Schlosshotel Lerbach
Schlosshotel Lerbach
A hotel with history – designed for connoisseurs
Historic records from the Bergisch Land region of North-Rhine Westphalia already mention the “Lerbach Manor” as far back as 1259, although it only entered an official register on 13 May 1384. On this day the manor was consigned to the knight Johann von Hoenen. Over the course of the centuries today’s Schlosshotel Lerbach has had an eventful history. At the beginning of the 17th century it was converted into a Renaissance palace complete with a moat. In 1840 it was redesigned as a classical manor house, taking its inspiration from English stately homes. In 1893 the paper manufacturer Richard Zanders from Bertgisch Gladbach took over the manor together with his wife Anna, a daughter of the famous engineer and industrialist Werner von Siemens. After a few years, however, he had it torn down because damp in the old walls had made the building almost completely uninhabitable.
Anna Zanders commissioned the Munich architect Gabriel von Seidl to rebuild the manor, and thus in 1900 it was reconstructed, incorporating many of the existing elements from the old building – for example the flooring and the wonderful open fireplace in today’s hotel foyer. After the death of the childless couple, the Zanders’ nephew Dr. Hermann von Siemens inherited the estate, and it remains in the family to this day.
In 1990, after lengthy negotiations, the von Siemens family leased the castle to the Cologne-based private hoteliers Elke and Thomas Althoff, who opened today’s Schlosshotel Lerbach in 1992 following a two-year renovation. Since 1994 the hotel is a member of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux hotel association. The classic, intimate refuge is popular with people escaping the rat race and with lovers of fine food and wine.
Thanks to the location of the Schlosshotel Lerbach in a forest setting on the right side of the Rhine, business people can find absolute peace and quiet for work and for conferences. Private travellers can relax with walks in the hotel’s park, on hikes through the Bergisch Land or at the hotel itself: a pool, beauty and spa area and the guest rooms provide the perfect environment in which to relax. In addition, the Schlosshotel’s various salons and restaurants provide the perfect setting for all kinds of parties and events.
The 52 comfortable rooms and suites – as well as the lobby and the public rooms – exude the flair of a quietly elegant country house. The bar, which regularly exhibits major works of art, is a particularly notable feature of the hotel. Max Ernst’s collected drawings were exhibited here, as were the original lithographs for Dante’s “Divine Comedy” by Salvador Dalí.
Last but not least, the art of the hotel kitchen makes a visit to the Schlosshotel Lerbach a tempting proposition: the Dieter Müller Restaurant, in which the master chef has been personally preparing his aromatic and deliciously light meals since 1992, is a major draw for gourmets and connoisseurs. With its international culinary masterpieces the restaurant is highly rated in major international restaurant guides, and counts as one of the best gourmet addresses – one that every lover of fine food should have visited at least once.
Since 1994 the Dieter Müller Restaurant has been a member of Relais Gourmand, the gourmet association of Relais & Chateaux, and in 1997 it was adorned with its third Michelin star.
With the cooking school, opened in January 2005 under the patronage of Dieter Müller, the Schlosshotel offers a further attraction for epicures and invites guests to a diverse array of courses covering all aspects of cooking.
04/2005
Data & Facts:
Address: Schlosshotel Lerbach
Lerbacher Weg
51465 Bergisch Gladbach
Germany
Tel. +49-(0)22 02/ 204-0
Fax: +49-80)22 02/204-940
E-mail: info@schlosshotel-lerbach.com
www.schlosshotel-lerbach.com
Location: Peacefully situated in the middle of a 28-hecatare private park in the Bergisch Land, close to Cologne.
Category: 5 stars,
Member of Relais & Chateaux and
Relais & Gourmand
Director:
Rooms: 52
Function rooms: Banquet rooms for up to 120 people
Restaurants: Gourmet restaurant Dieter Müller
(3 Michelin stars, 19 points in the 2005 Gault Millau)
Head Chef: Dieter Müller
Brasserie ’Coq au Vin’ with a summer terrace
Beauty & Spa: Diefenbach Beauty farm, with the brands
Lancaster, Ligne St. Barth, La Prairie
Other facilities: Cooking school under the patronage of Dieter Müller, opened in January 2005
www.althoffhotels.com
04/2005
