When God created the world, he also made paradise. For this, he picked one of the most beautiful pieces of heaven, and stuffed it into his huge pack and went on his way.

But there was so much beauty in heaven with which he wanted to please mankind, that he packed too much in his big bag.. and then the unavoidable happended - the bag tore and a piece of paradise fell out without him knowing...and this little piece of heaven turned into the one of the most beautiful spots far and near, the Panider Sattel.

Mr. Oberrauch concurred, and bought about 2000 m² of property on the Panider Sattel in 1958. Even in his time, the place was known as "the most beautiful far and near".

The name of the hotel is based on the natural surroundings. The Panider Sattel (Ladinish "Pinei") stems from the word "pinus" (Latin), and "pinch" (Ladin). These are the fir trees which grow abundantly in the forests around the hotel. Because the hotel s situated on a small saddle (Sattel) between Kastelruth 1090 m and from St. Ulrich 1200 m altitude, the name „Panider Sattel" originated through its geographic and natural surroundings.

The geographic saddle also serves as a linguistic border between the German and Ladin (Rhaeto-Romanic) languages. Ladin, probably due the seclusion of its towns in which it is spoken, has survived through today in the four valleys around the Sellastock. It is by far a dying language, the population of the communities still use it and it is also promoted and subsidised by the local government. 

And where does the story go from here? How did everything begin?

Mr. Oberrauch built a small place here on the Panider Sattel, in which he and his family lived and worked for a longer time period. His wife was famous for her delicious wild mushroom dishes, which she festively served to passing hikers or travellers. She was almost always on the go for supplies with her backpack, since there was no road to the home. She had to carry everything along a gravel path which lead from St. Ulrich to Kastelruth …

But these trips to the heights didn't last too long, the house was auctioned off to the newly married couple Barbara und Raimund (wedding September 16th, 1967) in 1967. Without a cent of their own, but with a lot of effort and positive work attitude, they both committed themselves to a project and handicraft which they didn't even learn.  Barbara was a elementary school teacher and taught not only the multiplication table, but everything important in life.  Raimund was an animal figure wood carver, who carved large-scale statues alongside Christmas manger figurines.  So slowly new skills needed to be acquired while working on those they had to make a living. In 1968 the first rooms were finished and the Mahlknecht Family, now with the addition of their first child Helga, moved into the only half-finished house.

It only really got started in 1969, when Raimund, without a professional builder and with only a draft of a construction plan, carried out the first reconstruction with the help of a hired helper. The drawing plan of the previous owner showed seven rooms with a communal bath and water closet on each floor. Raimund chose to build six rooms each with its own bathroom, shower and toilet.

At this time, this type of investment was greeted with laughter, since this kind of comfort was reserved for luxury hotels. In the attic, four rooms with a communal bath and two toilets remained for a while. The first guests arrived after Christmas in 1969. The offcial operation of the Gasthof Panider Sattel began in 1970. The guests back then has a relatively difficult journey, since the road was only asphalted in 1970 because of the Winter Olympic Games in Gröden. Thus the trip was made easier from St. Ulrich to Kastelruth.

During the first years Barbara continued her work as a teacher while Raimund tried, between cooking and woodcarving, to raise the family, which had now grown to four children –  Stephan (1969), Erna (1972), Ulrike (1974) and Agnes (1978). Since it was clear that this was too much of a burden, Barbara went into early retirement when Agnes was born.

The house was always in need of small improvements, which the guests who returned anually complimented. Finally however, the hotel needed more than minor improvements. It was decided in 1986 that a major reconstruction was required. A cellar was built underneath the hotel, as well as the remodelling of the ground floor (bar, dining area, kitchen). The rebuilding was completed within a record time of 3.5 months, and the hotel was reopened in August. At this time the owners began to commit to the coexistence with nature around them and to the emotional well-being of their guests.  No wonder, then the hotel lies in the middle of nature where fox and rabbit "say goodnight" … The neighboring forest was puchased, in order to give the many animals which in the years found their home with the family a place to live. It is easy to conclude that the Panider Sattel has become a small zoo where you can observe hopping rabbits as well as peacefully grazing deer.

Despite the new cellar and new ground floor in 1986, the rooms were now due for an update, after all, they were almost 25 years old. This happened in Spring 1995. Again, this was completed in record time of only four months, so that the hotel could reopen for guests at the end of July. The absolute highlight of the successful remodeling project was the huge party to which we could invite many guests.

September 24th was the day. Not only was the official reopening celebrated, but the 25th anniversary of the hotel and the church fest of St. Michael / Kastelruth. The fest was opened with a celebratory field mass accompanied by the Church Choir of Runggadtisch and two wind instrument players from St. Michael / Kastelruth. At the reception on the Feldsteinpudel Otto and Maurizio not only played in their ususal manner, but after the gala buffet also gave an unexpected encore with five "Geißelschnalzern" (men with crackling whips), the young "Michaeler Böhmische", the two "Bergvagabunden aus St. Andrä", the "Seppl-Musig" and the "Meisterpfeifer Michl". They made the party an unforgettable experience for all of us.

One could sense that the many guests honoured the life's work of the host family through their attendance. Not only the locals could demonstrate their loyalty and acknowledgement to the Mahlknecht's, but also the many returning guests who have chosen to place the Panider Sattel close to their hearts …