The Place
Nothing but praise from recent visitors to the Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach, a new entry in our guide: “English guests are certain to appreciate the traditional country house comfort of the bedrooms, each one individually decorated with antique pieces, four posters, half-testers and brass bedsteads. The place exudes refinement and relaxation”.
Built on the site of a medieval castle, the place in question is an ivy-covered late-19thC manor house complete with sturdy tower and rambling outbuildings, set in its own extensive grounds, with woods, a lake on which you can fish, and a tennis court. The stables are now a beauty centre, with pool.
The hotel is approached along a curved driveway, and austere lobby, with its great stone fireplace, its stone pillars and its hunting trophies belies the softness and luxury of the bedrooms, the friendliness of the staff, and the excellence of the cooking, for which chef Dieter Muller has won two Michelin stars. Less formal and business-oriented is the hotel’s second restaurant, Schlosschanke, which serves “classical cuisine in the country house style”, and there is a delightful terrace where meals and drinks can be taken in warm weather.