Feuerberg through the Ages
The success story of Feuerberg had its origins over 100 years ago when the great-grandfather of the current hotel owner, Erwin Berger, built the legendary mountain huts on Gerlitzen Alpe in 1917. Over generations, there have been many renovations and expansions, and the product has changed and evolved. All under the motto: Nothing is as constant as change.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Emil Berger began the construction of the legendary mountain huts, then called "Berger-Huts". He was a prominent forestry entrepreneur who, unfortunately, was taken from life too early due to a tragic accident. Nevertheless, the huts soon became one of the most popular mountain retreats in Carinthia.
Probably also because of two strong women: Paula Berger, who was the first landlady from the construction of the huts until 1934, and Lisl Kaufmann, Erwin Berger's grandmother, who dedicated her life to running the huts as the "Gerlitzen Muata" for over 50 years.
During this time, a large alpine farm was established, at times with a cheerful hut life.
The word spread all the way to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to many members of this great orchestra, numerous well-known personalities spent their vacations in the old huts even back then. But the huts were just as popular with the locals. Many ski courses were held in the huts and it must have often been a lot of fun, as Lisl Kaufmann often liked to tell.
In the 1960s, Erwin Berger Sr. began construction. The father of the current hotel owner was an incredible pioneer. He first built a material cable car to replace the traditional mule trek for supplying the huts with new technology.
A daring undertaking, as he did most of the work himself with his friends. Supported by his wife Inge, three hotel buildings followed. The Bergerhütten became the Alpenhotel Berger. He also built the Gerlitzen-Alpenstraße during this time. The booming pioneering years were followed by difficult economic times at the end of the 1970s.
In 1983, Erwin Berger Jr. took over the hotel with 35 rooms, of which only 20 were equipped with a shower and toilet.
The situation was not rosy. Erwin and Isabella Berger ran the hotel with the enthusiasm of their youth and hit the ground running as the founders of Kinderhotels Österreich. 10 years of successful development work made investors prick up their ears. The legendary Carinthian business pioneer "Pipsi" Mayr expanded the hotel in 1994 and built the Almhüttendorf. Erwin Berger handed over the management of the hotel and worked as a management consultant for 15 years. Four children were born. A management partner ran the resort during this time; unfortunately without economic success.
In 2006, during their training in logotherapy and existential analysis, Erwin and Isabella Berger contemplated the concept of "satisfaction." They believed that true satisfaction arises only when one has done enough for something that is important to them. They observed the challenging situation of the family business and made the decision to repurchase the hotel.
They planned a new start with a completely new concept. On the magical date of 07.07.2007, the Mountain Resort Feuerberg opened after an initial major renovation and expansion. These first investments were extremely well received by the guests and gave courage for new investments. A wonderful journey began...
Standstill has always been and will continue to be a foreign concept at Feuerberg.
Erwin and Isabella Berger have made significant investments every year since the opening of Mountain Resort Feuerberg in 2007, and they are constantly striving to further develop their hotel. Here is a brief overview of the various stages of construction that have turned Feuerberg into a mountain resort for both relaxation seekers and families in recent years.
In 2023, the outdoor facilities around the Mountain Resort Feuerberg and the staff rooms were redesigned and the bar area and kitchen were expanded.
The adventure park was created around the Mountain Resort Feuerberg with new places to play, do sports, discover and relax.
The hotel bar has also been extended to include the former "Spa Lounge" area. You can now expect more seats at our hotel bar.
There is a new lounge and a spacious staff restaurant for Feuerberg employees.
The kitchen has also been expanded in order to intensify cooperation with regional gourmet producers. In addition, the waste management system has been organized in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
Most of the rooms in the hotel have been renovated and now shine in new splendor. A special feel-good retreat for boundless relaxation.
New beds and armchairs have been installed in 50 rooms. Fresh fabrics, wall designs and lighting give the rooms a pleasant atmosphere. We have gone one step further in four suites and completely remodeled them. The new design concept with pop-out windows promises a combination of modern design and coziness.
We have created more space in our bathing and wellness world. The "Höhenflug" relaxation room with panoramic views has been extended to include three beautiful "cuddle niches for two".
Noble as our drops - our bar has become even cozier. The individual areas have been "spruced up".
The outer shell of the Mountain Resort remained almost as it was. We didn't extend much, we renovated more, freshened it up, embellished it and created new order here and there.
This is how we completed the redesign of the restaurant. The area where families have been seated since 2008 has been redesigned in a very cozy way, the parlors have been rearranged and everything is now much quieter. The "blue restaurant parlor" has become the silver parlor. High-quality materials lend the room a charming noblesse, ideal for couples and single travelers. The entire restaurant area now shines and looks as if it has been cast from a single mold.
There are also some new features in the bathing and wellness world. The lava and stone pine saunas were a little outdated and have been given a makeover. Special attention was paid to the areas that were both relaxation rooms and passageways. New organization creates new paths and turns lounging areas into quiet spaces of retreat and peace.
Our tried-and-tested "Aquamarin" indoor pool has been transformed into a water world for our younger guests. They can now splash around in a very warm but shallow pool with a depth of 25 cm. There is also a mini slide, water games and large, comfortable loungers for the whole family.
And what's more: the children's club outside the Badewelt has also been rejuvenated, redesigned and equipped. And above all, it has been enlarged. The 3-6 year old toddlers have been given their own secure area.
With the construction of the Sonnenbad, the Feuerberg Mountain Resort has gained an exclusive bathhouse with three additional pools and its own children's area. In addition to two large indoor pools, the "Skypool" is the new star of the Feuerberg. It floats at a lofty height in the middle of the bathhouse's glass façade. The "Aquafix" children's pool world with a 40-metre-long water slide and a 1.20-metre shallow children's pool delights young and old alike. In addition, the new "MEIN SEIN" wellness center with bright rooms and the best facilities has been created in one area of the bathhouse. In total, "Kärntens Badewelt am Berg" now offers around 4,500 square meters of wellness, 12 pools, Almsee (solar-tempered from June to August), water slide, 11 saunas and 16 oases of peace.
There have also been major changes to the restaurant. Two new restaurants have been built and existing restaurant areas have been redesigned. Also new: the Feuerberg Raritäten-Vinothek.
Construction of the Kristallbad with infinity pool, panorama pool, concert sauna and various relaxation rooms as well as construction of the first floors of the new "Suite Tower".
This construction site was the realization of a long-cherished dream: swimming into infinity. The Feuerberg infinity pool was voted the most beautiful pool in Europe in 2017!
The first mammoth project: the major conversion of the hotel with total renovation of the hotel rooms gives the hotel a completely new look. Winter gardens are being added to the rooms and the façade is undergoing a makeover. Two new pools will be built and one pool will be completely renovated.
And that's not all: the sauna area is being extended to include a salt sauna, rock sauna and the "Tower Lounge" relaxation room. In addition, 12 staff apartments are being built.
