Ralf and his family have been returning to a very special place in Carinthia for ten years. To Michael and Nadja Klocker's Lacknerhof farm on the Sörger Berg. Because you can relax there from the very first second, find a soothing sense of security and feel deeply connected to the people who live there.
Until ten years ago, the family's permanent vacation spot was the Baltic Sea. A bit of sea, a bit of lazing around, a bit of sport now and then. Until one evening Ralf's brother-in-law told him about Carinthia, this southern jewel of Austria, where you can discover the vastness of the landscape between mountains and lakes anew every day and where the warmth of the people is unbroken. His accommodation tip? The Lacknerhof run by the Klocker family. Farm holidays with a 24-hour view of the Karawanken mountain range. Ralf became curious. Together with his wife and children, they set off on the several-hour drive and since then the family's vacation compass has always pointed in one direction. To Carinthia and up to the Sörger Berg, where Michael and Nadja Klocker's farm is located. Situated on the edge of the village, guests will find a place to feel good, slow down, enjoy and relax.
Quietly into the barn
For Ralf and Silke's children, life on the farm was an adventure right from the start. "The first time we went on vacation here, our children were four and seven years old. We normally found it difficult to get them out of bed in the morning. Here in Sörg, however, they would sneak out of the bedroom on their own at dawn so that they could help with the stable work." A circumstance that initially caused the father some skepticism, but which was soon replaced by increasing trust in the host family. Warm barbecue evenings, fun tractor rides and convivial hours followed.
"We normally find it difficult to get our children out of bed in the morning. Here in Sörg, however, they sneak out of the bedroom on their own at dawn so that they can help with the stable work."
Ralf
Regional food is a valuable commodity
"We live in a suburb near the German city of Münster, so we are no strangers to country life and contact with farms. However, it is difficult to compare this with the life of a Sörg mountain farmer. Nevertheless, we are proud that our children know where the meat that ends up on the barbecue in the evening comes from," says Ralf, explaining his attitude to healthy, high-quality and regional food. He likes the proximity to the animals and the interaction with small and large livestock here at Lacknerhof, as well as the fact that you simply feel welcome. "Arriving here in this village of 200 people is made very easy. Last year, we were allowed to take part in the Highland Games organized by the Sörg rural youth, the innkeepers in the nearby guesthouses also know us and we are happy to join in at the village festivals. We are integrated without hesitation and feel the open-mindedness of the people living there, which is good."
"We are proud that our children know where the meat that ends up on the barbecue in the evening comes from"
Ralf
Get to know the vastness of Carinthia
And when there is no village festival on the agenda in Sörg and the stable work is done at the Lacknerhof, the family enjoys exploring the Carinthian countryside. "Whether it's Hochosterwitz Castle, Längsee, Ossiacher See, a ride on the mountain railroads or the other lakes, the vastness of Carinthia fascinates us. We've never missed anything here," says Ralf, explaining the reason for returning every year. "It's easy to relax."
Lying by the pool at the Lacknerhof, staring holes in the mountains, enjoying the breakfast egg that the children bring from the chicken coop, leaving room for the "dolce far niente" - all this is possible with ease on the Sörger Berg. You can even leave your smartphone in your room for the whole day. Because suddenly nobody misses it anymore.
With support from the federal government, the federal states and the European Union (LE 14-20)
