This historic hotel surrounded by 7 hectares of lush forest offers the ideal retreat to escape city stress and indulge in a relaxing break amid nature, fresh air culinary delights and the rejuvenating charge of the spa.
Berg & SPA Hotel Gabelbach History
Berg & SPA Hotel Gabelbach is a historic 4-star wellness hotel in the beautiful green heart of Germany's Thuringian Forest.
Surrounded by the beautiful forest and park, the hotel offers guests the opportunity to take a deep breath, relax and be pampered circled by the peace and tranquility of nature.
The day always starts excellently with fresh products such as fresh eggs or with delicious honey from the hotel's bees. In the 1,000-square-meter Gabelbach SPA you can let loose and relax in the sauna or take advantage of various wellness packages.
The hotel is also the ideal starting point for hiking, walking, cross-country skiing and mountain biking tours. We will spoil you with delicious Thuringian cuisine, with new and modern interpretations and, of course, with seasonal and fresh products from the region. After an exquisite dinner, you can end the evening with a glass of good wine or a delicious cocktail at the bar.
Speaking of the historical aspect of the facility, planning for the construction of a hotel in the Gabelbach Valley had already been initiated in 1909 by the state government of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach. Construction began shortly thereafter and was completed in 1912 with the opening of the Kurhotel Gabelbach. From then on, the Kurhotel Gabelbach served as a summer resort for the upper classes and as a sports hotel in winter. At the time, the region was particularly prized for its clean air, unpolluted by industrial emissions.
In 1942, the National Socialists arrested Dutch Prime Minister Hendrikus Colijn in the remote Berghotel Gabelbach, which he was not allowed to leave. He was accompanied by his wife. However, he was allowed to move freely within the hotel and spent the last years of his life in captivity there before dying of a heart attack in 1944. On October 6, 2006, a plaque was erected in his honor in the hotel grounds.
After the end of World War II, the hotel was used as a recreation center for the SED Central Committee and was no longer open to the public. The SED also hosted foreign state guests there.
In 1990, Nuremberg entrepreneur Karl Gaydoul bought the hotel and reopened it to the public. Since 1998 it temporarily belonged to the Romantik Hotels association and was known as Romantik Berg- und Jagdhotel Gabelbach. On November 1, 2011, the hotel was taken over by Gräfenroda entrepreneur Peter Schulz, and in 2013 it was extensively renovated and modernized. It was reopened at the end of November 2013. Since 2019 it has been known as Berg- und Spahotel Gabelbach. The hotel has 90 rooms and belongs to the 4-star hotel category.