Carefree days at the Lederer Hof on Lake Tegernsee
“Do you want to wander further and further?
See the good is so close.
Just learn to seize happiness,
Because happiness is always there. —Goethe
At the Lederer Hof, history and tradition meet sustainability and nature. The two hosts and sisters Roxan and Laura Schabmair have created a relaxed and casual place where the connection to nature can be felt at all times. In the apartments and in and around Lake Tegernsee, guests of the boutique hotel enjoy a special "Tegernsee feeling". Our author Cécile met host Roxan for an interview and enjoyed carefree days in the Bavarian Alpine foothills.
Greetings from the 3rd generation
The Lederer Hof has been around for over 150 years. The sisters took over the farm from their father in 2018. The year of handover led into a year of reconstruction with a general renovation. The two houses, which were Leather yard were given a new look during this time. From old heating pipes to beds, cupboards, tables and chairs, the 22 apartments have been given a complete overhaul. The concept has been retained: old details are valued and allowed to stay, while they are combined with new ones. In the year of renovation, for example, the two old rooms on the ground floor of the main building, where the reception and dining room are now located, were created into a large, airy room. Spruce furniture from earlier times was refurbished and completed with new oak furniture and details. Guests sleep on pollutant-free COCO-MAT mattresses and in wooden beds that the sisters designed themselves. The bed linen made of 100% cotton is even embroidered with their own (old) logo and ensures a comfortable sleeping experience. The result is a successful mix & match that gives the sisters the opportunity to appreciate what they have inherited from their ancestors and at the same time live out their own style.
Self-determined holidays and enjoyment
A day at the Lederer Hof begins at its own pace – guests can get up whenever they want and a delicious regional gourmet breakfast awaits them. Breakfast consists of a lovingly prepared tiered stand with – depending on your choice – cheese, sausage and fish, as well as seasonal vegetables, a fresh fruit cup and egg dishes from free-range chickens as you wish. The coffee is fair trade and the cheese, for example, comes from the Natural cheese dairy Tegernsee, which you can visit and buy cheese to take home. Guests can also use a bread roll service, where they can get fresh bread rolls from the neighboring bakery delivered to their door if they want to have breakfast in the apartment as a self-caterer.
Thanks to the well-equipped kitchen units and kitchenettes, which were made by a carpenter from the neighboring town of Rottach, guests can decide for themselves whether they want to cook for themselves during the day or eat out. There are a variety of restaurants available for this, which are either within walking distance or a few minutes' drive away. For example, I was in the traditional restaurant Gasthof zur Weissach in Rottach-Egern for dinner. Upscale Bavarian cuisine is served here. The ambience in historic rooms dating back to 1862 lets you discover small details from years gone by. The menu offers vegetarian as well as fish and meat dishes.
Most of the apartments at Lederer Hof have one to four rooms. The largest apartment is 110 square meters and offers three bedrooms with a large living area and a hammock. This allows for a vacation in different constellations - whether as a family vacation with several generations or with friends.
Closeness to nature around Lake Tegernsee
The large garden of the Lederer Hof is home to a large lawn with plenty of places to sit and lie down. A new garden sauna can be booked for each room. A relaxing time is guaranteed! In each apartment, guests will find a yoga mat for exercise indoors, on the balcony or in the garden.
If you want to leave your accommodation, you will find numerous options in every direction to climb to different heights or to seek out the cool water. Whether am the local mountain, the Riederstein or on the Wallberg, which can be reached by cable caris enough – hikes of various levels of difficulty are possible from there and alpine pastures and cafes along the way provide rest breaks. Of course, after all the sporting activity, the Tegernsee offers the best way to cool off. The monte mare lake sauna, where you can jump directly into Lake Tegernsee after a sauna, is definitely worth a visit even when there is less sunshine. At the Boat rental Reiffenstuel you can rent electric boats and sail across the lake.
What can I experience at Lake Tegernsee?
The Lederer Hof offers SUPs for its guests to rent. There is also a bicycle repair shop in the courtyard, where e-bikes can also be charged at wall stations. Once a year, a special cycling event takes place at Lake Tegernsee, which I attended: the Bavarian Cycle TourA vintage bike race in which almost 800 riders competed this year to cover either 45, 65 or 100 kilometers. The atmosphere was fantastic and the vintage bikes and outfits were an absolute highlight.
A visit to the Ducal fish farm Wildbad-Kreuth is a must for anyone who likes freshly caught, smoked or pickled fish. Several hiking trails lead there. In the summer months, various forest festivals take place that combine traditional costumes, traditional music and Bavarian food.
All guests receive a TegernseeCard, which offers reduced admission for the gondola, for example, and travel by public transport to Tegernsee. From autumn 2024, this card will be available online, so that guests can enjoy it before they arrive at the hotel. Tegernsee is considered a summer destination, but guests will not get bored here in winter either, as one of the longest Natural toboggan runs Germany offers driving fun on a route of 6,5 kilometerseter.
Sustainability as a cornerstone
Sustainability is and has always been practiced in a very unique way at Lederer Hof. In the past, for example, it was completely normal to keep distances short, whether it was going to the baker or butcher, the partner who offered the best quality and was the shortest distance away was always chosen. Sustainability thus arose quite naturally. In times of fast-paced life, Laura and Roxan still want to take a close look and choose their partner companies carefully. A partnership with the label I Want You Naked The natural cosmetics company from Munich produces vegan Shampoo, shower gel and body lotion in organic quality are made by hand and enable a short delivery route.
But the sisters are still a long way from where they want to be: they have lots of new projects and ideas in mind and they also want to continuously improve existing processes. This means it never gets boring and guests can always look forward to positive changes.
I definitely got my own personal impression of Lake Tegernsee and immediately felt at home at the Lederer Hof. The hospitality felt special and the attention to detail was evident throughout my entire stay. Thank you very much, dear team, and see you soon, or as they would say there, “Pfiati”.
© Photos: Cecile Meier
Cecile Meier
Cécile is a freelance author and sustainability strategist. She enjoys traveling to the fullest: getting to know different cultures, listening to other languages and discovering new things either by the sea or in a (big) city always fascinates her. The stories and intentions of the Good Travel hosts are particularly important to her.
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