Conversion of a winegrower's house on the Moselle into vacation apartments

Where wine was once pressed, can now be lived comfortably. In an old winegrower's house in the Moselle Valley, two design-savvy wine lovers have transformed the local past into modernly designed vacation apartments.

by Tanja Pabelick, 29.06.2020

The small town of Zeltingen-Rachtig lies between Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach. With the two neighboring villages, it shares the location in the gentle wine hills of the Moselle Valley; a special feature of its panorama is the High Moselle Bridge, completed in 2019, which connects the Eifel with the Hunsrück. A formally austere and gigantic structure of superlatives, it looks as if a geo-triangle had been squeezed upside down between the slopes. Apart from its super bridge, Zeltingen-Rachtig, which is also quite typical for the region, really only knows one topic: wine. Every second house is a winery, a wine shop or a wine bar. In the house of the vineyard 1897 wine has been pressed almost continuously since its construction 120 years ago.

Kitti, Lucy and Moritz
In the spring of 2020, Düsseldorf-based Bettina and Markus Kratz, owners of an agency for brand communication and interior design, opened four apartments for Moselle travelers in the old stock. In the process, the design of each accommodation is individual. With which vocational background the two operators are on the way, shows up in a holistic formative approach. The apartments are called Lucy and Moritz von Breitenfels or Kitti Schwenke and are named after fictitious residents who have put their individual stamp on the rooms. In Kitti's case, the interior is primarily ash pink, the furniture is in natural wood and meets details in leather and textile. At Lucy and Moritz, it's green, there are botanically themed accents and a large outdoor terrace. From furniture, carpet, wallpaper, naming to signage, nothing was left to chance, so the end result is a believable story and, most importantly, a home. The property's former purpose remains intact. Despite reconstruction, the structural substance is recognizable and typical equipment from the winery was integrated into the concept. This is well done and hardly surprising: the private domicile of the two designers in Düsseldorf-Flingern was named one of the 30 best residential concepts in Germany by Callwey Verlag in 2018.

Old locations, new use
An important component of the concept is the connection to nature. A part of the former vineyard became a garden oasis for all times and weather. A hammock swings between the deciduous trees, a large wooden table accommodates convivial rounds and a cubic wooden architecture offers outdoor kitchen and sofa corner on the outer walls. In inclement weather, guests can retreat to the integrated garden house or the outdoor lounge of the winery, which is still below. It is located on a wine cellar landing with a large storage room and invites you to relax on 30 square meters with sofas, dining and working table, hanging chairs and fairy lights. In the courtyard, there is also a small space for two people between the old trusses and pulleys of the winery. "The wine garden also sees itself as a contribution to a Moselle region on the move, which wants to get rid of its somewhat dusty image and position itself as a contemporary vacation destination," Bettina and Markus Kratz say of their hotel concept. They have created four favorite places that rethink tradition and create a vacation mood.

The Moselle
Traben-Trabach, Bernkastel-Kues, Zeltingen-Rachtig. Sonorous names that sound like river cruises, idyllic nature and wine-filled hiking days. The 544-kilometer route along the Moselle will convince even those who claim that Germany has no beautiful landscapes at all. The river alone, with its bends and twists, promises deceleration. Either you watch the river flow by from the countryside - or you embark on the Moselle yourself. On one of the many excursion steamers, the cultural landscape with its gentle hills and steep wine terraces slowly passes by. Of course, a wine list is also served. The best basis for a cool glass of wine is a Strammer Max. Because the next glass is already waiting: In the area around Zeltingen-Rachtig, a new generation of winemakers is working on innovative wine projects. The Zeltinger Himmelreich, Schlossberg and Sonnenuhr sites are typical of the area. And if you've had enough of the vines, you could also head to Traben-Trarbach to Germany's first miniature golf course, look at the water from the Moselle wine train, or take a photo of the narrowest wine tavern in the half-timbered pointed house in Bernkastel-Kues.

5 Different Kitchen Layouts Using L Shaped Designs