At the Metnitztal organic herb farm

Years ago, the tall tales of the Gullyhof were even used as reading material in lessons at compulsory schools in Carinthia. As a piece of contemporary history to inspire the imagination. And it's not a fairy tale at all to say that it's fabulously beautiful here, I think to myself as I drive up to the extensive grounds and then don't even know where to park the car because of all the possibilities. Apparently I've been so influenced by the city's parking management system that I seem disoriented here. At first glance, it's the size of the well-kept property that sets it apart from other rural landlords. Of course, there are dairy cows, calves, pigs, horses, geese, chickens, ducks and cats here too. And they all have a hell of a lot of space. More than anywhere else. The happy ones. The quiet valley in the north of Carinthia, which borders on Styria, is sparsely populated and remote in a positive sense, but still not as rugged as the core zones of our Alpine national parks. A good mix. Julian, now an "old farmer", as he calls himself, also runs his own hydroelectric power station. His farm has been self-sufficient in electricity for 100 years.

The Gullyhof motto: All guests must leave happy

Monika has taken over the rental business from her mother-in-law, who used to offer bed and breakfast and then decided to switch to self-catering vacation apartments. Daughter-in-law Magdalena is already ready to take on responsibility if she is called upon and Monika chooses to (un)retire. It's hard to imagine that the herbalist doesn't seem to me as if a quieter daily routine would give her more satisfaction. The Carinthian farmer seems too busy and full of energy. She is the good soul on the farm, looking after the travelers and all the questions that may arise on vacation. "Some of the guests arrive with their worries and sometimes you have to help out with bringing up the children," she smiles as she tells some vacation anecdotes instead of historical fairy tales (senior farmer Julian is responsible for this, by the way). Even Canadians, as well as Finns and Dutch people, have found their way to the Gullyhof and appreciate the peace and quiet, but not only that, but also the variety on offer here every day. "It's the experience of making food products" that not only makes children's eyes light up, but also delights the hearts of adults, says Monika, talking about baking bread, threshing grain in the farm's own fields or milking cows and then processing them into butter. "Seeing where it all comes from and how it is processed directly into the end product without transportation" is what interests her guests, says the farmer. And demand is increasing. I can confirm it.

The good things are so close. Carinthian families discover vacations in their own country.

Recently, there have been an increasing number of short stays by local families from Klagenfurt, which is a good hour's drive from the farm. Families who want to show their children farm life as they may have known it from their childhood. I accompany a young family with their two children, who enjoy the late summer at the Gullyhof with only three overnight stays. Of course, they could afford any family hotel with a children's play area, I think to myself. But when you see the joy and happiness of their little ones as they help the farmer water the animals, then you know that the children are better off here. "Many of the children don't even want to leave the farm for a day trip or go home at all and hide away," explains Monika, beaming once again. What is certain is that she draws strength from meeting people and is always interested, but never intrusive. That seems to be her recipe for success. With Magdalena and Gernot, the next generation is already in the starting blocks and the two of them will also carefully lead the legendary Gullyhof into the future and open a new chapter in the more than eight hundred year history of the farm. As a restorative power station in the green.