The Colonnade
The New Colonnade is an elegant building that dates from the heyday of spa architecture. It commands an impressive view over the beautiful spa park. It is in demand as a venue for romantic weddings, summer concerts and, with its small stage ideal for classical theatre.
The stylish backdrop and weatherproof open-air stage provide the perfect setting for cultural performances. The QR-Tour showcases photos of historic and contemporary events around the colonnades.
Berneck was ‘in’, as a health resort, a holiday destination, or a day out.
To accommodate the hundreds of visitors, it had not just one, but two colonnades.
The Old Colonnade was built in 1858. The long hall was made for promenades, during which the guests partook of goat whey and fresh herb smoothies.
A kitchen for beverage preparation was hewn out of the rock face.
The whey cure was the latest craze when the New Colonnade was built- the mountains of Berneck were bare of trees back then because the goats whose milk was used for the whey grazed the mountain clean.
In 1899, the New Colonnade was built in the place of the original, while the Old Colonnade was moved to the opposite side of the park valley, where this ornate, slightly curved timber construction still stands.
The New Colonnade was a statement of its time: An elaborate roof structure spans an attractive foyer with a central music stage. Afternoon spa concerts were given regularly for hundreds of visitors.
The town patron, William Rother (visit QR 13 for information on his grave), requested in his will that the New Colonnade was to be intricately designed: the back walls were originally covered with landscape paintings and the floor was decorated with mosaics.
The panoramic view is especially impressive – the valley with its spa park, framed by the mountains and traversed by the cheerfully babbling Ölschnitz.
Anecdotes by Ingrid Binecki
Ingrid Binecki, born in Berneck, began her career in 1966 as a Kneipp therapist. Her parents began running the Kurheim Wittig (Kurheim = bed & breakfast with spa elements) on the river Ölschnitz in the early 1950s.
For the QR-Tour, Ingrid Binecki relates anecdotes of spa guests and spa town attractions from the 50s to the 70s.
English voice: Catriona Gallo
Spa Concerts in the Colonnade
