How Landhaus Gritschacher Became Our Dream:
“The house found us, not the other way around.” This is where the story of our journey to Landhaus Gritschacher begins.
In 2006, when the wish for change first began to stir, we did not yet have a plan to give up our life in Munich completely. Instead, we dreamed of buying a small house somewhere – perhaps on Madeira, perhaps in Styria – renovating it with care and renting it out to holiday guests. Carinthia was not on our radar at that point. Not even as a little blinking dot.
But during our online search, we kept coming across the picture of a charming guesthouse: Gasthaus Gritschacher. Again and again. As if the house was quietly waving at us. That picture made us curious. And in the end, it led us to Carinthia. And as the saying goes: “Looking costs nothing.” Well, at least that is what one says before life changes direction.
It was love at first sight. From that moment on, we knew: this is our new home. But it would still take another four years until, in 2010, we finally held the keys to our dream house in our hands. Since then, we have been renovating and rebuilding without much of a pause. Some would call it tireless. We would call it: there was always something. In 2011, we finished our first two guest rooms upstairs. In the years that followed, more rooms were added on the second floor. Step by step, room by room.
But who are we, actually?
Ulla
I, Ulla, was born in Munich-Pasing in 1963. I discovered my love for numbers and organisation quite early. Not everyone gets along with paperwork. I did. Which, in hindsight, was rather useful. So I trained as a tax assistant and later as a certified executive secretary. I put these skills to good use in my father’s waterproofing and renovation company, where I worked as head of personnel and executive secretary On the side, I also ran a small bookkeeping service. Numbers, files, order — somehow they stayed with me. Very loyal things, numbers.
Walter
My husband, Walter, was born in St. Pölten in Lower Austria in 1952. But his true home town is Salzburg, where our son now lives with his family. Walter’s passion for hospitality began with his apprenticeship at the renowned Grandhotel Pittner in St. Pölten and his time at the hotel management school in Bad Hofgastein. His wandering years took him through Austria and abroad, including time on board the MS Europa. So yes, he had seen a kitchen or two. After returning to Salzburg, he took over the management of Restaurant Muntenhammer. But after 20 years in hospitality, Walter felt it was time for a change. He went to Munich — and what started as a new chapter turned into 20 years. Life does have a sense of humour.
Our New Life’s Work
In dieser Auszeit lernten wir uns kennen und lieben. When my father died, we realised that life is too short to keep postponing dreams. So we turned towards this new life’s work. And by buying Gasthof Gritschacher, we fulfilled a dream that had been waiting for a long time. Patiently, one might say.
For me, it was the dream of a small but carefully run private guesthouse. Small, personal, and with enough paperwork to keep me occupied. For Walter, it was the dream of bringing an old traditional inn back to life — and of reinterpreting dishes from around the world and from the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy with local products.
We invite you to visit us at Landhaus Gritschacher and share our love for this special place. On our website, you can discover what makes our house so unique — and you can also read our other blog stories.There we share more stories and experiences from our life at Landhaus Gritschacher.Whether it is about renovating our guest rooms, preparing our favourite dishes, or discovering the beautiful surroundings of Carinthia — there is a lot to explore. Possibly more than we first thought.
We look forward to welcoming you.