Kurhaus Stromberg

The Kurhaus Stromberg stands in the town of Stromberg in the Hunsrück region. It is a five-storey building with a mansard hipped roof, protected by a preservation order. The site includes a park and lies near the Dörrebach stream and the city forest called Krummschlag. The building was designed in the Heimatstil, a traditional German architectural style popular in the early 20th century. Its lower storey is built of dressed rubble stone, while the upper floors are rendered brickwork. Central heating, hot water supply and double-glazed windows made it modern for its time. The Kurhaus was planned as a teachers’ convalescent home by the Rhineland Provincial Teachers’ Association. The town agreed to provide land and woodland in 1913, expecting tourism and jobs. Construction began in 1914 but was delayed by the First World War. After the war it opened in 1921 with sixty rooms for about a hundred guests. The house advertised itself as a modern hotel with dining rooms, reading rooms, terraces and a fine dining hall. The “Deutsche-Michel-Stube” restaurant featured wood panelling, stone coats of arms and stained-glass windows recalling Hans Michael Elias von Obentraut, a famous local figure. Visitors today find a well-preserved example of early 20th-century hotel architecture. The entrance hall leads to reception, a large dining and festival room, a library and offices. Guest rooms occupy the first three floors, with shared bathrooms on the landings. Rooms on the first floor have east-facing terraces looking toward the Stromburg castle ruins. The basement housed boilers, laundry and storage, while the ground floor contained the restaurant, club room and kitchen served by a service lift. The park behind the building offers walks along paths lined with benches and small shelters.