Most people only know me as a passionate hotelier at the family-run “Preidlhof” in Naturno. Very few are aware that I am actually a trained farmer and studied at the Laimburg School of Fruit, Viticulture, and Horticulture. Today, our farm manager Florian takes care of the Royal Gala and Ambrosia apple trees in Naturno, but our regular meetings several times a week often remind me – with a touch of nostalgic melancholy – of the time when, at the age of twenty, I took over the orchards from my father. Back then, the “Preidlhof” was still a small guesthouse with twenty beds, where I only occasionally helped out, and not the 5-star luxury hotel it has become today.
For more than ten years, farming was my main occupation, until the hospitality sector gradually absorbed more and more of my time and energy. Nevertheless, I would never want to lose my close connection to agriculture, a bond that today feels even stronger thanks to organic farming practices.
Our hotel guests also love the apples from the Vinschgau Valley, both in their raw form, freshly picked from the tree, and in refined versions: apple strudel, apple chutney, apple jam with cinnamon, and the “crisply drinkable” schnapps “Preidler’s Jonagold” are ever-present on the menu. Guests actively inquire about cultivation and plant protection. Especially my two daughters light up when giving detailed explanations. They too have been captivated by agriculture – a passion documented in the parish records of the “house by the church in the Preidl Garden.” It was most likely cultivated with great devotion by the sacristan of the time and probably dates back to the 11th century.
A few years ago, the switch to organic farming undoubtedly marked a milestone in the history of the estate. Our orchards form a continuous area in the valley floor of Naturno, where further varieties such as Natyra and Bonita are planned for the future. All in the tradition of the medieval sacristan, who in the old “Preidl Garden” already practiced reverence for the generous and diverse nature.
www.preidlhof.com
