Hotel Europäischer Hof Heidelberg, the First Milestone of the Historic Cafés Route in Germany

Germany joins the Historic Cafés Route family in Europe

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, December 30, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — The first German tourist establishment included in the prestigious Council of Europe accredited route is the famous Europäischer Hof Hotel in Heidelberg. It is landmark of the famous German university town’s history, with centuries-old tradition in higher education. The hotel offers a special experience and a high quality of tourist services through the attention to details, good taste and refined style that characterise this symbolic place for Germany and Europe. The popular tourist route could next year include other cafés, restaurants and hotels in the “Golden Cafés” category in Berlin, Hamburg, Albstadt, Baden-Baden and other German regions.

“It is with great pleasure that I send you this press release as part of my year-end report as Ambassador of the Council of Europe, responsible for the “Historic Cafés Route (HCR)” in Romania and for the expansion of our international network in Europe and worldwide, our intention to launch the HCR for Germany from Heidelberg, in the beautiful and historic European Court in Heidelberg. My visit to Heidelberg led to interesting discussions and reinforced my conviction that the Hotel Europäischer Hof in Heidelberg, as the first step in the development of the HCR in Germany, it is emblematic and representative for Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg and even for the Federal Republic of Germany. As a former student of the Heidelberg School of Hotel Management, I had the honour and great pleasure to get to experience Heidelberg, a vibrant city that has shaped and inspired me in many ways. To sum up my experience in Heidelberg, I would quote the internationally known slogan “I lost my heart in Heidelberg”. I especially thank my professors at the Heidelberg School of Hotel Management and, above all, my colleagues in the global alumni network, who work as managers in the world’s touristical centres and who wholeheartedly passed on what they learned in Heidelberg to their teams.”, said Arnold Klingeis, Ambassador of the Council of Europe, responsible for the “Historic Cafés Route”.

“Heidelberg’s Europaeischer Hof, a place of rich individual and collective history and cultural encounters, reflects the soul of our city in many ways. Here, where we want to combine tradition with modernity, we are proud to be part of the Historic Cafés Route and celebrate the combination of culture and hospitality with warmth and dedication” , said Dr. Caroline von Kretschmann / General Manager Europaeischer Hof Heidelberg.

“I am delighted that Mr Arnold Klingeis, an alumnus of hotel management in Heidelberg, will be able to successfully express his skills as an educated and proven expert in the field of hotel management in a pioneering position in the Council of Europe, the oldest international European organisation founded in 1949.
The fact that Mr. Klingeis was able to establish genuine links in Heidelberg in 2023 with Dr. Caroline von Kretschmann (Hotel Der Europäische Hof) and Mrs. Claudia Kischka (Hip Hotel / Restaurant “Zum güldenen Schaf”) shows his attachment to this attractive, traditional and also international tourist city”, said
Erik Pratsch / Former senior technical teacher / master chef.

In 1865, Joseph Schrieder opened the Hotel de l’Europe, which he built in the centre of Heidelberg on the site of the former St. Anna-Kirchhof paupers’ cemetery, which had closed in 1845. In the years that followed, the hotel changed hands several times and was constantly modernised. At the beginning of the 20th century, for example, it already had its own steam power plant to supply electricity and was one of the most modern hotels of its time. Fritz Gabler bought the hotel in 1906 and expanded it again considerably. The rooms received private bathrooms and were heated by a central steam heating system. Fritz Gabler also had a driver’s lodge with twelve garages added to the hotel. Between 1928 and 1929, a new side wing was built with 28 rooms, suites and a conference room on the ground floor. The Viktoria Hotel across the street was also acquired.

The Europäische Hof is a privately run five-star hotel. Around 170 employees look after guests in the hotel’s 118 rooms and suites. In the past, celebrities from the world of film, television, sport and music as well as politicians and literary personalities have stayed at the Europäischer Hof. Around two thirds of the hotel’s guests come from abroad. The hotel is a cooperation partner of the Heidelberg Spring Festival. In 2000, the hotel’s “PANORAMA SPA” wellness and fitness area was opened on the fourth and fifth floors, with a 600-square-metre swimming pool and a roof terrace. The 200-square-metre penthouse apartment was completed on 28 July 2006. In 2014, the fourth floor of Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 1, with two commercial units and an area of 500 square metres, was converted into four fully furnished apartments for long-term stays of hotel guests and clinic patients.

The hotel includes the gourmet restaurant “Die Kurfürstenstube” – opened in 1866 – the “Sommerrestaurant” in summer and the “Europa Bar”, which is open all year round.

See all cafes in Historic Cafés Route.

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