History

The Oberwirt was officially documented for the first time in 1496, during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I. Since 1749 the Waldner family has been successfully running the hotel and agricultural holding complete with Alpine pasture.

Franz (+2008) and Martha Waldner, the current generation of great-grandparents, took over the Oberwirt in 1949 and lovingly developed it throughout the '50s and '60s from a country inn into a hotel. Some of their ventures were pioneering, e.g. the construction of the first private open-air swimming pool in the Merano region.

The first-born of their five children, son Josef, took over management of the Oberwirt in 1973. Along with his then wife Renate he skilfully succeeded in combining the rustic ambience and tradition of the hotel with modern, contemporary luxury. The last major project in the winter 2009/2010 was the construction of the garden house.

And the next generations are already waiting in the wings to take over the tradition of this great hotel one day: Daughter Barbara Waldner, the designated Oberwirt hostess. Along with her three children Annalena, Emily and Johann, the traditions of this hotel will be secure for many years to come.