In the centre of the Upper Bavarian Rupertiwinkel, just north of Salzburg between Waginger See and Mattsee, you will find a real oasis of peace, the Hotel Restaurant zumOXN. Its name is not a whimsical abbreviation for oxygen, but the dialectal accusative of an ox.
The hotel is an "art hotel" with a retro design, where fine art and music play a major role. The cosy hotel with its rooms furnished with local and natural or near-natural building materials and with a "natural pond" blessed with a rest and relaxation area is centrally located in the middle of the village of Laufen, on the border with Upper Austria. The districts of Laufen (now Germany) and Oberndorf (now Oberndorf near Salzburg) were once an important and rich town due to its location on the Salzach river.
A truly sustainable place of pleasure
The zumOXN provides an inviting contrast to the tourist magnet of Salzburg, just twenty kilometres away, with its legions of Mozart-loving tourists from near and far. The wood applications, the functional and cosy but also modern furnishings with lots of wood have a balancing and calming effect. The building was constructed with energy efficiency in mind using a lot of manual labour and regional materials from local companies and is heated using CO2-free district heating and wood chips. Naturally, a solar system mounted on the roof contributes to the sustainable energy supply. Many small individual measures such as collecting rainwater for watering the plants, reducing the air conditioning to a maximum room temperature of 22 degrees, dispensing with plastic portion packs and electrically cooled minibars and much more contribute to the hotel's good energy balance. Eight charging stations for electric cars, controlled by a smart load management system, are located in the underground car park. A lockable bicycle room with battery charging facilities and a small workshop is available for e-bikers.
In addition to the measures in the context of the building, there is also an amazing commitment. For every overnight stay booked, one euro per person is donated to support regional nature and species conservation measures. The concrete beneficiary is the landscape conservation association Biosphärenregion Berchtesgadener Land e.V. Here, farmers, environmentalists and local authorities work together on an equal footing to preserve biodiversity, maintain and renaturalise the raised bogs, which are widespread in this region but whose existence is endangered, as well as small-structured and networked biotopes. The farmers are paid by the association for their efforts to maintain a diverse natural and cultural landscape, among other things with the "Hotel zumOXN overnight levy". In this way, rough grassland, litter meadows, hedges, ditches and the like, which are so important for the existence of plants and small and large animals, can be preserved and expanded.
Susanne Thomas from the landscape conservation organisation says: "It's nice to see how tourism, which benefits in particular from an intact natural landscape, also contributes to its preservation. The contribution of one euro per person per night from the Hotel zumOXN may seem modest, but in total it is a considerable contribution to our work and also an expression of appreciation for our commitment. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the family that runs the hotel.
Culinary delights: Bavarian-Austrian lifestyle
Naturally, the hotel and restaurant also focus on the principles of regionality, seasonality and animal welfare when it comes to culinary delights. All ingredients are sourced locally from partners, the local baker and the butcher from the owner's family as well as local farmers, or even from the hotel's own farm. The evening restaurant with bar offers local rustic cuisine as well as delicacies from all over the world, professionally prepared and artfully served.
The à la carte evening restaurant with 80 seats and terrace is also open to non-hotel guests on five days of the week, and on the first Monday of every month there is a special "burger building day", where the high-quality food that is or can be stacked between the bun halves also deserves the title "artful". The XAVER hotel bar and the OXN counter, where Viennese specialties such as Ebner coffee and sustainable health and wellness products from the Saint Charles pharmacy, as well as practical and original snacks are available to take away, round off the offer perfectly.
SPA, Art & Wellness
The hotel has an exclusive sauna area including a Finnish sauna, herbal sauna, snow room and outdoor area with natural bathing pond. Here, too, peace and relaxation are the order of the day, which is why this area is also reserved for adults. The artistic arrangements of photographs and fine objects contribute to inner balance - relaxation is not just a matter of the body.
Sport and culture
The range of more or less sporting activities is broad, as the hotel is located in a kind of centre: Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Bad Reichenhall and Traunstein are easily accessible by bike or e-bike. The neighbouring Haunsberg, the foothills of the Alps and the limestone mountains to the south offer a wealth of sporting and cultural opportunities.
The hotel provides premium trekking e-bikes for hire, which can be used to explore the mainly flat pre-Alpine region with relative ease. The many nearby lakes in particular, each with their own atmosphere, are ideal for hiking, cycling, swimming and much more.
In terms of culture, nearby Salzburg is of course the main highlight, but Berchtesgaden, Bad Reichenhall and Traunstein also offer a number of cultural events and are lively regional centres. They are all linked by the history of salt production and the salt trade, which characterised the entire region economically for centuries.
Events
Live concerts, cabaret and atrium sessions provide a wonderful setting in the hotel to come together and celebrate. This is ensured by regionally renowned cabaret artists and music acts in a changing programme. The Lichthof sessions in particular have a charm all of their own.
Hospitality
The Hotel zumOXN is not a large hotel, it offers 37 double rooms for two people at a price of 193 euros per night including breakfast. What characterises it in particular is the hospitality and the obvious commitment of the owner family and their team to creating a special atmosphere, an ambience consisting of a successful mix of relaxation, stimulation, secrecy - and a small portion of mischief and craziness.
Text: Werner Köstle
Images: Hotel zumOXN