Of course, Veronika Palle never wanted to become a farmer. After all, she grew up on a small farm in a nearby field by the lake and probably didn't have her sights set on it. A nurse is more likely, but growing up always brings surprises and forks in the road that really spice up life. And who could have guessed that she wouldn't get away from the stables and fields so easily after all and that at the age of 21 she would be back on a farm with both feet. She finds statements that attribute farming exclusively to "hard work" and "physical hardship" astonishing and completely incomprehensible. "Sure, we have a round-the-clock job, but I could always be at home with the children, for example, and still have a job," says Vroni, emphasizing the beauty of farming. Since 2004, she and her husband have been carefully transforming the farm without altering the cultural heritage. Conversion to suckler cow husbandry, barn conversion, then a major investment in 2011, including for vacation apartments. Since then, satisfied host families have provided even more hustle and bustle and cheerfulness.
"We carry our childhood within us"
If you believe the surveys and opinion pollsters, positive memories of one's own childhood play an important role in the vacation decisions of middle-aged people. What can become torture for young people and is difficult to imagine as a twenty-something, only becomes cool again when you have children yourself and change your perspective on life. The "homo turisticus" then loves to immerse himself in a sheltered ambience of simplicity, which, apart from farms, only small bed and breakfasts and private room rentals can offer. Farm vacations are and remain the antithesis of the Alpine ballerina, which you won't find in this area anyway. That's a good thing.
Veronika seems to have a knack for reawakening these childhood memories in her guests. When she bakes cakes for herself and her guests, a pleasant aroma that is familiar to the target group wafts through the whole house, adding a touch of nostalgia. She repeatedly receives feedback that some of her guests feel at home at Götzfriedhof. A very high degree of guest loyalty, the gold in the age of interchangeable accommodation offers between the Alps, the North Sea and the whole world.
"It's the art of recognizing what the guest wants," is how Veronika Palle sees her role as a host, which she lives empathetically. Some new arrivals are visibly stressed after their arrival and in the first two days, as they want to work through the adventure agenda they have already prepared at home. "After two days, they become calmer and you can already tell that the hectic pace is giving way to relaxation," says Vroni, who has been observing this with her trained senses for years. Here too, guests appreciate the personal approach, a welcome dose of analogue humanity in times of increasing technologization.
"It's the combination that makes us special"
The Palles offer an appealing triad of temporary farm life (rooms or vacation apartments), their own lakeside resort and the Götzfried alpine hut. The latter is located at 1,500 meters above sea level (below the well-known Lammersdorfer Hütte), has no electricity (but there is a wood-burning stove for hot water), but rewards you with plenty of peace and quiet, an alpine south-facing balcony view and, late in the evening, a ring of lights along the lakeshore, which shimmers at the feet of those seeking a break. If you look up, the stars light up the horizon and the night sky over the Carinthian Nockberge mountains. It doesn't get any better than the Beletage feeling. Anyone who appreciates simplicity should have spent the night up here.
Veronika is not drawn to faraway places when she is traveling with her family. Her guiding principle is: only if you are interested in your homeland yourself can you convey this to your guests. Who needs sun, beach and the Mediterranean when the abundance of life with Goldeck, Dobratsch, Nockalmstrasse or the nearby Millstätter Alm is right on your doorstep anyway? Autumn is time out, family time and also dedicated to nurturing relationships. Because the precious "time for two" has to take a back seat during the busy tourist high season. Distance and a change of location in the quieter months come in very handy.
To stimulate my recurring thoughts of a balmy summer night at the Palles' own alpine hut, I have no choice but to conclude by quoting Rilke. Fits somehow.
"You are the future, great dawn
over the plains of eternity."
(Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875 - 1926)
Stefan Heinisch
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