Sonnenburg’s History
From a mountain lodge to a four star superior hotel
An avalanche in 1922, in which an Australian and an English industrialist were killed, brought Oberlech into the spotlight. As the place grew more famous, tourism kept increasing as well. Otto Hoch, the grandfather of the current general manager of Hotel Sonnenburg, Gregor Hoch, played a major role in the early development of the village.
The start of tourism in Oberlech
“When my parents came from South Tyrol in 1933, they were looking for a suitable hotel. In those days, there was a thousand mark sanction Austria – German citizens had to pay 1,000 marks before travelling to Austria. This would be the equivalent of about 10,000 Euros today“, explains Klaus Hoch. The aim of this measure was to weaken Austria’s economy, which was even then strongly dependent on tourism. Many businesses in the tourism industry experienced major economic difficulties. This sanction was only lifted in 1936.
Everything started in Lech
“My parents finally decided on the Sonnenburg, because in those days, Lech was the cheapest place. A policeman from Lech who wanted to move to a warmer climate lent us the money. The house was advertised in the papers as a glamorous mountain lodge. Hotel Sonnenburg started with 35 beds; by 1951 there were already 72. The fact that we had 10 bathrooms was quite unusual for those days. That was considered to be pure luxury,” recounts Klaus Hoch with amusement. During and after the war, the hotel was transformed into a convalescent home, including for French Marines. By the end of the war, there was even a secret broadcasting transmitter there to maintain contact with Greece.
Otto Hoch started up the Bergbahn Oberlech mountain lift. Before the lift was built, it was only possible to reach the village on a sledge. “The ‘Oberlecher Gesellschaft’ association originally planned to expand in the direction of Zürs,” explains Klaus Hoch, the current general manager of the ski lift association and still active in his own business. “But my father saw a great opportunity there for tourism. We also built our own ski facilities to continue our development.
“When my father died at the age of 46, I was 20 years old. I bought the Albona in Zürs to give my children a base for their future”
In the days when the Hoch family started their first hotel business in Vorarlberg there was still hardly any tourism in Oberlech – the place could only be reached on foot. Within the past 70 years, however, Hotel Sonnenburg has developed from a simple mountain lodge into a four star superior hotel steeped in tradition.
