Hotel Schloss Fleesensee in Germany’s North, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The luxury hotel Schloss Fleesensee resides in the land of 1,000 lakes and amidst the beautiful nature of the Mecklenburg Lake District. In 2014 Schloss Fleesensee was taken over by the Düsseldorf investment group 12.18. and awakened from its slumber. The neo-baroque castle with its 3.5-hectare park has been lavishly renovated since its reopening in 2016. I already knew the hotel from times when it was managed by the Radisson Blu Group. And I was curious about what would await me in the middle of the natural landscape of Müritz. I didn’t get disappointed.

…lavishly renovated since its reopening in 2016: Schloss Fleesensee

With 179 rooms and suites, the hotel was given a completely new concept based on three pillars: Schloss Hotel, Schloss Spa, Schloss Golf*. In the spa of the castle, those seeking relaxation can expect an innovative sauna landscape, various beauty and massage treatments, a gym and a 25-metre-long, heated outdoor pool on three floors with a total area of 2,500 square meters (more on this soon on MyStylery).

Me in front of the imposing park backdrop with adjacent golf course

The history of Schloss Fleesensee would be the perfect material for an exciting film project: built in 1842 by Ludwig Graf von Blücher, completely destroyed by fire in 1912, the building experienced an eventful history after its reconstruction. After the end of the Second World War, the castle had been converted into a military hospital by the Soviet army. During the GDR era, the venerable walls accommodated several families, the municipal administration, a nursery school, a consumer shop and an egg collecting point. Immediately after the fall of communism, the first investor attempted to run a hotel business – and failed. It was only in the last few years that tourism in the Mecklenburg Lake District really began to gain momentum. A region with potential, which the new owners realised.

The imposing staircase including the gallery. In the lobby, circular light installations set modern accents. And the deer trophy welcomes arriving guests

Even the entrance of the castle is fascinating: a large hall with floor to ceiling walls and an eye-catching spiral wooden staircase with an adjoining gallery welcomes the visitor. My gaze scurries past impressive hunting trophies and remains on the large open fireplace, in which a cosy fire crackles. And I immediately notice: I feel comfortable here, I want to stay where I am.

The library “Wine and Book”

Also in the library and winter garden – my favourite rooms at Schloss Fleesensee with a view over the extensive park – a cosy fireplace keeps you warm. Can there be anything better than getting warmed up after a long walk in the winterly nature around a fireplace? Even in the spa area, the design team of the Düsseldorf architect Kitzig skilfully installed fireplaces as room dividers. A colour concept in warm earth tones and an elegant, classic interior underline the feeling of well-being.

Breakfast is served until 11 am in the Orangery. A very welcoming option for me as a late riser

Hungry? Well, then off to the restaurants Blüchers, Orangerie or Schlosstafel. Especially the gastronomy concept with numerous products from their own cultivation and meat from their own cattle breeding convinced me. The vegetable beds on 3,000 square metres are located directly on the castle golf course. Regional fruit and vegetable varieties thrive in a 1,200-square metre greenhouse. For breakfast, fresh eggs from the South American Araucana chickens are served to the guest in Schloss Fleesensee. There is no question that even the chickens at Schloss Fleesensee are housed in first-class accommodations – after all, they are kept in a modern chicken mobile. At this place, the world still seems to be fine. BvH

The gourmet restaurant “Blüchers” now resides in the former castle chapel,where guests can choose between menu and à la carte dishes

Culinary info:

Georg Walther, chef at Schloss Fleesensee, focuses on regional products and has been awarded 15 points by the French Gault Millau for his reinterpreted classics as the newcomer of the year. This makes the “Blüchers” one of the best restaurants in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Since Schloss Fleesensee has been run under the direction of its new operators, sustainable agriculture has been practised on almost five hectares of land at Schloss Fleesensee.

My suite in the main house of Schloss Fleesensee, where apple juice from the own farm is available for the guest

My tip:

Treat yourself with a suite in the main building of the castle with separate living room and bedroom. This is where the first 22 rooms were designed according to the new interior concept. Here you dream on luxurious box beds, whose headboard is covered with soft Alcantara. The walk-in wardrobe with generous storage space and the chests of drawers made of fine wood are adorned with leather handles. The salon features velvet armchairs, leather sofas and velvet curtains in warm earth and cognac tones. I find the colour-changing carpet very beautiful, which picks up baroque patterns in a washed-out look. The walls are partly wallpapered, partly in a soft grey tone, on which the black-and-white photographs with nature and animal motifs come out well. In the black and white marble bathroom, there is an XL shower, a bathtub and Molton Brown products, hair dryer, bathrobe, slippers and enough towels.

The black and white marble bathroom with XL shower, bathtub and Molton Brown products

Master bedroom and walk-in wardrobe

One of three oval windows of my suite with a view over the castle driveway

The winter garden – my favourite room…

…and a view into the 3.5-hectare castle park

The “Wine and Book” library, in the background the “Bar 1842″…

… where delicious aperitifs are mixed

No worries, the wild boar doesn’t do anything anymore

The Outdoorpool at the Schloss Spa

Comfortable ambience inside the spa

The 179 rooms and suites hotel Schloss Fleesensee in its neo-baroque style is located in the northern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Info Schloss Golf*:

72 greens and five golf courses: This makes Schloss Fleesensee one of the largest golf resorts in Europe. Directly adjacent to the castle is the Schloss Platz, a golf course that demands a high standard of performance from its players. On the other hand, the 18-hole course offers historical views into a fantastic landscape architecture, which goes back to the famous landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné.

Four more courses await golfers at the Fleesensee Golf and Country Club: Two 18-hole courses and two 9-hole courses in different game levels. If you want to improve your tee, you can do so under the guidance of golf pro Sven Strüver or refresh your skills in the Golf Academy.

Golfing at Schloss Fleesensee: Tee-off with a view

Contact Schloss Fleesensee:

schlosshotel-fleesensee.com

More travel reports you can find here.

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Ciao, Lido!

Hardly any other place has such a longing potential as the city of Venice. Venice is the synonym for romance and mysticism, transfigured and described in literature and film. A tourist magnet that attracts millions of visitors every year, so that especially in the high season, the built on wooden poles lagoon city has long arrived at the edge of their capacity. But also in Venice there are contemplative retreats and oases of peace. One of them is the Lido. Known for the annual “Mostra internazionale d ‘arte cinematografica di Venezia” film festival, which will be held for the 75th time this year, the Lido has not really been known as a holiday destination so far. This, however, is about to change. A new beginning is planned, driven by a consortium of 21 hoteliers and business people. Unlike the rest of Venice, the Lido now relies on sustainable tourism, including alternative energies and environmental regulations as well as WWF-funded renaturation: The Lido is now green.

Morning idyll on the deserted beach. While the sand in the north of the Lido is rather dark due to the current, the beach in the southern part of the Lido is white and fine-sanded

Also at 8 o’clock in the morning the world is still fine in the Lido. The first swimmers have long pulled their tracks in the sea with the rising sun. The Adriatic Sea has 20 degrees during my visit in mid-April and is therefore surprisingly warm for the season. Two ramblers walk their dogs over the gray sand alley. Otherwise, I have the beach almost to myself. The season officially starts in May. The preparations for this have now been completed. That’s a good thing, since the winter has washed a lot of plastic surfaces and other dross to the shore.

The Venetian lion watches over everything

I walk past the legendary Grand Hotel des Bains, which has been closed since 2010 and has been waiting to be revived in its enchanted private park, just like Sleeping Beauty. On the main boulevard – the Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta – around this time the first shutters are ran up. Chairs and tables are moved in front of the cafes, pasticcerias, gelaterias and bars, there is a lot of activity, the dishes clatter and there is a smell of freshly brewed espresso in the air. The Lido is like a village where everyone knows everyone: “Ciao, come stai?” The hustle and bustle has also caught the lagoon side early in the morning: Vaporetti or water taxis with commuters land or take off, because many Lidenzer work in San Marco or on the mainland.

The water taxi will take you to San Marco within ten minutes

Just a few minutes walk from the sea and lagoon lies my hotel, the Ausonia & Hungaria. A jewel of Art Deco, built in 1907 with an impressive, partly tiled façade. The Lido is known for its Art Nouveau architecture, which has been represented here since the work of the Austrian Habsburgs. Until then I knew the Gothic architecture of Venice with its Byzantine influences, but I am equally fascinated by the many Art Nouveau villas of the Lido. By the way, it is worthy to explore these architectural pearls by bike.

MyStylery on tour: The Lido can be easily explored by bike. The only twelve kilometers long island measures at the narrowest point just 300 meters, at the widest point 1.5 kilometers

By taxi – one of a total of twelve island taxis – I drive to the only golf club in Venice, the Circolo Golf Venezia in the south of the island. In the rickety Mercedes, he had already coached George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer over the Lido, the driver tells me proudly. Clooney, who flies by helicopter from his villa on Lake Como to the annual film festival taking place from August to September, has not yet played on the 18-hole golf course. Instead did Edward Duke of Windsor in the 1930s, while the reason for his renunciation of the English crown, the divorced American Wallis Simpson, was sitting in the luxury hotel Gritti Palace in San Marco, waiting for him. Whether the Duke was also enthusiastic about this perfectly into the landscape integrated place? Built in 1928 on the 16th-century fortifications, the golf course is flanked by mature trees and offers breathtaking views of the idyllic Lido landscape.

Insidertip: You’ll find the most popular beach Bagni Alberoni in the South of the island

From here, it is a stone’s throw to the most popular beach of the Lidenzer, the Bagni Alberoni. Nestled in the WWF under nature conservation and supervised, 30 hectares of area with dune landscapes and pine forests, the beach here is white and has fine sand. And just like in the morning I again enjoy a nearly deserted beach, look at the big ships that anchor in front of the Venetian lagoon and watch the waves. It’s hard to believe you’re here in Venice but also seemingly so far away.  BvH

View from the renatured dune landscape on beach and sea

Crumbling plaster on the facade of the former hotel legend Grand Hotel des Bains. An investor was found. Only the beginning of the extensive renovation is uncertain

Cafés, restaurants and shops line the main boulevard of the Lido, the Gran Viale

I also find the typical Venice vibe on the Lido: on my discovery tour I pass numerous bridges and canals

Vegetable shop with beautifully arranged products

Pearls of architecture

Byzantine Gothic meets Art Nouveau

Nice detail: The wooden decorations on the roof

I particularly like the rose-colored facade of Villa Anna Maria

Bridge railing in Art Deco: Beautiful!

Elegant gate with Art Deco elements

And another pearl of architecture on the Gran Viale

The baroque church of San Nicolo is located in the north of the Lido and helped the Venetians to secure the entrance to the lagoon. In the event of hostile attacks, the church bells were rung, warning the Venetians. The adjoining monastery is now the seat of the European Inter-University for Human Rights and Democratisation

At the widest part of the Lido – in the south of the island – between 1909 and 1911 the airport “Aeroporto di Venezia-Lido Giovanni Nicelli” was built in the most beautiful Art Deco, with a runway on lawn. The back then developed luxury hotels Excelsior and Grand Hotel des Bains were thus faster to reach. 1926 started the first scheduled flight from Vienna to Venice…

…praised by the BBC as the world’s most beautiful airport, the airport today is used by small private planes and helicopters

The Grande Albergo Ausonia & Hungaria is a four-star hotel restored with a love to detail…

…In the coming year, work on the building, which is under monumental protection, is scheduled to be completed. Tip: Book an treatment at the hotel’s Asian-inspired “Lanna Gaia” Spa

Being a gondolier once

I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to maneuver a gondola. In the Nautico San Marco I get a small introduction including practical testing by experienced Gondolieri. (Bookings on Remiera San Marco). I notice: Looks easy, but requires years of training and body feeling. One leans forward slightly, while the outer arm pulls out and the inner arm leads the rudder. Got it?

View into the boat harbor of the Nautico San Marco: The boats are also used in the historic regatta “Ragata Storica”, which takes place every year in September. My “trainer” Tarsilo is one of the most successful regatta participants and has won the Ragata Storica 15 times

The golf club „Circolo Golf Venezia“:

After a round trip over the 18-hole course, you can enjoy excellent lunches in the restored red-clinker stables

The ‘Cradle’ of Venice is located on the Lido: Malamocco is not only the oldest part of Lido, it is the oldest part of Venice

Stroll through the small streets and inhale the atmosphere!

The foundations of the Relais Alberti,, today a twelve-room boutique hotel, date back to 1450. Built by the Florentine banking family Alberti, Relais Alberti, located in the center of Malamocco, is my personal highlight. For a year and a half under new management, it offers cooking classes with local dishes and ingredients from the hotel’s vegetable garden.

Elegantly furnished with partly antique Murano chandeliers: Relais Alberti

Here it also tastes the Hollywood celebrities: A dinner in the restaurant Quattro Fontane I can highly recommend. Tired heads will find a nice room in the associated hotel

The Quattro Fontane menu: beetroot, buffalo mozzarella and Parma ham…

…followed by vegetable risotto…

…and beef fillet. Simply delicious!

Buon Appetito!

The five-star hotel Excelsior has 197 rooms and suites…

…and the only hotel pool on the Lido, overlooking the sea

View from the Lido di Venezia to San Marco

Salute with a Bellini! Lido, I’ll come back

Bay the way:

Since 1932 a magnet for the public and one of the most important international film festivals: „Mostra“ – the Venice International Film Festival.

Contact Green Lido:

veneziaeilsuolido.it

Info Biennale May 26 – November 25 2018:

labiennale.org

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Lake Como: Nestled in an impressive mountain landscape and lush, Mediterranean fauna

From the Upper Italian lakes at the southern edge of the Alps, Lake Como is the most beautiful to me. Nestled in an impressive mountain landscape and lush, Mediterranean fauna, Lake Como fascinates with its famous historic villas such as Villa Carlotta and Villa d’Este. They come partly from the 15th century and bear witness to the successful era when the silk industry settled in the region around Como. Around the lake, picturesque villages charm the visitor, here the time seems to have stopped. Pure romance and a charm that also attracts Hollywood: celebrities such as George Clooney, Madonna, Brad Pitt or Donatella Versace have their own holiday residences here.

In Como I walk through the narrow streets

My tour starts by the southern shore of Lake Como with a stroll through the old town of Como. In the Via Vittorio Emanuele II and the Via Indipendenza you will find numerous boutiques with Italian fashion. I walk through the narrow streets until I stand in front of the Como Cathedral, the third-largest cathedral in Lombardy. If you would like to have a view on the splendid cathedral facade, this is best done with an espresso in a Piazza Cavour café opposite the Cathedral.

The Comer cathedral was built from the 14th century and impresses with its filigree exterior façade and inside with precious gobbelins

The next stop along the west bank is called Cernobbio. A must for fans of the art nouveau is a trip to the Villa Bernasconi, a jewel of the Belle Epoque, where today’s exhibitions are shown. Famous is Cernobbio also because of the Villa d’Este, since 1873 a hotel of the luxury class, which was already visited by lot of celebrities. Just because of the garden and the temple, decorated with colorful pebbles mosaic, it is a worthwhile visit. If you are not willing to pay thousands of euros a night in the summer season, perhaps you can enjoy a Bellini at the lake terrace for 23 euros, enjoying the extravagant atmosphere and the sensational view of the turquoise water.

Famous and popular photo motif: Me infront of the temple of the luxury hotel Villa D’Este

We continue northwards to Menaggio. Here the ferry leaves for Varenna and Bellagio, in the summer every 40 minutes. (One car with two persons costs 15.50 euro). Passing the imposing villas, you can reach Bellagio, probably the most famous village on Lake Como, after a 15-minute passage. So famous that even the most popular hotel in Las Vegas is named after it. From the water you can see the elegant, pale yellow facade of Villa Serbelloni, a grand hotel with a beautiful park and a fantastic view of the lake.

Ahoi! On the ferry from Menaggio to Bellagio

I decide to have lunch on and enjoy a glass of rosé, buffalo mozzarella and Parma ham. That’s what Dolce Vita tastes like! Strengthened I now stroll through the Via Guiseppe Garibaldi, explore the winding streets on a hillside and admire the always surprising views of the Lago di Como. From Bellagio I take the SS538 road back to Como. The approx. two-hour route lures again and again with numerous viewpoints: stop, look, marvel.  BvH

Surrounded by lush wisteria: The terrace of the Hotels Florence in Bellagio

Lake Como tip I:

Want to see Lake Como from above? Then go to the small mountain village of Madrona at Monte Bisbone (1,328 meters high) on the west bank above Cernobbio. The course, popular with hikers and bikers, is rewarded with a breathtaking view over Lake Como and – on weekends – with homemade pasta in the Baita Alpe restaurant.

What a view: From the small mountain village Madrona at Monte Bisbone (1.328 Meter hoch) down to Lake Como

Tip II:

June to September are the best months for wind and kite surfing. The mountain world around Lake Como is also a paradise for hikers and mountain bikers.

The Lake Como is the perfect film backdrop. It was shot for Star Wars Episode II, Casino Royale and Ocean’s 12

Tip III:

Caution, penalty card: In Bellagio the car is best at the edge of the city. Parking in the center is expensive. I was asked to pay 140 euros for wrong parking.

Small hotels and restaurants line the shores of Bellagio

Good to know:

Como Lake (in Italian Lago di Como) is one of the eight Upper Italian lakes. “Lario” – as the locals call it – is 146 km², 55 km long and max. 4.2 km wide. Thus, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, it is the third-largest lake in Italy. In the center, near the town of Bellagio, the lake divides in a southerly direction into two arms, each ending in the towns of Lecco and Como. The lake looks like a twisted Ypsilon. It is up to 410 meters deep, making it one of the deepest lakes in Europe.

The marina of Como

The Comer cathedral was built from the 14th century and impresses with its filigree exterior façade and inside with precious gobbelins …

… which can also be admired whilst having an espresso in one of the opposite located cafés at Piazza Cavour

Chic shopping in luxury boutiques at the cathedral square

Como’s old town

Great to stroll: In the old town of Como dominate pedestrian zones

Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio …

… a jewel of the Belle Epoque …

… where today’s exhibitions are shown, like about the history of cashmere

Go swimming in Lake Como:

The luxury hotels around the lake have their own jetties from where you can jump into the green blue water. More tips for public beaches and hidden places can be found here: www.comersee-info.net

Many of the luxurious villas such as the Villa Carlotta or the Villa d’Este date back to the 15th century, when Lake Como became rich with the silk rape and the resulting silk industry

Tip: For Lunch join the terrace of Villa d’Este

We continue northwards to Menaggio

… from where the ferry leaves for Varenna and Bellagio

The elegant, pale yellow facade of Villa Serbelloni …

… with the Grandezza of a Grand Hotel

I love the small streets of Bellagio …

… where I spotted cosy bars …

… and inviting street cafés

A small detour to the cemetery of Bellagio. Arrivederci!

Merken

Merken

Merken

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The Battery – Private memberclub in a former marble factory in San Francisco: discretion inside and outside

What do you do if suddenly you are richer by $ 850 million? This question had to be faced by the British entrepreneur Michael Birch and his wife Xochi 2008, when they sold their social network startup ‘Bebo’ to AOL, which in England, Ireland and New Zealand was bigger than Facebook. The studied physicist and the business owner did not have to think long. Michael and Xochi love English pubs and bringing together people. And where can both be better united than in a private members club? How the Germans love their lives membersclubs, so love the English their club culture: apparently a genetic predisposition. Thus, the art-loving Internet-millionaires bought a turn of the century-factory in the Financial District of San Francisco, renovated the five floors, the new home of The Battery.

Livingroom and bar in The Battery*

Where marble used to be processed, The Battery has been living in the street of the same name near the waterfront with its piers for three years. An elegant club on over 5,000 square meters with restaurant, four bars, wine cellar, library, gym and spa as well as a courtyard with garden and 14 hotel rooms which can also be booked by me as a non-member. Just like the glass penthouse on the roof, which offers fantastic views of San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid and the Bay Bridge. The interior design of the former factory hall has preserved the old building elements such as visible redstone walls and steel beams and has been cleverly integrated into the interior concept. The American interior designer Ken Fulk is responsible for the successful, eclectic mix of boho, industrial and vintage styles.

One of 14 suites in The Battery: The interior design of the former factory hall has preserved the old building elements such as visible redstone walls and steel beam*

If it were for the owners, the club would be a meeting place for artists, philanthropists or even drag queens. In fact, the nerds and technology freaks of the Silicon Valley are lolling between plush velvet sofas and sweeping leather chairs in front of rustic wood paneling. Even Germany’s former Minister of Defense, Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg – now on the road to the Internet – is happy to make a reservation at The Battery. With an annual contribution of 2,400 US dollars, the club is probably not for everyone. Especially since future members must be nominated by an existing member and a committee decides who will be accepted. A procedure similar to the Soho Houses, a successfully established club culture also from the United Kingdom. Exclusiveness has its price. BvH

The Reception: Welcome to The Battery – you would say. I think the staff could be a little more friendly*

My „Battery“-Suite and my open suitcase…

… with design chairs from Platner

Pleasant luxury on 55 square meters

The rooms are equipped with nice details and high technology

Black-and-white photographs about the velvet sofa:

The Battery has its own art director, the German Thomas Moller, who is responsible for curating changing exhibitions and events for the club

Spacious bathrooms with Frette luxury towels and Molton Brown products pamper the guest

The library has an impressive ceiling lamp …

… and inviting leather sofas! The perfect cozyness

The Musto bar*

The green room*

In the restaurant 717B, leather armchairs and velvet sofas invite you to sit comfortably, on the walls art in gold frames and lamps by Serge Mouille

Contact The Battery:

thebatterysf.com

Pictures marked* from The Battery

Merken

Merken

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The hotel lobby, designed by fashion designer Christian Lacroix

First of all, I love, love, love Paris! The “savoir de vivre“, the elegance of the city and its inhabitants, the cultural offerings have already fascinated me when I lived in Paris as “Au Pair” years ago. One of my favorite places in Paris is in the heart of Saint-Germain-Près: The boutique hotel “Lebellechasse”. The 33 rooms created by fashion designer Christian Lacroix afford a lavish elegance with rich brocade fabrics, heavy velvet and creative murals that invite you to dream: Lacroix chose a great material-mix for the equipment of this four-star hotel in the seventh arrondissement.

Double room with open bath*

The standard rooms are small – but nice

As everywhere in the French capital, the rooms are very small and even in a double room you have to be very well organized, to not step on your own feet. Still, I’m happy here and this is not only because of the central location. Institutions such as the “Café de Flore” on the Boulevard Saint Germain are within walking distance, as is the nearest metro station “Solferino”. The RER (line C) is diagonally opposite the hotel, right at the Musée D’Orsay. The other side of the Seine – the Louvre and the Rue de Saint Honoré – are easily accessible from here.

The open bathroom ensures more generosity

The single room offers an open bathroom and separate toilet

The breakfast room is located in the basement

However, I do not really like the breakfast rooms in the basement. I prefer the small cafés and brasseries in the quarter, which are more individual and also cheaper – and much more “typiquement français”.

Tip:

I was positively surprised when I booked my room directly on the hotel’s website, where I found the best deals and prices.

Nice view from my window to the beautiful roofs of Paris

Contact Hotel:

8, Rue De Bellechasse
75007 Paris, Frankreich

www.lebellechasse.com

*Photo and featured image: Lebellechasse

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