Historic Hotel
Questionnaire
Year erected: 1884
What is the history of the property?
The years around 1870 played an important role in the history of Millstatt and marked the beginning of a dramatic transformation in which a relatively insignificant Carinthian town became a dynamic hub of development. Over a very short space of time, Millstatt became a famous and exclusive Summer destination for noble and wealthy families of the Austro Hungarian monarchy.
Rudolf Schürer von Waldheim – Founder of the See Villa
It was also in the year 1870 that the story of the See Villa began when the wealthy publisher and son of a Bohemian glass industry magnate, Rudolf Schürer von Waldheim came to Millstatt to bid on an untouched and idyllic piece of land on lake Millstatt that lay between the Hotel Forelle and the Pesentheiner peninsula.
This property was the ideal place to build a Summer hotel directly on lake Millstatt. Schürer sought out the expertise of renowned architects Mayreder and Köchlin (Builders of the Ronacher in Vienna) to design the See Villa.
Mayreder. One of the See Villa Architects
The building complex of the See Villa originally consisted of one main building. On the ground floor there was an elegant dining room and a large kitchen with apartments above it for the staff. A so-called “ice house” was also built for the storage of meat and vegetables. This storage room took up the entire ground floor while the first floor could be reached via an external spiral staircase.
Between these two buildings, there were a series of sheds for calves. On the site of where the car park is today, there was a Russian bowling alley and beside this, there were stalls for carriages which were the most advanced means of transport used by the nobility at the time.
A large boathouse was later constructed beside the lake. This was used for fishing and bathing. The boathouse is still there today. The only difference one can see from the outside is that a child’s pool has been added.
The northern side of the complex was used as a garden and had a large greenhouse where exotic shrubs and bushes were grown for the purpose of keeping the hotel full of fresh flowers.
In addition to the main buildings, the architects Mayreder and Köchlin also designed the Tacoli Villa which at the time was called the” old German house”. This was intended as a private house for the family of the proprietor. The Tacoli Villa was finished in 1881. One year later, the hotel complex was completed. It opened its doors for the first time in 1884.
Is the property surrounded by other historic buildings?
Villa Verdin lies to the east of the See-Villa hotel and was originally called Villa Kamerovsky. This was built by the Rothschild family. The park villa was built by Baron Schwarz while Baron von Musil built Schloss Heroldegg out of white stone, taking inspiration from his Palace in France. These villas are known to all as landmarks of the town of Millstatt.
Has restoration work taken place?
From 1976 to 2014, the management of the Hotel was overseen by Marquise Anton Tacoli.Under his direction, extensive renovations were carried out and many innovations were introduced to the hotel complex. One of his first projects was the remodelling of the restaurant. While doing theses renovations, particular care was taken to preserve the original design of the building which was developed by the renowned architects Mayreder and Köchlin. Many of the guest rooms were turned into spacious elegant suites of the highest comfort while the boathouse was transformed into a spa. Marchese Anton Tacoli wanted to give his guests the same experience that guests received at the time the See Villa was founded. For this reason, the materials used during the renovation were sourced chiefly from the Millstatt area while textiles were imported from Italy.
Are there any elements of particular historical importance at the building?
Given the age of the house, (constructed in 1884) the diversity of our rooms is one of its most striking features. No two rooms are alike and each and every room and piece of furniture (most of which was part of the original furnishings from 1884) has its own story to tell. All of this combines to give our guests that sense of history which makes our house so unique.
Are there any important guests or previous owners worth mentioning?
On June 7th 1885, archduke Karl, together with Prince Ludwig of Austria, (the younger brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Josef I) visited the See-Villa and gave it much praise. This led to a considerable increase in the popularity of the hotel and the greater Millstatt area.
Would you describe your property as (or has it ever been in the past) a: Palace
Mansion
Villa
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