Once upon a time...

The chronicle of the guesthouse Adler
We wrote down the chronicle of the „Adler“ for you, to give you some background information about the oldest guesthouse of the administrative district Lindau.


Gasthof Adler, originally called The Black Eagle Tavern, was first mentioned in a document in 1468. Part of it was pulled down in 1558 and re-errected using a half-timbered construction method in 1560. Since then it has always been a gastronomic business.

The inn has had four owners to date:
in the 16th century Strohmayer
in the 17th century Johannes Strodel
from the 18th century to 1937 Abler/Vögel
since 1938 Anton Strodel and his family.

On the 30th of November 1938 the inn changed hands again and the married couple, Anton and Kreszentia Strodel, became the new owners. It was bought for the sum of 11000 Reichsmarks and was financed by a loan.

At that time, according to the "Lindauer National Zeitung", a local newspaper, the whole property had become so dilapidated that you could have broken through to the cellar from the kitchen and the hall.

On the 17th of January 1939 the first renovations were started. At that time, the walls of the inn were completely rendered and during construction work the half-timbering was discovered. The building surveyor from the local government authorities decided that the extant half-timbering had to be preserved. The whole timber framework was exposed and since then the property is listed as being a protected historical building. 

The renovation costs according to a balance sheet from November 1939, amounted to 20,801 Reichsmarks. This unpredictable costs were threaten the existence of the young couple.


During wartime, the "Islanders", citizens from the island of Lindau, helped to pay off some of the debts. At that time, as the train station in Oberreitnau was still in use, they went by train to the mainland and stopped to have a snack and to drink some cider at our inn before they took the train back home in the evening.

In the fifties, as tourism started in Oberreitnau, the first guest rooms with running water were built on the first floor. In 1977 Gasthof Adler received the first of two prizes for its façade. In 1982/83 the attic was converted into guest rooms.

The most extensive renovations and extensions were carried out from 1987-1988. During this time, a double-gabled extension was built onto the east side of the inn, the restaurant rooms and the kitchen were extended, a lift was installed and once again the number of rooms were increased.

On the 16th of July 1988 the inn re-opened and, at the end of the year, Gasthof Adler received its second prize for its façade.

Time never stands still for us. We continually improve our inn, preserving its character yet providing all mod cons for your comfort.

Chronik zum 450. Jubiläumsjahr hier ausdrucken

We hope we could provide some interesting information with this short chronicle and look forward to welcoming you!