Das Schlossgut Oberambach überrascht seine Gäste mit dem Food-Konzept "Farm to Table"
Foto: Robert Kittel/Schlossgut Oberambach
Get out of the daily grind, into the countryside and take a complete break: For the current issue of eMove360° magazine, we were once again on the lookout for a special place to charge our batteries. We found what we were looking for at Schlossgut Oberambach above Lake Starnberg. Slowing down and enjoying yourself works all by itself in this oasis with a view of the lake and the Alps, far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and noise
By Sabine Metzger
This is not how we had imagined the weather would be. When we set off from Munich towards Lake Starnberg in our test car, the new GWM ORA 07, it was raining. And even when we take the turn-off through the dense forest up to Schlossgut Oberambach above the eastern shore of Lake Starnberg a good 30 minutes later, it’s raining heavily. White-blue pre-Alpine sky my ass. We hook up the ORA 07 to the charging station at the wooden barn and want to charge our batteries for the next two days. This must be how princesses feel, I think, as we move into our Park Suite on the second floor. All the other rooms were fully booked. Fortunately. We can feel very royal for once. Two spacious rooms, solid wood furniture and oiled wooden floors, velvet sofa and armchairs, king-size bed, bathtub, south-facing balcony – all with a sensational view over the castle park and down to the lake. Envious? As we learn from the other guests, everyone feels a little “ennobled” in their room – in the most positive sense of the word.
From artists’ meeting place to organic hotel with vitality center
The smell of coffee and cake draws us downstairs. While we feast on the blue velvet sofa, we chat with assistant manager Martin Schulze about the history of the Oberambach castle estate, which dates back to 1476. At that time, it belonged to the Upper Bavarian monastery of Schäftlarn. In 1574, it became the property of Bernried Abbey. Almost 300 years later, Franz Freiherr von Lobkowitz acquired the estate and developed it into a manor house before it became a meeting place for writers, free thinkers and artists, including those of the “Blauer Reiter”, under Baron von Kleydorff from 1907. In 1991, Andreas Schwabe finally bought the country estate – initially with the idea of building an Ayurveda center, which was quite visionary at the time. This was followed by numerous renovations and conversions and finally, in 2003, the “Bio-Hotel” certification – the second business ever to be awarded on German soil. Today, the Ayurveda concept is available at the Schlossgut’s vitality center in the form of the healing hands of Ayurveda expert Cenia Schell. She uses the holistic knowledge of the centuries-old Asian art of healing and tailors her therapy and massage oils to the individual needs of each guest. Be sure to try it out!
Switching off: In the truest sense of the word
Since 2018, the castle estate has been run by son Maximilian Schwabe as managing director and Claudia Komeyer as hotel director in a personal, attentive and warm atmosphere. The hoteliers’ philosophy of living in harmony with nature can be felt in every small, loving detail. “We had the first system in the region built that stores rainwater in underground cisterns and uses it for flushing and watering the garden. We use a wood chip heating system to generate our own electricity and heat,” Schulze tells us proudly. All 40 rooms were built, renovated and furnished according to ecological principles, which means that they are not only allergy-friendly, but also free of electrosmog.
Switching off is meant literally: the WiFi switches off automatically at 11 p.m. Shielded cables have reduced electrosmog in the guest rooms to a minimum. Measures like these have been proven to enable undisturbed and restful sleep. Martin Schulze tells us that many stressed managers are happy to take advantage of the offer to leave their cell phones at reception. And the handing over is then valid for the entire stay – there is no turning back. After initial “withdrawal symptoms”, the effect is great. And so everyone is grateful for the self-imposed digital detox when they leave, smiles Schulz.
The lake is calling
With the excuse “The cell phone is also our camera”, we leave our cell phones with us and stroll through the photogenic scenery: the castle park with its ancient trees, the romantically secluded retreats, here a table with a few chairs, there a few loungers under a mighty beech tree. Everything in a loose arrangement. In the extensive grounds, everyone finds their place and enjoys the view of the lake and the Alps. Ours is the wooden swing with a double bed and a large reclining area for gentle swinging with a view of the lake. We finally walk down to the lake along an avenue framed by mighty oak trees and after about 15 minutes we reach the hotel’s own lakeside property with a small bathhouse, two stand-up paddle boards, swimming noodles and all kinds of bathing equipment. The loungers invite you to linger, the wind conjures up waves on the water. It is still warm enough for swimming. Back at the castle estate, a small, fine wellness house with a sauna and steam bath beckons. In a pleasant temperature, we swing again on a cozy lounger, relax with a cup of alpine herbal tea and look forward to dinner with a See Spritz as an aperitif.
From the field to the table
The French organic gardener Francois tends the Demeter garden, where all kinds of vegetables, salads and herbs grow on a one-hectare area. Cucumbers, tomatoes, chard, fennel, peppers, carrots, beans, zucchini and the like go straight from the adjacent field to the hotel kitchen and onto our plates. True to the motto “farm to table”. Organic has been a matter of course at the Schlossgut for more than 20 years, and the hotel also focuses on seasonality and absolute freshness through its close cooperation with local farmers, butchers and fishermen. We enjoy fish stew with fish from Lake Starnberg, roast beef from Murnau Weldenfelser beef and whitefish fillet with potato and chard mash and fennel from Francois’ garden. The wines on the wine list all come from wineries within a radius of less than 500 kilometers. We end the evening relaxed in our suite with a gin and tonic and a Moscow Mule (both from a Munich distillery). We imagine how great it would be to have a wedding celebration on the castle estate. It’s a shame that we’re already married. The next family celebration MUST take place here.
Sleep undisturbed and look at the lake again
The peace is wonderful. The sleep is deep. We wake up the next morning like new and dive into the natural swimming pond before breakfast. Special shore plants clean it without any chemicals, the small waterfall carries oxygen, and Grander and soft rainwater are also added. Then it’s time for breakfast. The selection at the buffet leaves nothing to be desired. The coffee is strong and mild from the Murnau coffee roastery, the tea comes from the Berchtesgaden tea factory, the eggs for the omelette come from the nearby Lohhof. Some of the bread and cakes are home-made. While we feast, we think about what else we want to do. Finally, the white and blue sky appears. How about an e-bike tour around the lake? A short hike to Degerndorf or Holzhausen? We are drawn back down to the lake. In Ambach we inspect the new little wine shop next to the traditional Fischmeister restaurant, have a chat with the owner of the Ambach kiosk and buy two fresh whitefish from Fischer Huber. Time to say goodbye to the friendly receptionists, the romantic castle park and our stately suite with the dream view of the lake. In Francois’ vegetable house we pick up the side dishes for our whitefish: lettuce, tomatoes and a bunch of parsley. The ORA 07 is charged and we couldn’t have charged our batteries more sustainably.
Address:
Schlossgut Oberambach GmbH Biohotel & Vitalzentrum Oberambach 1, 82541 Münsing, Tel. 08177/9323 info@schlossgut.de; www.schlossgut.de
Price: Trial night from Sunday to Monday, from 66 euros per person in a small double room with breakfast, otherwise from approx. 220 euros per double room
Charging: 3 charging stations, of which 1 x Tesla, 2 x universal, expansion to a total of 20 planned.
