.

Refugium Hochstass Forstwirtschaft

KEEPING HOUSE LIKE IN THE PAST

The family’s big concern is to revitalize agriculture, forestry and livestock farming on Hochstrass. These tasks lie in the hands of Julia Ziegler, as a graduate of the Higher Secondary School for Agriculture and Nutritional Sciences in Sitzenberg Castle. Step by step in the coming years, Hochstrass is to return to the sustainable cultivation of the past and to once again be mostly self-sufficient. A first sign is the return to energy autarchy in the form of a local heating plant fired by wood from their forests.

Refugium Hochstass Landwirtschaft