The Bohmerhofstuben in Wackersberg isn’t really the kind of restaurant you stop at for spectacular architecture or centuries of inn-keeping history. The place belongs to Gut Bohmerhof, a large equestrian centre in the Wackersberg district of Burgern, and at first glance looks rather unspectacular. We still love going there. It’s down to the good food, the fair prices and above all two things you won’t find on any menu: that wonderful view and the warmth of the family who run it.
You’re actually arriving at an equestrian centre
The approach makes it clear straight away that you’re not landing at a classic countryside inn. Gut Bohmerhof is a large equestrian facility with stables, riding halls, arenas, pastures and everything that belongs to a professionally run horse farm. At the same time, that creates an atmosphere we really like. While you’re sitting there eating, there’s always something going on around you. Horses are being exercised, riders come and go, training takes place in the arenas and animals stand in the meadows.
You don’t have to have anything to do with equestrian sport yourself to enjoy watching. Precisely because it’s all part of the normal everyday life of the farm and not staged as a tourist attraction, it has its appeal.
The balcony is actually far too narrow – and still our favourite spot
In fine weather there’s also a small beer garden. You sit quite comfortably there and have more space. We still try to get a spot on the balcony if we can.
Because it’s pretty narrow. The seats run along the balustrade, and you do feel a bit like chickens on a perch up there. Normally that might not be an argument for a favourite spot – but here it is. Because once you’re sitting down and looking out, the width of the balcony doesn’t really matter anymore.
In front of you lie green meadows and pastures, behind them the landscape opens up towards the Tölzer mountains. In the nearer scenery lie the heights around Heiglkopf and Zwiesel, further south the panorama extends towards Brauneck, Latschenkopf and Achselköpfe as far as the distinctive Benediktenwand. On a clear day the view reaches even further into the mountains towards the Karwendel.
It’s precisely this transition that makes the view so special for us: directly in front of you horses and wide meadows, behind them ever higher mountains. Depending on the weather and light the panorama constantly changes, and at the same time you can watch what’s happening around the equestrian centre. You sit slightly elevated above the yard and almost incidentally get one of those typical Wackersberg views that we love being in the area for.
For us, that’s the real star of the Bohmerhofstuben.
Good food without any fuss
Fortunately you don’t have to overlook bad food for the view. Quite the opposite. We really enjoy eating there. The kitchen is straightforward, the selection decent and so far we’ve always enjoyed it. We also find the prices appropriate.
That’s what we like about places like this anyway: you don’t have to make a visit into a special occasion. You drive there, sit on the balcony, order something good and enjoy the evening. Perhaps you watch the horses on the side, somewhere work or training is still going on, and in front of you lie meadows and mountains. Sometimes that’s all you need.
And then we turned up on their day off
What really makes the Bohmerhofstuben special for us, though, is a story that probably says more about the family who run it than any review on the internet.
We’d been there often enough by then that they knew us. One day we drove there again – and had simply forgotten it was their day off. Really the story would have ended quickly: closed, tough luck, drive home again.
Only it didn’t go like that.
The family were there themselves and were sitting having a meal with friends and acquaintances. Instead of politely pointing out that they were closed today, we were promptly invited to sit down with them and eat. Suddenly on their day off we weren’t sitting there as restaurant guests, but somehow joining the family’s private meal.
We’d never experienced anything like that in a restaurant before.
Hospitality you can’t order
Of course an invitation like that isn’t something you can or should expect on a visit. That’s precisely why the situation has stayed in our memory. For us it simply shows what kind of atmosphere there is there.
Friendliness in service is actually part of any good restaurant. But inviting someone who accidentally turns up on your day off to spontaneously join your own table goes a fair bit beyond that. We’d already felt comfortable before. After that we definitely had the feeling we weren’t just some anonymous guest there.
Perhaps we’ve actually become a bit like regulars by now.
The beer garden is nice – we’ll still take the balcony
On warm days the small beer garden naturally has its appeal too. Anyone who prefers to sit a bit more spaciously or is coming with several people is probably even better off there. We still look upstairs first.
If there’s still something free on the balcony, we’d rather take the narrower spot and have the panorama instead. Then we’re just sitting next to each other like chickens on a perch again. For the view you can easily live with that.
Because while the everyday life of the equestrian centre continues below, you look out over the pastures to Heiglkopf, Zwiesel and further into the mountain chain towards Brauneck and Benediktenwand. Especially in the late afternoon or evening, when the light over the meadows and mountains becomes softer, it can be really beautiful.
Perhaps that’s exactly why it’s a favourite destination
The Bohmerhofstuben doesn’t have to be spectacular for us. There’s no great attraction you absolutely have to go there for. Even the equestrian centre is for us more part of the atmosphere than an actual destination.
It’s the combination that makes the place special: delicious food, fair prices, horses and riding activity right outside, the small beer garden and above all that narrow balcony with its magnificent view over meadows and mountains. And then there’s a family running the place where we once accidentally turned up on their day off – and afterwards suddenly found ourselves sitting with them and their friends having a meal.
You can’t plan stories like that. But they’re probably the best reason why a restaurant that doesn’t look particularly spectacular at first glance eventually becomes a place you keep happily coming back to.