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cycling tour with friends: German Federal President Horst Köhler stops at Wastlwirt
Added: (Wed Aug 27 2008)
The German Federal President is enthralled by Austria's charm. Horst Köhler and his wife Eva Louise tasted traditional beef from the Alpine pastures of Lungau, Eierschwammerln (chanterelle) and Kaiserschmarrn sugared pancake at the restaurant of Wastlwirt. 'This visit was very special for us', confirms hotelier Rudi Baier. He is one of the most renowned wine connoisseurs of the region. In his wine cellar in the vaults of his house, he keeps a few bottles of all the most exquisite Austrian wines. 'Mr. Köhler appreciated it a lot that we exclusively work with regional products and offer a lot of Austria on little space - also when it comes to wine.'
The Federal President and his wife had been invited by some friends on a spontaneous visit of beautiful Lungau. For three days they toured the region by bike on the famous Mur cycle path and also made a stop at Wastlwirt located right at the heart of picturesque St. Michael. 'Mr. Köhler felt especially inspired by our local church from the Gothic period.' That was why Rudi Baier had arranged a guided tour for the famous guest with the conservator who had worked hard to restore the church to its former beauty. The building is a real rarity and was erected in the 9th and 10th century. The first documentary evidence dates back to 1147 AD.
And of course, the other sights of this valley without comparison as well as the beautiful landscape of the holiday region of Lungau didn't fail to win Köhler over. Next time, the Federal President announced, he will leave his bicycle at home and bring his golfing equipment. 'We have already agreed to go golfing. When they cycled by our amazing golfing course and the romantic chalet 'Wastlalm', Mr. Köhler decided that he'd love to play a game here in Lungau one day', says Rudi Baier. He is already looking forward to teeing off with the German Federal President.
Contact: Hotel 'Der Wastlwirt', Rudi & Elfi Baier, St. Michael/Lungau, Phone +43(0)6477/7155-0, info(at)wastlwirt.at, www.wastlwirt.at