Schwarzenberg village centre

A fire in autumn 1755 destroyed almost the entire village centre of Schwarzenberg, including the church. Rebuilt with an enthralling and harmonious blend of buildings, roads and squares, the village is now considered among the most beautiful in the Bregenzerwald region and indeed all of Vorarlberg. The ensemble including the Baroque church (featuring works by Angelika Kauffmann), the dance hall and 16 further buildings has been a listed heritage site since 1989.

The oldest building is the Mesnerstüble inn, which was not damaged in the fire. At the top end of the square is the dance hall, which formerly served as a court and a popular meeting point for those returning from church or the market. It owes its name to what was once a widespread regional custom, namely the formal dances that were held to mark the end of court hearings. Opposite this is the imposing Hotel Gasthof Hirschen, which boasts a late-Baroque facade and elegant parlours.

The adjacent Gasthaus Adler inn was built in 1756, although conversion projects undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s cost it much of its historical substance. However, this ultimately enabled the complete reworking of the floor plan and interior design as part of a thorough refurbishment in 1990 – with the exception of the old parlour. On the ground floor, the existing central passageway offering access to the rooms was extended to the rear of the building. Now only separated by a glass wall in the middle, it opens out onto the outdoor dining area. The guest rooms were either restored to their historical state or fitted with waxed panelling made from solid spruce. Modern design and historical preservation went hand in hand during the renovation thanks to the uncovering of the original wooden facade, decorated with bright ornaments on a dark red base. This “oxblood” coating does in fact use blood serum as a binding agent, but the red colour comes from an iron oxide pigment added separately.

Reconstruction of Gasthof Adler
Architecture: Hermann Kaufmann, 1991