Hospitality with a history - the first mention of the Löwenwirt’s House in Nauders dates back to 1563. The Gasthof zum goldenen Löwen has long been a place where people come together - a house full of character, where tradition, history and genuine hospitality go hand in hand.
The family's story at the Gasthof zum goldenen Löwen began in 1863, when Franz Waldegger purchased the inn and laid the foundations for the establishment we know today. Much has changed since then.
In 2024, brothers Franz and Andreas Habicher took over the inn, and Franz's wife Monika joined the family business shortly afterwards.
Together, they have carried the Goldener Löwe forward with a deep respect for its traditions and an openness to new ideas, making the changes of recent years part of its continuing story.
According to oral tradition, the Löwenwirt’s House was first mentioned in 1563. The inn changed hands several times over the following centuries before passing into the ownership of the Waldegger family on 30 December 1863.
Franz Waldegger, foster father of Maria Köllemann (née Waldegger), purchased the inn and its stables from the Pali family, who had owned them for more than 43 years.
One of the last surviving reminders of the inn's past is the historic dining room on the first floor. It acquired its present appearance in 1880, when it was rebuilt following a fire that had completely destroyed the room.
A few months before the death of Maria Köllemann (née Waldegger), her son Franz Waldegger, grandfather of Franz and Andreas, took over the running of the Goldener Löwe in 1946.
Franz Waldegger also served as mayor of Nauders for 33 years. While he looked after the affairs of the village, his wife Maria Waldegger took care of the business at the Löwe. Behind every successful man is a strong woman, and this was certainly true of Maria and Franz. Together, they breathed new life into the Löwe in the years following the war.
In 1991, Susanne Habicher (née Waldegger) and her husband Oswald took over the running of the Goldener Löwe. For love, Oswald swapped his builder's trowel for a ladle and meat tenderiser. Under their stewardship, the entire inn was renovated and extended from top to bottom.
Throughout these changes, the family's values and caring approach remained firmly in place. Treating guests and staff with warmth and consideration was always particularly important to Susanne and Oswald. Susanne, especially, was always ready to lend a sympathetic ear or offer a shoulder to lean on whenever employees had worries, big or small. It is this very approach that has enabled the Löwe to build such a wonderful community of loyal returning guests and long-serving staff over the years and decades.
The brothers Franz and Andreas joined the family business in 2007 and 2010, with Franz's wife Monika becoming involved shortly afterwards.
By combining traditional values with fresh ideas, the family has successfully integrated the many renovations of recent years into the fabric of the Goldener Löwe. Long-standing guests still fondly refer to it as 'their Löwe' and 'their second home', while new visitors feel equally welcome and at home.
In 2024, the time came for the two brothers to take over the running of the business. With Monika's support, the responsibilities and challenges are now shared between the three of them.
Together with the senior generation and Monika and Franz's children, who are already actively lending a hand, the family is well placed to continue developing the Löwe.
