Short history
The existence of Bad Ratzes was first documented in 1191 when a devout woman called Omenia donated her ‘predium Razze’ to the monastery of Neustift close to Brixen. Bad Ratzes was subsequently mentioned on numerous occasions over the following centuries, no doubt in part because of its superb location. In 1426, the Tyrolean troubadour, Oswald von Wolkenstein, even celebrated the place in song.
By the 16th century, the health-beneficial properties of numerous Tyrolean mineral springs had been acknowledged, most of which were in places where nature was still pristine and had not yet been altered by human encroachment. They were named ‘Wildbad’ because they were found in the ‘wilderness’. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the valley inhabitants developed the custom of escaping the searing summer heat to spend a few days in the cool higher regions, staying in guest houses close to the springs. The tradition of fleeing the summer heat to the Schlern area and other mountain resorts is called ‘Sommerfrische’ and is as strong as ever.
In 1722, Anton Schedler,
the barber surgeon at Kastelruth, decided to exploit two springs which rise in the narrow valley behind the present-day Bad Ratzes, one of which is rich in iron, while the other is a sulphur spring.
Here he built a modest spa centre, laying the foundation stone in 1723. In the same year he bought a pretty level meadow close by and, in 1724, he was granted permission to build a chapel dedicated to the patron saints of physicians,
Kosmas and Damian, as well as the right to cater for visitors. Thus Bad Ratzes, or ‘Ratzes Spa’, was born. According to an inventory taken in 1749, it consisted of a spa centre and a cottage with nine beds, several outbuildings and a chapel.
During the late 18th century, Bad Ratzes changed ownership several times and was bought by Josef Prossliner in 1804. Thereafter the property remained in the same family for over a century, a period in which the spa experienced its heyday. Josef Prossliner’s son, Johann, and wife, Anna, were enormously successful in attracting regular well-heeled visitors, while influential physicians proclaimed the curative properties of the two streams. By then, water from both was piped to the spa house, though visitors also came to enjoy the relaxing surroundings, the excellent catering and the pleasant atmosphere of the hotel. The place attracted artists and writers and the guest book of the period contains numerous illustrious names. Soon the hotel counted 53 bedrooms, two dining rooms and 12 bathrooms. By that time Bad Ratzes was mentioned in numerous guide books, travel accounts, articles and in books on spa therapies. A guest book was started in 1855 and is still kept. It reveals interesting information about the residents, where they came from and the duration of their stays. Among the many we find the Augustinian padre, Vincenz Gredel, Professor of Natural Sciences and explorer of this area which is so interesting from a geological point of view. Then, of course, there were the English mountain climbers who were famous throughout the Alps for their passion for scaling the most challenging rock faces. For example, in 1896 two Englishmen, J.S. Philmore and A. G. Raynor were the first to climb the eastern face of the Rosengarten and numerous others are immortalised in the names of Dolomite peaks (Torre Inglese at Cortina, Clarkspitze etc.). Our most distinguished mountaineering guest was the Austrian climber, Johann Santner, after whom the Santner-Spitze is named. He stayed at Bad Ratzes on several occasions between 1874 and 1880.
The spa centre had to close during the First World War and only reopened in 1924. These were difficult times for the South Tyroleans after their homeland had been ceded to Italy in 1919 and they were forced to endure oppression under the fascist regime. Ludwig Prossliner and his wife, Sophie Burgauner, daughter of the baker at Kastelruth, inherited Bad Ratzes in 1887 and extended the centre to cater for a larger public, but the couple remained childless. Ludwig died in 1932 and his wife a year later. Bad Ratzes was subsequently inherited by Ludwig’s sister-in-law, Maria Burgauner, widow of the famous painter, Eduard Burgauner. Her daughter Erna took over the business in 1934, while her son ran the Villa Felseck at Kastelruth.
In 1941 Erna Burgauner married Richard Scherlin, youngest of 19 children of the Tanötzer Hof farmstead at Kastelruth. They had four daughters, all of whom learned the catering business working their way up from the bottom and were largely responsible for Bad Ratzes’ present reputation for homeliness and hospitality. Today Eva and Waltraud run Hotel Bad Ratzes, while the two other sisters, Ilse and Claudia, run the two hotels Dolomitenhof and Schwarzer Adler together with their families. The spa centre was in operation until 1958, though for pine needle baths, a type of treatment which is once again gaining popularity. The chapel dedicated to St. Kosmas and St. Damian on the second floor of the hotel is reminiscent of the spa period. Considerable investments have been made over the years to cater for the demands of modern tourists. Building work started in 1963, the indoor swimming pool was built in 1969 along with more rooms and the old annex was closed. The business was unable to survive, living from the proceeds of the summer months, and opened also for the winter season in 1970. Two lounges and the lift were added in 1982 and, in 1990, the hotel attained its present appearance with the addition of the underground garage and the sauna. Erna Burgauner-Scherlin died in June 1994 at the age of 84, and Richard Scherlin passed away peacefully at Christmas 1997 aged 87. Both had dedicated their long lives to hard work at Bad Ratzes. Eva and Waltraud continue their parents’ life work in the same spirit, with enthusiasm and optimism.