Adler Historic Guesthouse

A breath of fresh air is sometimes all that’s needed to let the charm of days gone by shine again in an old building. This is the case at the former Hotel Adler in Brixen, which has reopened its doors to guests as the Adler Historic Guesthouse following a loving restoration. The building, numbered one in the city register, has stood at the heart of the historic old town on the banks of the Eisack river, for 500 years. In 2023, Christoph Mayr and his partner Silvana Messner took over the hotel from his parents and had it extensively renovated. Purism and simplicity were important to the couple in order to showcase the original architecture better. Embellishments and decorations have been used sparingly so that the real stars have enough space to make their big impression—historic vaults, atriums, stone floors, and an antique stove with ornately decorated tiles. But it’s not just old and new that come together perfectly here, the place itself also caters to different vacation requirements. Here you can stroll between arcades, crenelated alleyways and historic buildings, browse in small stores with a long tradition of craftsmanship and enjoy a dose of city life in cafés and great restaurants. If you want to breathe in nature, the surrounding mountains are right on your doorstep. And for a relaxing spa experience, head to the rooftop pool. Since all of this will help you to work up an appetite, the guesthouse has three places to indulge it. Seasonal gourmet menus are served in the traditional “Finsterwirt” restaurant with its historic snugs, where politicians, artists and even former Pope Benedict XVI have dined. In the informal wine bar “Vitis”, a minute’s walk from the hotel, 400 wines from around the world are waiting to be sampled—ideally in combination with fine cheese, South Tyrolean smoked ham, and anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea. For an aperitivo or a slice of homemade cake, head to the bar! If you love variety and like to keep your down-time interesting, you might have found your new favorite place.

WHAT WE LIKE MOST:

• The hotel’s 43 individual rooms, which all have different layouts due to the historic architecture, some with balconies, others with bay windows and benches or vaulted ceilings
• The restrained design of the rooms with light-colored natural materials, woods and fabrics from South Tyrol, without any unnecessary frills
• The exciting contrast between old and new. A new structure has been added in the inner courtyard, a trapezoidal three-story building clad in green glazed tiles, called “The Pin”.
• The view! Depending on the location of your room, you can look out over the inner courtyard, the river, the white tower and the cathedral spires or the Plose, Brixen’s local mountain—all completely different, all incredibly beautiful!
• The retreat that has been created on the newly built roof terrace of “The Pin”, a real rarity in a historic old town—it’s a wonderful experience to swim a few lengths in the pool with this backdrop.
• Each room has a small bar with wine, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, which you can stock up on for an evening drink on the roof terrace.
• You can have a good time here all year round. Thanks to the perfect combination of culture, culinary delights and the great outdoors, Brixen has its charm at any time of year.

GOOD TO KNOW:

• Everything in the Adler is wonderfully new, even though it is old. The Historic Guesthouse opened on June 2, 2023.
• Included in the room price is the delicious breakfast made from regional products, served every morning in the former stables. Here you can sample a selection of jams, spreads, egg dishes prepared on request and waffles with various toppings.
• Free morning reading—an international digital newspaper selection
• Additional “wellbeing”: For cooler days, there is a Finnish and steam sauna in the hotel and for the more active, a fitness room.
• High-quality, natural care products from Vitalis Dr. Joseph are available in the rooms.
• The hosts do everything they can to keep the ecological footprint small. For example, there are charging stations for electric cars, a “green rate” for those traveling without a car, food is mainly sourced from regional producers.
• Hotel guests receive a BrixenCard free of charge, which gives access to all public transport as well as exciting offers in over 100 partner businesses, such as the mountain lifts, museums and the Acquarena.
• Arriving by train, it’s a 15-minute walk from Brixen train station to the hotel (and you can enjoy your first stroll through the town!). Alternatively, the 320 city bus runs to “Station Adlerbrücke” directly opposite the hotel.

Foto Credits: ©Matthias Gasser und ©Brandnamic