Boho Style in the Austrian Alps

Our stylish bohemian oasis with a Dutch touch at Der Steinerwirt

Autumn is here yet I’m still dreaming of summer and my lovely travels around Europe including a week in Austria nestled deep in the Alps at the beautiful design hotel Der Steinerwirt. Owned by two female entrepreneurs, Julia Junger & Lisa-Maria Roos, who developed the concept then found investors and launched it - only to have Corona become a global pandemic and force them to pause their business for a very long time. Their dream was on hold, their gorgeous hotel stayed unoccupied all the way until the bans lifted and normal living returned.

Despite the formidable challenge it initially encountered, the hotel now extends a warm welcome to guests from around the globe in Lofer, a picturesque town situated approximately 90 minutes away from Salzburg in the breathtaking Austrian Alps. I must add that getting to this idyllic destination from the airport is a breeze: simply exit your flight and hop onto the bus. In just one hour, you'll find yourself in the charming town of Lofer.

I traveled there on the ICE (high speed train) from Hannover, Germany with my son - we went to Munich, changed trains, and then direct to Salzburg where we spent the first night before heading to Lofer the next day to meet our friends, artist and motivational speaker, Lena Petersen and her 2-year-old son, Mio.

Lovely Lena so warmly invited my son and I to join them so together we could create a magical mother + son retreat together at Der Steinerwirt. She had painted three wall murals for them while pregnant with Mio, so it was a good time to return to see Julia and Lisa-Maria and enjoy the beautiful hotel together with our kids.

Honestly - with two very active young boys in tow, this was an ideal location for a summer break. It was conveinant and relaxing for us and great for the kids since next door was a mountain stream and a big swimming pool - plus a gondola that took us up and down two mountains daily - so the boys were always stimulated with something to do and happy (well, for the most part!). Everything that we needed was in the village of Lofer - ice cream cafe, grocery store, a small toy store, great restaurants… everything.

Der Steinerwirt isn’t a “family” hotel - it’s a hotel for all - so we didn’t feel odd as two women showing up with our boys and no “man” with us. The mix was really great - lots of cool adults, some singles, some families, and a bit of an upscale, spa/urban vibe. In many ways, if felt sorta Dutch with it’s laid back family-friendly characteristics and down-to-earth, open-hearted style.

When we arrived to this magical mountain hideaway, I was deeply impressed by the overall casual vibe - plus the design style and attention to detail - wow! So well done. There was a lot of Dutch influence for sure, but coupled with traditional Austrian alpine architecture which was a very cool coupling.

Part of the hotel is very old and the other part was just built, so the old and new mix was a big plus for me personally. It was inspiring to see the flawless mix which felt so cozy and welcoming. My son loves modern architecture, and I like more of an old building with some new, modern touches - so this hotel delighted us both.

Perusing the property, I spotted lots of familiar, beloved brands like HKLiving, FatBoy outdoor furniture, pillows from Pad, and in their gift shop, many things that you saw around the hotel could be purchased plus clothing - traditional Austrian Dirndls from Limberry (they have the most beautiful Dirndls and sweaters) and boho-style fashion as well as some yoga clothes and branded hotel t-shirts and hoodies.

One of my favorite things about this hotel - other than the overall design and the gift shop - was the food, our huge shower, and the sauna downstairs, which you could book privately for one hour. It was heaven - I went a few times and enjoyed every second.

Breakfast was served mostly all day and absolutely delightful - every morning a new fresh juice and a new smoothie concoction was offered, so you were well taken care of with your daily nutrition!

The hotel even offered daily yogurt with toppings outside on the terrace at their Yoki Doki stand, and themed dinners as well in their restaurant that you could book in advance - a taco night, tapas night, sushi night… Certainly not themes you’d expect in an Alpine village which made it even more unique! We opted for the sushi night which was mouth-watering.

You can also enjoy lifestyle and health retreats, live DJs and events, and even special yoga classes too - we didn’t get to do any of those things but I imagine it would be beyond wonderful to enjoy extra super self-care and a little party- party at a place as special as Der Steinerwirt!

I already miss Der Steinerwirt so much and hope to return again, what a special trip... Recently at school, my son was asked to pick a country in Europe that inspired him and to recreate his favorite things about it into a shoebox - the kids all had to create their own shoebox of their chosen country.

He told me he created Austria - Lofer - and our mama and son adventure with Lena and little Mio.

Now that’s what I call a vacation success story.

Love,

Holly