Interesting facts about Hofer Camping

The "Haus am Gries" is situated on the former alluvial area of the Gerlos Stream. One of the roof's crossbars has the year 1576 written on it, giving us the date of the house's origin. Our great-great-grandfather Johann Hofer, a very smart tailor and journeyman whose mother had died of starvation, bought this farm ca. 1830 and later remodelled and rebuilt it. Some decades later (around 1885), when the place was already run by the next generation, they had their own poster printed to attract summer guests with their homemade products, like honey and dairy products, as well as the beautiful location at the foot of Hainzenberg Mountain, right near a goldmine.

As early as 1905, our grandfather F.J. Hofer had constructed a swimming pool for both his and other guests in Zell. He was also the chairman of the Village Beautification Association (which would later become the Tourism Federation) and he played a decisive role in building up tourism. At this time, there was already a power plant to ensure that guests could enjoy their stay with electricity.


Then the First World War broke out. After that, the locals enjoyed a brief period of prosperity, but the "1,000 Mark Embargo" was passed (a decree by the German government ordering that any German who wanted to travel to Austria pay 1,000 marks). At the same time, the Second World War brought tourism to a standstill. A great number of refugees came to escape the bombs, including Hans Moser (a famous Austrian actor).


Many of our guests got to know our dad, Guntram Hofer I. He had been marked by the war on different fronts, but was thirsty for more action. He took over the "Gries" property, by then, the place had been reduced to 2,500 square metres and was packed with tenants. In 1949, after the death of one of the tenants, he was finally able to move back into his house with our mom Rosemarie and our oldest brother. From then on, weekend and occasional campers found a place for relaxation. In 1950, Hofer Camping officially opened as the first campsite in the Zillertal. At that point, of course, the campsite only operated in summer. At the same time, they established a poultry farm which functioned until 1973. In 1955, a successful laundry was opened to offer the family a second source of income. Our mother Rosemarie, who comes from Sensburg in Eastern Prussia, ran this place until 1966 all on her own, receiving only occasional help from a few hourly workers. The original sanitary facilities were replaced and expanded in 1959. In the meantime, and although it may sound macabre, other tenants had died or moved out, so in 1963, the entire house was made available for the family for the first time. But by 1957, there was already some "room" for summer guests, because the entire family slept on straw bags in the attic during summertime. In autumn and winter of 1964/65, a new staircase, a breakfast room and three guest rooms were built: the onrush of guests and modern demands had to be addressed. Furthermore, a floor was added to the house and central heating was installed for winter guests. Last but not least, the name of the house was changed to "Alte Hoferhaus". The number of camping places was increased when the family began leasing other green areas during this period.


Refreshments and ice-cream were handed out through the window next to the house entrance and the campsite office was a desk in the hallway in front of the kitchen door. This situation became unbearable and during the wintertime of 1970/71, the problem was settled when a new building was added to house the buffet and the campsite office. Ten years later, all of the sanitary facilities were rebuilt once again. From 1981 on, it was possible to camp during winter months, although this required new strategies.


In 19.., our parents, Rosemarie and Guntram Hofer I, handed the place over to the current owners, Silvia and Guntram II, who immediately began to modernise. To meet the rising standards of our guests, we rebuilt the swimming pool in 1993 and we also designed the Hofer Inn with an inner courtyard. Year by year, we continue renovating, but we also work to really improve all of the facilities at our campsite, which will remain a family establishment. Some additional, even more major remodelling is already planned, but we won't reveal any details yet. The campsite has a promising future thanks to Vera and Guntram III.