Achim Biston spent holidays at Embachhof for more than 40 years, long before the old farmhouse and guesthouse became Puradies. We asked him what he remembers most about those holidays.
What is your very personal connection to the Madreiter family and the old Embachhof?
Achim Biston: I have to go back in time a little. It all started when my parents were among the first guests at the old Embachhof at the end of the 1950s. My mother told me that she and my father often went to Leogang in winter and summer, even before I was born. And it seems that I was actually born during one of these holidays. There is even postcard proof. So for me, the relationship to the place, the farm and the family is a particularly emotional one.
What are your childhood memories of holidays in Leogang?
Achim Biston: That was a wonderful time. I can still remember exactly how it smelled in the old farmhouse. And how each step of the old wooden house creaked. For me, that is inseparably linked to holidays at the Embachhof. In general, they were holidays full of freedom for us children, we were usually there for three weeks at a time. Actually, we met the same guests every year, we children all knew each other. Accompanied by great adventures, whether in the stable or the barn, we all had our favourite calves, for example, which we were also allowed to take care of during our holiday – and first love stories were not to be missed either!
Later you also went to Embachhof with your wife and three children?
Achim Biston: After I hadn’t been there for a while as a young adult, I then went back to Leogang with my wife for the first time. She comes from the Lower Rhine, where the highest elevation is a molehill. It was an absolute experiment, because she said she always had to be able to see a long way to feel comfortable. But then we went to Embachhof in winter and she liked it very much. She also immediately took the Embachhof and the Madreiter family to her heart. Later, with our own three children, it was almost like déjà vu for me – they basically experienced the same thing as I did. The Embachhof runs through our family life and is simply part of it. And that is beautiful.
My wife comes from the Lower Rhine, where the highest elevation is a molehill. It was an absolute experiment, because she said she always had to be able to see far to feel comfortable. But then we went to Embachhof in winter and she liked it very much.
Achim Biston
There are certainly many memories there!
Achim Biston: And how! I think our eldest daughter actually learned to walk there because she really wanted to pick up a pear that had just fallen from the pear tree. And our youngest, when she was very small, adored Phillip Madreiter – her first love, so to speak. I also have fond memories of the mountain tours with Wasti (editor’s note: senior boss Sebastian Madreiter) to peaks and alpine pastures. And of Michael’s grandma, who was such a warm-hearted and hard-working woman and cooked us delicious meals. It wasn’t just like a holiday, it was like coming home!
When have you planned your next holiday in Puradies?
Achim Biston: We might want to go to Leogang this summer. I don’t know the entire new building and extension yet, so I am of course very curious to see what has been done. And I’m especially looking forward to seeing the Madreiter family again and reliving old memories together.
Fotos: Achim Biston/Privat