Ensconced by the alpine scenery surrounding Zugspitze mountain is Eriro, a new pared-back Austrian hideaway only accessible via cable car. Silky fields grazed by cows and pine forests with an arresting mountain backdrop welcome the guests who have ascended 1,500 m to reach the escape – a view akin to a sublime painting. Wollen socks are gifted on arrival: an invitation to treat this hotel like home.
Tour Eriro, a mountain retreat in Austria
Rising from the foundations of an inn that dates back to 1936, Eriro’s footprint was shaped by strict planning regulations. Architect Martin Gruber collaborated with hoteliers Amelie and Dominik Posch and Christina and Martin Spielmann to elevate the existing layout with an understated but contemporary brief. Honouring its modest origins, the hotel is composed primarily of wood, much of which was harvested from the nearby forests and reclaimed from old barns, brought to fruition by timber construction expert Andreas Mader.
As the existing floor plan permitted just nine suites, each one feels generously proportioned. A muted theme blends layered textiles in earthy colours that mirror the landscape, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. While the penthouse stands out with its pitched ceiling, open fireplace, dual terraces and private sauna, all of the other suites include a freestanding bath carved entirely from a single chunk of pine and mountain views.
Throughout the property, interiors bathe in the shifting alpine light. Thick panels of sheep’s wool line the walls, pressed up against raw stone and rustic clay-effect surfaces. Rough wood cladding adds a tactile dimension to the simplicity. A strong sense of place is tangible, with the majority of the furniture custom-made, and each weighty door took a day and a half to craft.
Aside from organically shaped ceramics, art is minimal. Figurative sculptures appear discreetly, whittled by the architect himself using wood salvaged from the ruins of a former workshop destroyed in a fire. It’s a nod to the owners’ passion for sustainable practices and creatively repurposing scrap materials.
Food is no exception to this rule. Chef David Franken developed a culinary concept that embraces locally-grown ingredients, alongside a rigorous zero-waste policy. This presents a worthy challenge, but a peek inside the larder reveals a wealth of pickled goods, from pork to pinecones, meticulously labelled and tucked away for winter. Plants and mushrooms are foraged, vegetables come from nearby farms, and game meat is purchased from a local hunter.
Nature courses through the veins of this subtle mountain sanctuary. Guided walks inspire barefoot wandering in dappled meadows and wild swimming in aquamarine lakes. Outdoorsy guests are never short of a fix, be it hiking, biking, climbing or skiing in season. And when the weather folds in, there’s nowhere more compelling to shelter than Eriro’s spa, with two saunas and a collection of warm shallow meditation pools, ideal for watching the wind chase shadows across the pastures. Yoga and sound baths are on offer, as well as massages using oils infused with regional herbs like nettle, yarrow and arnica. Guests are coaxed into putting down their phones and picking up a paintbrush, throwing pottery or losing themselves in whittling.
It feels natural to ease into this luxurious take on authentic Tyrolean living and surrender to the pulse of the seasons. One moment, the mountains appear cinematically, all severe edges in a deluge of harsh sunlight. Then all of a sudden, they’re barely an ink sketch masked in mist. Rooted in an ever-changing panorama with only the lull of cow bells to diffuse the silence, Eriro is a place to be seduced into stillness.
Eriro is located at Ehrwalder Alm 4, 6632 Ehrwald, Austria, eriro.at
