It’s mid-November and it’s cold and rainy when my family and I arrive at Schetteregg in Egg AU. It is a small skiing and hiking area, away from the large tourist stream. We are here to test Hotel Fuchsegg. It was opened only in 2021 – in the middle of the Corona era.
Anyone who visits Fuchsegg Eco Lodges outside of the ski season will be rewarded with ample space and tranquility. The hotel is located in the Bregenzerwald and thus in the border triangle of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The hotel area is large and the residential units are distributed in such a way that you can usually only see other guests from afar. It consists of six buildings surrounded by meadows, forests and mountains.
Hiking trails and ski slopes right on the doorstep
From spring to autumn there are walkways right in front of the house. In winter, guests can access the ski slopes directly from the hotel. “You don’t have to take a train first, guests here really appreciate that,” says Carmen Can (47), Fuchsegg’s managing director.
Of course, there are better times of year to visit this beautiful piece of land. Clouds are low today. Snow is already visible from a few meters above – but you can’t ski here until December at the earliest. Schetteregg is at an altitude of 1060 meters above sea level.
Weekend guests come
I understand how many travelers stay here over the weekend even though it’s off season when dinner is served. Because only then, all guests who can live in a total of 30 residences on an area of 9000 square meters will meet here.
couples and families. Most of the visitors from Switzerland, Germany and Austria spend the weekend here. In addition to classic double rooms and family rooms, Fuchsegg also offers lodges and chalets with kitchens and dining rooms. The building ensemble is modeled on Schetteregg mountain huts.
In addition to the residential units, a large modern barn offers plenty of play and exercise options for guests large and small. There are wheels and tractors, a ping pong table, a ping pong table and rental bikes. There is also a large library in the main building – an absolute highlight for my three children.
Wellness and outdoor pool
For me it was the spa area including the outdoor pool. It’s the only place where things can get stuck at times. This is more or less the time when all guests want to return from their day trip and relax in the sauna. The outdoor pool is heated. However, I don’t think it’s warm enough to stay in during the cold season.
Are rising energy prices bothering the hotel? “They keep us very busy, of course,” says Can. “We opened our house during the pandemic period and faced many challenges.” It is not easier now. But the hotel is well prepared for the energy crisis.
Against the energy crisis with solar energy
Fuchsegg is operated with district heating from wood chips in the immediate vicinity. “We also have a photovoltaic system, water-saving fixtures and heat recovery,” says Can. An additional reservation reason for families and couples, the heated outdoor pool is open all year round. Therefore, it will be heated this winter as well.
But according to the owner, the opening times will be adjusted reasonably. The pool also has an outside entrance. “Energetically, this makes more sense and the guest has a contact with nature,” says Can. It deserves to swim first and take a few steps outside. This is the whole concept of the hotel. Guests head to the inn by putting on their jackets for breakfast or dinner outdoors in the snow, rain, fog and sun. “This is intentional,” Can says. Guests are in touch with nature and the seasons.
This post was created as part of a press tour.