Intuitive souls, dedicated foodies and passionate hosts: Anke and Felix Krohmer

Anke and Felix Krohmer have so far been known to our readers solely as the hosts of the two vacation homes Hermann & Mia. Since the end of 2023, they have been welcoming guests in a casually elegant ambience above Lake Constance – offering stunning views of both the lake and the former residence of Hermann and Mia Hesse.

In actual fact, the couple has been “collecting” accommodations for several years. As seasoned journalists, their travels have taken them far and wide, allowing them to discover not only some favourite places but also, little by little, their passion for hosting. Along the way, they’ve come across one or the other property they simply couldn’t resist acquiring.

A Black Forest house, an apartment in Venice, the revitalisation of a burned-down castle now serving as an event space, and, from next spring onwards, a beach house in Denmark – these are their personal gems, all of which they love to visit themselves, alongside their Lake Constance homes, and share with their guests.

Since Anke Krohmer left journalism behind in 2024, she has – finally – been able to embrace her role as a full-time host, sparking a small (r)evolution within the family.

But how do Anke and her husband Felix actually find these places and properties – without having money to burn? And how do they muster the courage to not only dream up these places but also bring them to life and fill them with lasting inspiration? We sat down with the couple at Schloss Mauren, their primary residence south of Stuttgart, for a long and entertaining conversation.

Love at first click – finding properties

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. Or rather: an eyecatcher – that one view, outward or inward, that serves as a key stimulus, opening a person’s eyes to a property’s potential. As journalists, we understand the importance of a compelling lead image. We discovered all of our properties on online real estate platforms. In the flood of images, it takes that one striking photo to spark curiosity and encourage further thought: This is a place with potential!

And most importantly: since our financial resources are limited, we keep an eye on hidden gems well away from the hustle and bustle. These are far more exciting to transform and develop anyway. A flashy villa with ocean view, rooftop bar and infinity pool is out of our budget and wouldn’t ignite our passion for discovery and design.

What has always intrigued us, on the other hand, is finding honest places in the second row, awakening them from their slumber and turning them into havens of longing. Since beauty alone is usually boring, we seek authenticity – as we do when choosing restaurants and winemakers. Not properties in an ivory tower but the ones in the midst of life. Typically for the region, deeply rooted in their context or, if newly built, as at Lake Constance, designed with respect for the topography and the surrounding buildings. For us, architecture is never an end in itself but rather a means to a vital goal: creating spaces for unforgettable moments with dear people.

Step 1: Stunning views and culinary delights—Karles Hus in the Black Forest

In 2020, the couple purchased a house in Wieden, a state-recognised health resort nestled in a high valley of the Southern Black Forest Nature Park, which they’ve been renting out since 2024. Their quirky reason for buying the house: they had always wanted to have a wood-burning stove that could also be used for baking bread. That stove now sits proudly in their “second” living room.

When we first saw the house, a vivid scene played out in our minds: After a long autumn walk over the gently rolling hills of the Southern Black Forest, we’d settle into an armchair by the fire, sip a kirsch and watch the bread baking. And that’s exactly how it turned out. By the way, we never thought we’d fall in love with the Black Forest. Our preconception: Bollenhut kitsch, darkness and Black Forest gateau.

Now we know better: at an altitude of 1,000 metres, with views as far as to the Swiss Alps, this is the perfect place to unwind. And without the crowds! The tourists flock to Lake Titisee or the Feldberg, the highest mountain in the area. Lucky for us they don’t realise how much more beautiful Belchen, a mountain near us, really is. If we need wine, we head down to the Markgräflerland for some chasselas wine or to the nearby Alsace. The charming Faust town of Staufen boasts the best pastry chef, and the asparagus here is just divine.

In the summer, we especially look forward to driving up to our Black Forest house in Wieden, where it is always much cooler than in the sweltering Rhine Valley. Homemade bread, Black Forest ham, chasselas wine and sweeping views – happiness really can be this simple…

Step 2: When a dream becomes reality – a loft in Venice

In 2021, the couple discovered a small loft in Venice and simply couldn’t resist the view of the lagoon it affords. Since then, they’ve been renting out the apartment, while regularly paying La Serenissima a visit themselves, no matter the season. It’s safe to say: Anke and Felix are hopelessly in love with Venice – despite the adversities of tourist crowds, high tides and hefty prices.

For the past three decades, we have been to Venice every year. At some point, it became clear: we like the Castello district best, especially around the Giardini, home to the Biennale. Fewer tourists, more greenery. When our kids were little, they used to play football on the pitch in the Parco delle Rimembranze on Sant’Elena, the easternmost island of Venice. Afterwards, we’d go to our favourite pizzeria, Vecia Gina, where our dear friend Barbara would serve us on the terrace beneath the cypress trees, with a view of the lagoon.

So, we always dreamt of finding an apartment in Castello with a view of the lagoon. You have to know that most of the apartments are located in the maze of alleys, and only extremely expensive or large ones have that coveted lagoon view.

When we spotted a listing from a real estate agent showing the lagoon view from a small loft – complete with the striking bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore across from St. Mark’s Square – we knew immediately: this was our apartment!

Now, when we sit by the window with a good book and a glass of fine red wine, watching the sunset over San Giorgio, the tiny Giardini della Marinaressa park with artworks from countries that cannot afford a pavilion at the Biennale directly below us, the salty breeze in the air, the screeching of seagulls, the low rumble of a ship’s diesel engine, small fishing boats, overcrowded vaporetti and Paolo Conte playing on the radio, we know that the adventure of buying property in Italy was more than worth it. It makes us (semi-)locals of the world’s most beautiful city for a few weeks each year – and it brings happiness to our guests as well…

Step 3: Favourite place (of residence) and cherished location – Mauren Castle near Stuttgart

Back in 2005, Anke and Felix Krohmer undertook the spectacular revival of a castle ruin that had been part of their family estate. Since then, it has been their home, and since 2024, they’ve also been hosting guests for various event formats, such as cooking classes, retreats and workshops.

We have to be careful not to sound too sentimental here, but Mauren Castle is truly a special place for us, steeped in history, tradition and architectural innovation. Here’s a brief summary of its history: In the early 16th century, Heinrich Schickhardt, court architect of the Duchy of Württemberg and a renowned Renaissance master builder, designed Mauren Castle near Stuttgart. After passing through several owners, the estate came into the possession of the von Dusch family. Alexander von Dusch, Baden’s Minister of State and the great-great-grandfather of Felix Krohmer, used Mauren as a summer residence.

Felix’s grandparents, Olive and Alexander von Löwis of Menar, lived there until 1943, when a stray incendiary bomb destroyed it down to its foundation walls. For almost 60 years, the ruins lay dormant, until we couldn’t shake the idea of making them habitable again, breathing new life into the old walls and what had been my childhood adventure playground. At the time, Anke simply took matters into her own hands: She knocked on the door of her favourite house and asked for the name of the architect responsible. On the phone, the architect was initially reluctant, claiming he didn’t design run-of-the-mill homes. We assured him that we didn’t have a run-of-the-mill site, but rather a castle ruin with a base area of over 500 square metres, what was protected as a historic monument. Demolishing it wasn’t an option for us, nor was it permitted. Rebuilding the castle could have worked, we were simply missing a few million euros for that.

Architect Ingo Bucher came to Mauren, stood on the surviving one-storey foundation wall, and simply said, “A good spot!” The next day, he presented his design: two modern living cubes seemingly hovering above the old structure, not putting any weight onto the old walls, detached and resting on steel supports outside the ruin’s footprint. Beneath the cubes, new weather-protected spaces were created, complete with outdoor kitchen and pizza oven. Somehow, it feels as if the castle ruins themselves have come back to life.

Speaking of feelings: Everyone who visits Mauren finds themselves relaxing quickly. Even the most stressed-out manager transforms within minutes into a guest who feels completely at ease. No, we don’t have a stark, minimalist designer house. What we have is more of a synthesis of the arts, with outstanding feng shui. The old and the new blend harmoniously – naturally, not stilted.

By the way, we had braced ourselves for lengthy negotiations with the heritage office. But to our surprise, it turned out quite differently: We received our building permit within two months. Since then, we’ve been enjoying this unique and harmonious triad of tradition, modernity and nature. And we take immense joy in seeing how guests at our cooking classes, exclusive celebrations or workshops equally appreciate the unparalleled atmosphere of Mauren.

Step 4: With panoramic views – holiday homes overlooking the Hermann Hesse House and Lake Constance

Lake Constance has always held a special allure for Anke and Felix Krohmer. The only problem? Very few properties with a lake view ever come on the market. That all changed abruptly and unexpectedly when they were on holiday in Denmark in 2019.

We often visited the old lido on Reichenau Island with our kids. It’s a lovely little island with impressive churches, excellent produce and great wine. But the downside of this beauty: it’s simply unaffordable. Then a winemaker on Reichenau recommended Gasthaus Hirschen, an inn on the quieter Höri peninsula located opposite. He also mentioned the excellent local wine and the famous “Höri-Bülle”, a unique variety of onion. Being food lovers, we naturally went to the Hirschen restaurant in Horn to eat. Really good! Since we were both big fans of novelist Hermann Hesse in our youth, we decided to visit the Hesse Museum and his beautifully preserved home in Gaienhofen. Later, we enjoyed a glass of chasselas wine by the tiny harbour in Gaienhofen. Peaceful rather than bustling, with the occasional ferry – we quickly agreed: This is a good place!

The problem? First, very few construction sites are up for sale on the Höri peninsula. Second, while they’re far less expensive than those on Reichenau, they’re still no bargain. But then, while on vacation in Denmark, we found an online listing for a site with views of both the lake and the Hermann Hesse residence and immediately knew: It was either this one or none! From Denmark, we called our architect, Ingo Bucher, and asked him to take a look at the site. He simply said, “Buy it. If you don’t like it, I’ll take it!”, raving about the hillside location in an evolved neighbourhood, the proximity to the Hesse residence and the stunning view over the lake to Switzerland.

A few years later, we or our guests now sit in the outdoor seating area of our two holiday homes, Hermann and Mia, looking out at the green Hesse house. We might even reread “Demian” while feeling wonderfully grounded, despite the filigree steel-wood-glass construction and sitting on the first floor.

Daring new projects – and making another dream come true in 2025

We are not business economists. Rather, we’re gut-driven. What we have realised: The places where we’d love to go, what is good for us also brings joy to others. So far, this approach has proven successful.

Of course, the low interest rates a few years ago helped us a lot. But even so, we had no idea beforehand what occupancy rates we could expect. Having often booked vacation homes through Holidayarchitecture, we instinctively knew that this platform would help us considerably in generating an economic occupancy rate and appealing to the right clientele who value our commitment. That’s why we market Hermann and Mia on Lake Constance exclusively via urlaubsarchitektur.de – and it has worked from day one.

As long-time holidaymakers and lovers of Denmark, this motivates us to fulfil our next heart’s desire: a small, old and very hygge summer house (built in 1935, lovingly renovated in 1996) in Tornby, directly in the dunes on the North Sea. From spring 2025, we will also be sharing this gem with our guests.

Imagining and immersing in properties

We love good furniture design, Bauhaus classics or Danish mid-century pieces. But we don’t aspire to live in a design museum – for us, a true feel-good atmosphere comes from a balanced blend. Cherished heirlooms, antique books or a vintage Tivoli radio pair beautifully with a modern bespoke kitchen, while sleek cantilever chairs combine harmoniously with well-worn wooden tables.

What’s most important to us is this: we don’t want to impose a vision onto a space. Instead, we aim to let each place live and breathe its own story. The architecture, which is reflective of the location and region in all our properties, should speak for itself.

Anke Krohmer holds a degree in sociology and empirical cultural studies and spent 25 years as an editor and editor-in-chief for various publishers and media outlets in the food and lifestyle sector. Since mid-2024, she has been devoting herself entirely to her passion as a host.

Felix Krohmer studied sociology, political science and empirical cultural studies and has since worked as an editor and freelance journalist for various customer and food magazines, including DER FEINSCHMECKER.

The interview was conducted by Ulrich Stefan Knoll.

Picture credits: © Michael Gregenowits (portrait photo of hosts, photos of Hermann & Mia), © Anke Krohmer (photos of Wieden, Venice, Mauren, Tornby)

Holiday home

Hermann und Mia

The art of idleness: In an exquisite neighbourhood, with a view of Hermann and Mia Hesse’s home and Lake Constance, the two holiday homes open up airy, transparent spaces for relaxing holidays.