VERWEHTER GLANZ, FRAU EMMI UND DAS ALPENHOTEL HOCHFINSTERMÜNZ

74-year old Emmi Priebsch is the proud owner of the Mountain hotel Hochfinstermünz in Northern Tyrol, between Italy, Switzerland and Austria. With humour and intelligence, she recalls the golden days of the house in which she was born in 1930. Originally built as a contractor’s store for the new route to cross the pass, the hotel greeted guests from Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Boston during its glorious years at the end of the 19^th century. The famous mountain climber Luis Trenker visited twice in the 30’s when he was making films in the region and stayed there with his family and the whole film crew. Together with Emmi, Ferdinand, his son, remembers the shoot.

Everything in the hotel is a reminder of the past: from the old photographs, paintings and guest books to the original furniture and a collection of odd objects and curiosities; this glorious past when Hochfinstermünz was rich and had its own farm, gas station, tennis court, swimming pool and garages. Now, a never-ending stream of cars passes the house, and it is only with hard work and thanks to her unfading hospitality that Emmi keeps the hotel running for the few remaining guests.