ART. CRAFTSMANSHIP. HOSPITALITY – THE SOUL OF THE LECH LODGE
With a love for craftsmanship and to detail
Johanna Moosbrugger on her passion for design, art and hospitality:
"I have loved craftsmanship for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I took every opportunity to create something with my hands. My grandmother embroidered cushions and tablecloths, my mother crocheted, my father drew the building plans himself – and me? I always pitched in whenever there was something to shape, embellish or rethink.
Today, I am able to fully indulge my creative passion at the Lech Lodge – with a keen sense of aesthetics, honest craftsmanship and alpine authenticity.
I want places that are not only beautiful – but also tangible. Full of history, emotion and personality."
How it all began
While renovating my parents' inn, Gasthof Post, I discovered my love for handmade details during the time I worked there. I was particularly fascinated by the artistic tiles from the Dutch manufacturer Veensluis, owned by the Sytsma family – made in the old tradition, as in the 17th century. They sparked something in me.
Curious, I travelled to Heerenveen to trace the origins of this beauty – and was allowed to learn the craft of tile making myself. A cultural asset that has survived for centuries. Timelessly beautiful.
This initial fascination developed into a deep love for working with clay, wood, plaster and stone – materials I still use today to realise my ideas. After training as a sculptor with the Geisler-Moroder family in Elbigenalp, I found my creative home.
Design with soul Crafts & Art at the Lech Lodge
I design every room at Lech Lodge with great sensitivity for materials, light, colour and atmosphere. I am supported in this by my husband Klaus – a collector, creative sparring partner and discoverer of beautiful things – as well as by architect Christian Prasser, a long-time friend from childhood, who shares our vision architecturally and takes it further.
The landscape paintings in our chalets are by art photographer Edgar Mall from St. Anton am Arlberg – a friend whose eye for alpine moods never ceases to inspire me.
In and around the house, you will find works by myself and by artists who have touched my soul – each piece tells its own unique story.
From ibexes & soul images
Many of my artistic motifs are closely linked to my family and nature – especially wildlife. So it is no coincidence that our coat of arms features the ibex, the king of the Alps. It is my tribute to my grandfather, who once played a key role in preventing the extinction of ibexes in the Arlberg region.
I myself left Lech for almost 20 years to take over and rebuild my maternal grandmother's guesthouse in St. Anton. After transforming the Bertl Schalle guesthouse into what is now the ‘Bergschlössl’ and founding the ‘Basecamp’, we turned our attention back to our homeland to realise a lifelong dream.
With the founding of the Lech Lodge, I have returned after all these years – an arrival that feels like a circle closing. For me – perhaps as it was for the ibexes. We are grateful to have arrived.
A place for creative encounters
During quieter periods – especially in spring and autumn – I devote myself intensively to my art. In future, I would like to share this freedom with guests: in small workshops, joint projects or open studios.
‘Creating something with my own hands is a wonderful counterbalance to digital overload for me – and perhaps for our guests as well.'
If you are interested in a creative exchange, please feel free to contact me directly.
The Lech Lodge should not only be a place to relax – but also to pause, experience and participate.
