The Place
Once a cornmill, the Furst Bismark Muhle in Aumuhle was converted into a hotel by Anne Marie von Bismarck, the Swedish royal who became Otto von Bismarck’s daughter-in-law. She took on the project after the mill ceased working in 1959; as a result, the interior is strewn with attractive pieces of memorabilia, and each of the rooms has its own distinctive character. It also makes this the obvious choice of base for visits to the Bismarck museum and mausoleum in the nearby town of Friedrichsruh.
The clean white face of the hotel is interrupted only by the black timber that denotes a typical north German house, and all seven of the bedrooms have tranquil views over the Saxon Forest, lake or the Au river which surround it. These rooms are on the plain side with white walls, contrasting bright, busy fabrics and few pictures. However, the dining rooms more than make up for any disappointment. The finest of these mirrors the exterior of the building with creamy white walls and dark wooden beams, which are in turn echoed by the frames surrounding the large windows. Fresh flowers, tall white candles and a clutch of oil paintings are all touches that make this an extremely pleasant place to sample the traditional fare that emerges from the kitchen. For summer dining, the sun-filled terrace overlooking the garden is a definite highlight.