A journey from the past to the future!

When I was entrusted with the organisation of the ground-breaking ceremony for our new resort in Oberhof in Thuringia last year, I was very happy and proud. I immediately googled it, because that’s what you do when you don’t know much about a place, except that it’s the stronghold of the biathlon. Bobsleighing, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined also came to mind. Oh yes, and I also knew that it was in the middle of the beautiful Thuringian Forest. But since the fourth hotel of the Familux Resorts is to be built here, that seemed too meagre to me, and I began to look intently into this beautiful place in the north-easternmost corner of the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. Oberhof was first mentioned in 1470, and in the 19th century the newly created double duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha brought about a noticeable upswing for the entire region. With the construction of the hunting lodge, for example, Oberhof not only experienced a special architectural exclamation mark, it transformed the forestry workers’ village into a sophisticated “cosmopolitan village” which, with the later arrival of winter sports, was referred to as the “St. Moritz of Germany”. Later, Oberhof attracted more and more guests who wanted to experience the high-altitude health resort, including the six-year-old German Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst with his brothers. So even then it was clear: this is a place for children! Just how predestined this landscape is for winter sports is proven by the founding of the Thuringian Winter Sports Association in 1905. In the years that followed, the first bobsleigh run, the ski jump and the ice stadium were built. Oberhof became the cradle of German bobsleighing. But did you know that Oberhof is also the root of the German golf tradition? At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ducal Golf Club Oberhof was founded. The ducal golf hotel followed in 1912 and the sport was practised on the “Schuderbachwiese” until 1944. After the war, the 9-hole course became overgrown, and today it is the only listed golf course in Germany. That reminds me, I really should work on my handicap again. Think there will be a golf simulator at the new Familux Resort? Tourism also experienced an upswing in the GDR. Especially in the 70s and driven by the successes of the famous athletes of the time, more and more people wanted to be active. The “Fritz Weinecke” recreation centre offered an incredible 900 beds. Later it was renamed “Hotel Schützenberg”. But for reasons of overcapacity it was demolished in 2003. 16 years later, the Minister of Economics of Thuringia, Wolfgang Tiefensee, and hotelier Ernst Mayer pushed the spade into the earth on this very spot: the history of this wonderful place is being written.

Let’s start with the fact that we are building our colourful green forest resort in a place that could not be more enchanting in its green abundance, and I am reassured by the fact that hotels have stood on this property for centuries. In the middle of Germany, to accommodate our guests and thus also to create shorter journeys in the sense of the environment. Here, no meadow has to give way to a beautiful wellness area or even whole sections of forest have to be cleared because of the chalet village, no, what is currently still barren in the centre of Oberhof is being built on and revitalised. I can already see the happy faces of the families who will be arriving here from December 2021: “Welcome to your holiday” is how our reception team greets our happy guests. They can explore and experience so much here, the nature trail around the house or 120-metre-long double water slide. I get a sparkle in my own eyes just thinking of the children’s beaming eyes at all our play facilities. It will be so much fun to explore the world of the forest with our mascots. Speaking of mascots! Three wonderful creatures are moving into Schützenberg with The Grand Green – Familux Resort. Iknazz – the meadow and forest hero. A cheeky, brave, very curious Erinaceus Roumanicus. A hedgehog, in other words. He is clever, defensible and always tells the truth. The little adventurer is particularly keen on the fact that Iknazz is spelt with two Z’s. His buddy Hermann is a tawny owl. He knows everything and hears better than a lynx! But he can’t see very well, poor thing! Hermann is very calm and with his analytical skills, the clever little fellow still masters every challenge. The third member of the group is Lotte. What a busy girl she is! She is such a busy ant who can be found everywhere. Most of the time she is excited and sometimes offended, but always in favour of cooperation and team work. When Lotte is at a loss, she sometimes calls a few thousand of her family together to find a solution. Because that’s what ants can count on – a helpful family.

I can see mums and dads spending time together as a couple, knowing that their little darlings are in the best of hands with our kids’ coaches, enjoying the wellness area or taking it easy in the infinity pool. How the whole family spends a great time together and yet everyone can be on their own. I can already see the friendly faces of our holiday beautifiers – as we like to refer to our team members here. How they joyfully pursue their passions with us at The Grand Green – Familux Resort. Oh, and the wonderful food, that’s just a particularly important factor for me – especially in a children’s hotel. A bit of regional cuisine such as the famous Thuringian dumplings paired with international delicacies and lots of favourite dishes for the little ones – my mouth is already watering. And all this in front of a sea of treetops. 160 km wide, the Thuringian Forest stretches right outside our windows. I can hardly wait! Now I’ve travelled with you from the past into the future – wonderful, did you like it too? The construction work will start in April and soon we will be able to tell you more about the developments in the new resort in the Thuringian Forest. In the meantime, have a great time, see you soon. Your Stefanie