Sleeping
Dream or cuddle. Three bedrooms offer rest after hikes, hours in the sun, or a bottle of wine - maybe two. Silence. Nestled in soft cotton and the morning chorus of birds. The former parlor with a double bed, the small chamber with two single beds, and the garden bedroom with a double bed.
Living
Soft fir wood. Black leather. Rustling pages. The living room’s elegance contrasts with the parlor’s rustic charm. Patina. Warmth. Feeling sheltered. Uneven stone and wooden steps link the spaces. A glimpse of greenery. The garden room and the loggia lead you gently into nature.
The spaces of the Richterhaus stand in dialogue—one room for every mood. Togetherness. Lingering. Solitude.
Cooking
Food and drink. Good company. The kitchen invites to long cooking evenings or just a quick bite. Herbs from the garden. Lush fruit. Warm cake from the oven. Black soot and a Bohemian vaulted ceiling tell stories from the past.
Cool water runs from the tap. Follow the morning sunbeams with freshly brewed coffee in your hands. A selection of artisanal wines awaits in the wine fridge. The sparkling wine might tingle on the tongue.
Eating
Traditional Bavarian specialties or fine dining at a restaurant. Roasted pork with Bohemian dumplings, or a ten-course tasting menu. Or maybe just a bottle of wine in the parlor. Around Scherleinsöd you’ll find local food culture and contemporary cuisine. Small farm shops sell regional produce, and weekly markets offer what the Bavarian Forest has to give. Crusty bread. Seasonal vegetables. Tangy cheese.
You can find our carefully curated recommendations at the house.
Monument
The Richterhaus, a bailiff’s house with little land. Four generations of court attendants lived here, then craftspeople. The house stood uninhabited for thirty years: no running water, only a well. Inside the residential wing, the original fabric and room layout have remained untouched. The dwelling captivates with its original character. Walls of gneiss and granite fieldstones. 1670, the year of construction. The restoration, 2020–2026.
A family project, self-directed and handcrafted, with the aim of sustainably preserving historic building culture. A red thread runs through past, present, and future. Today, contemporary hospitality. What tomorrow brings is open. Yet the passage of time is palpable here, and time itself has become an artist—an artist who knows that most things become more beautiful by leaving things out.
Sauna
Heat. Relaxation. Sweat. A short walk through the garden and taking down three steps—the warmth greets you, wraps around you, and won’t let go. Until a cold stream of water pours over your body under the open sky. A blissful shiver as you forget space and time. Perhaps cool your hot skin in the snow, or drift off in the garden room.
Garden
Between lush ivy tendrils and redcurrants. The garden shifts perspectives: a view into the landscape, a view into the village, a view of the house. The eyes linger on the facade and sink into the traces of time.
Bare feet brush through the morning dew. Marigold. Sage. Poppy. Herbs thrive in the cottage garden, with the tart scent of quinces hanging above. Sometimes, after grilling, your smoky clothes might hang by the door. Later, in the last evening light, thick snowflakes fall evenly and quietly veil the garden bench, the red barberries, and the asters. The path to the sauna isn’t far at all.
Sometimes, after grilling, your smoky clothes might hang by the door. Later, in the last evening light, thick snowflakes fall evenly and quietly veil the garden bench, the red barberries, and the asters. The path to the sauna isn’t far at all.
Active
The Richterhaus. In the tri-border region between Czechia, Austria and Germany. In the southern reaches of the Bavarian Forest. There are many names for this upland range—the Nordwald, the Bayerwald, the Bohemian Forest—but the Czech is the most poetic: Šumava, the Murmuring One. The sound of the treetops. Listen to nature. Do nothing.
Follow the Schwarzenberg Canal deep into the forest. On hot summer days, Lake Ranna and Lake Freuden bring refreshment. Strolls through the silent winter woods. In every season, this patch of land between hills, fields, and rivers invites exploration. And yes, the romantic expectations of this mystically charged forest must be earned on foot.
The hiking trails of the Bavarian Forest wind along narrow paths, through deep woods, and up to rocky summits. Dreisessel. Lusen. Saußbachklamm.
You can follow the Golden Trail not only on foot but also by bike—a network of old salt-trading routes. From the Danube to the Vltava, they crisscross the beautiful landscape north of Passau. The Austrian Mühlviertel, not far from the Richterhaus, can also be explored on a variety of cycling routes. Mountain bike. Road bike. E-bike. Whether ambitious or leisurely—everything is possible.
Drifting down the Danube on a Zille (a traditional flat-bottomed boat), past castles, ruins and gravel banks, one approaches the geographical solitaire of the Schlögener Schlinge – until the wooded steep slopes close in and the river nestles into its great bend: an image of quiet, compelling power.
In winter, the Bavarian Forest and the Bohemian Forest offer cross-country ski trails and snowshoe hikes through peaceful landscapes. Clear your head. Escape the everyday. Take in the views.
Culture
Passau—the city of three rivers—lies on an elongated peninsula, a water-bound fortress wedged between the Inn, Ilz, and Danube. Its history reaches back to Roman antiquity. The centuries-old episcopal see, with one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, also testifies to Passau’s cultural significance. Ancient stones. Baroque frescoes. Silent churches. Yet this lively city offers museums, theater, cabaret, and Bavarian food culture.
Along the Danube, or following the Ilz into the Bavarian Forest, you’ll find traces of the past and local craftsmanship.
A visit to the Finsterau Open-Air Museum offers a vivid glimpse into rural everyday life in the Bavarian Forest of centuries past. Afterwards, be sure to stop by Gasthaus D'Ehrn – hearty, down-to-earth Bavarian-Bohemian cuisine. And if the weather's poor, explore Germany's only graphite mine, 45 metres below ground in Kropfmühl, or pay a visit to the Granite Centre in Hauzenberg.
Beyond the Baroque theatre of Ceský Krumlov and contemporary art in Linz await you. On the way, explore breweries and weaving mills in the Mühlviertel—hops and linen.