Special distinction 2002

Distinguished «for the extremely careful restoration and historic preservation of an old mule-track inn, with only the strictly necessary additions of contemporary architectural elements.»

The Alte Herberge Weiss Kreuz was probably constructed as a tower in the early 14th century. The building sits on a rocky crag and still dominates the valley. It was destroyed during a fire in 1716 and rebuilt soon thereafter. With the expansion of the pass roads from 1818 to 1823, the situation of the inn changed: the village square suddenly became a more convenient location for the coaches, while the Weisse Kreuz lost its importance and went into a slow decline. When renovations started in 2000, all of its components were still largely intact, and the most visible intervention was only the glass covering of the barn infill. The interior shows a very disciplined handling of the existing substance. All access areas and the entire woodwork were kept in their original form.