The old German castle Ellmau, which now houses one of the most expensive and luxurious hotels in Germany, rises in a picturesque valley surrounded by mountainous Bavarian landscapes. Built halfway from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Mittenwald, this unique castle has gone through many wars, destruction and major renovations. The castle owes its vivid image - completely in the traditions of Bavaria and yet with its own flavor - to the professor, theologian and philosopher Johann Müller, who bought the estate existing in this place and completely rebuilt it even before the start of the First World War. German architect Sattler helped him in this. It was he who invented the spectacular stepped facade, decorated with numerous carved elements. Since then, the castle walls have seen everything from Wehrmacht soldiers and wounded soldiers to American students.
But the castle suffered especially badly not during the war years, but in our time, when all the upper floors of the building burned out from a strong fire in 2005. Two years later, the castle was completely restored by the architectural bureau Hilmer & Sattler und Albrecht and since 2007 has been functioning as a five-star hotel.
Today the Schloss Elmau Retreat is a unique hotel of the highest category. Moreover, it is not just a hotel, but a "hotel in a hotel", since near the main building of the Elmau castle with a rich history worthy of a separate article, a new one was built, not inferior to the old one in its spectacularity. The new hotel was named Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway and entered the top ten world spa hotels. And in June 2015, a meeting of the G7 leaders will be held at the Schloss Elmau Retreat Hotel.
The new building includes a first-class spa, gym, yoga room, saunas and steam rooms, three tennis courts and a children's playground.
The hotel rooms are decorated in an extraordinary style, which, although reminiscent of an old castle, is endowed with all the benefits of the modern world. And, of course, the main accent in the interior is the breathtaking view of the Alps from the large windows of the rooms.
140 bathrooms and a hammam are finished with the finest materials that set the tone for the entire interior design. On the floor -
tiles from Solnhofen limestone with untreated natural surface, on walls and countertops - Jurassic gray-beige marble sandblasted with brushes.
I must say that
The SolnhofenStoneGroup was not only supplying materials for the new building. After the fire in 2005, it was this company that supplied 1000m2 of Jurassic marble floor tiles to restore the historical appearance of the main building of the castle. The deliveries have not been interrupted for many years, during which SSG delivered about 9000m2 of Jurassic marble and Solnhofen limestone to the historical and new parts of Elmau castle for the decoration of halls, restaurants, SPA area and bathrooms. And largely thanks to the highest quality materials in the walls of the new building, it was possible to achieve the authenticity of the image, the feeling of luxury and noble antiquity.
