I-am-Escape

A 300-Year-Old Stable Turned Modern Retreat

A former stable on a lushly forested family farm deep in Austria’s dramatic Carinthia region, this hideaway has been transformed into a design-forward, contemporary escape with an eye on tradition. The architectural update puts nature center stage via its five-meter-high glass façade, offering views as far as the peaks of Slovenia and Italy. Across the dramatic timber and stone structure, there are five bedrooms for 10 guests, a stunning feasting table, and a soaring, open kitchen and living room punctuated by a sculptural fireplace and crossed by sturdy ancient timbers.

The space was inspired by the aesthetics of the region's traditional farms, reinterpreted for contemporary living. The historical structure's original form has been preserved and a contemporary loft added as well as spiraling staircases, a contemporary rotating fireplace, and state-of-the-art workspaces. Panoramic windows in every bedroom take in the endless forests and meadows of the Carinthian landscape.

Fully equipped workstations make the location ideal for team-building retreats, and a library offers an easygoing analog space for downtime. Bedrooms are doubles, with ensuite baths. Yoga equipment further encourages rest and relaxation, and instruction/classes (yoga, meditation, stress management, mindful relaxation) are possible, too. A wooden barrel sauna with forest views, an outdoor pool, and a generous terrace with a cozy firepit complete the picture. Plus there’s a sleek fleet of vintage cars and mountain bikes for adventuring into the hills beyond.

Around

The property is immersed in the Austrian region of Carinthia, and views from it stretch from the historic city of Friesach across endless forested mountains, and as far as the peaks of neighboring Slovenia and Italy. The property is nestled in a deep green swath of forested mountains at roughly 1,000 meters altitude, and the closest neighbor is down the winding mountain road. The private land is open to exploration on foot, bike, or vehicle, with fields, forests and streams. Curated outdoor experiences include paragliding, horseback riding, guided cultural tours and yoga retreats, and more adventure awaits nearby, with the Formula 1 Red Bull racing ring less than an hour away and the scenic shores of Lake Wörthersee even closer. Friesach itself is a breathtaking city famed for its medieval architecture, including the fortified town wall, water-filled moat and its dramatic castle with an open-air theater at its heart.

Around

Nearest airports: Ljubljana (1.5 hours); Graz (1.5 hours)

Best time to visit

May to September