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Long before the first chairlift ever cut through the Tyrolean air, the Norse god Ullr was gliding across winter’s whiteness on skis of yew, bow in hand, his path illuminated by the Northern Lights. Ullr, son of Sif and stepson of Thor, was a master of precision, a protector of travellers and hunters who dared the snow. His name still echoes in toasts on Alpine terraces, a whispered invocation for safety and grace on the slopes.
In St Anton am Arlberg, where Alpine skiing was born, the spirit of Ullr finds new form. Ullrhaus, a modern sanctuary by Franziska Alber and Michael Gfall, carries his name and essence with quiet pride. This is a hotel shaped by myth yet grounded in place, where Nordic folklore meets Tyrolean craftsmanship, and design becomes a tribute to the mountain gods of old.
Both Alber and Gfall grew up in St Anton. Their story is written into the slopes and streets of this fabled ski town. Franziska’s grandfather once crafted shoes before turning to ski boots when the sport first captured local imagination, and that same adaptability now fuels Ullrhaus. It feels like a continuation of the region’s story: a place of ingenuity, warmth and subtle innovation.
Inside, the atmosphere is one of pared-back sophistication. Pine, stone and hessian define a tactile palette of natural materials that mirror the mountain’s honesty. Large windows invite the landscape in, turning each room into a frame for the shifting Alpine light. The décor rejects excess in favour of calm clarity; here, form and function fall perfectly into rhythm.
The hotel’s restaurant and bar echo this minimal elegance, serving simple, soulful food and drinks that reflect the same connection to place. The spa and pool area create a cocoon of warmth after a day on the snow, continuing the dialogue between body and landscape.
Ullrhaus does not decorate itself in mythology; it embodies it. Like its divine namesake, it stands composed and enduring, drawing strength from restraint. There is a quiet ritual to its design: every surface considered, every texture deliberate, every view purposeful.
Here, Alpine luxury is stripped of excess and dressed instead in integrity. Ullrhaus celebrates not just a god of ski, but the human devotion to craft, precision and nature that defined him. It is a modern temple to the mountains, rooted in myth, lived through design.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.