Our story. Inn or hotel.

We are a hotel with a lot of variety. It's the several different nooks and crannies here that we love. Who says, you always have to be just one thing? Exactly. So it's absolutely OK when slippers and ski boots meet here. By the way, candlelight and kaiserschmarrn (sugared and shredded pancakes) also go together perfectly. During the day, the place is full of life with guests from far and wide, as well as the locals stopping by. When night falls, it becomes quieter. We have the alpine inn to ourselves, which both our overnight guests and us ourselves can enjoy. You can therefore label the KRAFTalm whatever you like. It is and remains uncategorizable, a one-of-a-kind gem like something out of a picture book. And therefore our recommendation is quite simple. Just name it the KRAFTalm. Your unique home away from home.

Bought in 1909, by Jakob and his wife, and intended as alpine meadows for the farm in Itter, the KRAFTalm was at that time just a simple alpine hut with a barn, a couple of meadows and some forest. In the original documents, the name Alpe Bärntal was always used - although it was owned by the Karl Kraft family from Kufstein for a long time. For this reason, colloquially it therefore became simply known as the Kraftalm. Today, he would be called a visionary, but at the time Jakob was somewhat ridiculed. He bought an expensive alpine inn and then decided to keep the name of the previous owners. Well, that's not exactly something you would have expected in those times. We can only shout out our thanks to him in the direction of the mountains. So that's how the Alpe Bärntal, became the KRAFTalm and not the Oberlützelalm. And we think, it just fits. A place of strength through and through.

The summer.freshness is a tradition at the KRAFTalm. In the 1909 purchase contract, alongside the stable for the cattle, there was already mention of “six existing chambers that had been set up as guest quarters”. And because everything is so lovingly listed, here is a small excerpt from the original purchase contract:

6 bedrooms, consisting of two beds including mattresses, blankets and cushions and the necessary bed linen in each, two beside cabinets in each, one washing set each, a crockery box with porcelain dishes and glassware for 12 people, cutlery and kitchen utensils, the necessary household linen, in addition to pictures, books and magazines, two large standing lamps, flags and next to the open fireplace there is a kitchen wood stove including a wooden box.

The daughter Maria and her husband Ändra soon took over the farm in Itter and managed both sites. Another uncommon thing at the time, and always a different way of thinking was the inheritance, which was split between the two kids. Our grandfather Jakob decided against farming in the valley. The
popular Summer.Freshness and the emerging ski tourism on the mountain were responsible for the KRAFTalm's future plans.
The foundation was thus laid. From 1968, together with his wife Margreth - our grandma, the focus for Jakob was on mountain hospitality. This laid the foundation. Day in and day out they worked long and hard. It was built, developed and even had its own ski lift back then. The rooms were expanded and a new restaurant was needed for guests. Youth groups and up to 50 people were already being accommodated. The pioneering spirit and the sheer unending perseverance were rewarded with success. They had tried many thing and had done a great job. Their four daughters Christine - our mother, Elisabeth, Margaretha and Veronika grew up here and each of them brought their own qualities to the site. There have of course also been better and worse times at the KRAFTalm. But it has always been the commitment of the entire family, that brought happiness to the mountain.

The oldest daughter Christine - our mother, was the one who then began looking after the KRAFTalm. Together with her husband Jakob (yes, our father is called the same as his father-in-law) and her parents Margreth and Jakob it was the time of the boom - tourism, especially in winter, had a lot of potential.

We, Marion and Evelyn, were born in the early nineties. Even if this is often seen as a cliché, it was the place and the way that people interacted with guests here, that has shaped us both. It soon became clear, that the hospitality at the Kraftalm would also play a role in the future generations of the family,

And it is exactly these same values that are still here. Our Grandma Greti still supports us today when she can - the apples for the strudel and the chives for the soup come from her garden. Jakob and Christine take care of our guests with a lot of warmth and always provide those extra little touches. Marion works across all areas and Evelyn is our detail-loving hero in the field of cuisine.

The KRAFTalm. Hospitality and tourism for 5 generations.

Die KRAFTalm. Gastlichkeit und Tourismus seit 5 Generationen.