About us

A house for clear nights

Haus Sternwald from the meadow: black timber-clad house with glowing glass doors at the forest edge

Haus Sternwald was once a forester's lodge at the edge of the Hinterzarten moor. When we found it, it had been empty for years; what remained were the thick walls, the old tiled stove and a sky that is darker at night than almost anywhere in southern Germany.

We rebuilt the house with craftspeople from the valley: black timber cladding, large windows onto the forest, floors of silver fir. It became fourteen rooms, no more, so that it stays quiet.

Today a small observatory sits on the roof. On clear evenings it is open to every guest.

Timber house with a tall lit glass gable and fire pit at blue hour among firs

Your hosts

Lena und Jonas Sternberg

Lena was an astronomer at the University of Freiburg, Jonas a chef in Basel. Today Lena looks after the guests and the observatory, Jonas after the kitchen and the garden. If you have questions about the area: the two of them know every path.

The team

Demo

Demo: the names are invented. The real team introduces itself here once the hotel enters it.

Lena SternbergHost, observatory
Jonas SternbergHost, kitchen
Mira AlbrechtReception
Tobias WehrleBreakfast and service
Ana KovačHousekeeping

What we do differently

Power from the solar roof on the carport and green electricity from the valley; heating runs on regional wood pellets.
No light pointing upwards: warm outdoor lights on motion sensors, so the sky stays dark.
Breakfast from farms within 30 kilometres; leftovers go to the food bank in Neustadt.
Guests arriving by train are picked up at the station for free and get the KONUS guest card for buses and trains.