From Alpina
into the snow
Bruno Strolz
tells
The ski guide for golden moments
Bruno got his first skis at the age of three. He wasn't really enthusiastic about skiing at first.
One day, my mother sent me out to ski down the ramp of our hay barn. I was out alone in the snowstorm. When it got too much for me, I took off my skis and left them in the middle of a large field. It snowed so heavily over the next few days that a huge amount of snow covered my skis. That was the end of skiing for that winter. It wasn't until the snow melted in spring that my skis were free again.
How did this rogue become a passionate expert?
"From the age of seven, I took part in ski training in Lech. I competed in races. Above all, I traveled everywhere with my friends, often far away from the slopes. In my mid-20s, I completed the state ski instructor and ski guide training program. It is said to be the most difficult training program of its kind in the world. I prepared well for the entrance exam and was in top form. After two years of training, I was one of the best graduates."
You worked at the Lech ski school for many winters. Who were your guests?
"I initially provided group lessons. Later, I exclusively worked with private guests from around the world, including the Golding family from London, the Bernasconi family from Buenos Aires, the Kneisel family from Boston, and the Tommy Hilfiger family. My most renowned private guest over many years was Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales."
From the forest
into the fireplace
Bruno Strolz
tells
The woodsman in his own forest
The wood in the open fireplace of the Boutique Hotel Alpina comes from the forest in the area of the nearby ski run over the Madloch from Zürs to Lech.
The established families (7 in number) in the Omesberg parcel, which is also home to the Alpina, have certain grazing, water and wood procurement rights. Forest and pasture are managed jointly in the Alpe Gstüat. I am the so-called "Alpmeister", who organizes and keeps everything together.
How important were these wood procurement rights for your ancestors and their farming?
"They needed the wood for building houses, stables, and barns in the mountain pastures. It was essential for heating in winter."
How does the cozy fire in the Alpina's fireplace get started today?
"Even today, I still go woodcutting in the summer with my son Severin and my godson Johannes Strolz (Olympic champion 2022/Beijing). The trees are marked and numbered. Lots are drawn to decide how the wood is distributed among the individual houses each year. A large part of my firewood is used for the open fireplace in the Alpina."
From the farmer's boy
to host
Bruno Strolz
tells
The origins of the Hotel Alpina
The Alpina was the original home of the Strolz family in Lech. Bruno rebuilt it in its original size.
"I was born on a sunny summer morning. My father Artur was in Zürs that day, mowing our mountain meadow. The Alpina was our home and also a guesthouse. My mother Ingrid looked after and pampered the guests. I grew up in this environment of farming and hospitality, very sheltered and very modest."
How did you experience your childhood at Alpina?
"From the age of three, I went to the barn with my father every morning and evening. My responsibility was the calves. I was in charge of feeding and cleaning them. At the Alpina guesthouse, I admired the toys belonging to the guests' children, which we could only dream of having. My brother and I had our animals in the barn instead—the cows, horses, pigs, chickens, and our sheepdog Tasso."
Years at the neighboring Hotel Schmelzhof followed, and then your return to the Alpina. What did you do with your original home?
"With a heavy heart, I had to tear down the original Alpina in 1999 and rebuild it. I was able to preserve the old parlor and reinstall it. I used usable wood for flooring, for example. The old was carefully integrated into the new. Authentic, unique, and impossible to copy. The Alpina still benefits from this today."
