In the picturesque village of Pürgg, high above the Ennstal valley and with a population of just 150, time seems to stand still. Austrian poet Peter Rosegger described the idyllic spot as the “cradle of Styria”, and it’s where we discover a restaurant and guesthouse with centuries-old character that is still evident today …

Perfection is fleeting, so we need to see the beauty in the imperfect – that’s how the Japanese live with their philosophy of wabi-sabi, according to which all things are charming, even those with flaws. But it hasn’t been possible to carry this idea over to people, because in the land of the rising sun, it’s still business as usual: pressure, perfectionism, success …