The Site

The Waldlust Hotel in Freudenstadt, founded in 1899, was once a premier resort for the noble society of spa guests. It represents a landmark of historic architecture, a cultural heritage treasure, and a long-standing social hub, symbolising a golden era in the town’s development. During the early 20th century, the hotel flourished, attracting kings, queens, princes, poets, artists, and the international elite. Its reputation as the leading hotel of Freudenstadt was built on the entrepreneurial vision of the Luz family, a distinguished hotel dynasty that managed several prestigious establishments in Freudenstadt, Baden-Baden, and Austria. The hotel experienced a second period of prosperity after Second World War, once again becoming a gathering place for high society.

Today, the Waldlust Hotel, with its imposing presence and storied past, offers a glimpse into a lost era, almost unimaginable in a small town nestled deep in the Black Forest. The Friends of the Waldlust Association is dedicated to preserving both the architectural grandeur and the rich social history of the site, while also taking steps toward its revitalisation and potential reopening. Plans are currently underway to transform Waldlust into a hub for cultural and convention activities, ensuring its legacy continues into the future.

In recent years, the former Grand Hotel has embarked on a new chapter as a cultural venue. Last year, for three months, students and musicians from five art schools transformed Waldlust into a lively exhibition space, attracting significant public interest. Additionally, the "Mission Stucco" training course, aimed at young plasterers, was held on-site. Over the course of five weeks, the grand lobby’s inappropriate 1980s interior was meticulously reworked into a contemporary interpretation of its original Art Nouveau style, restoring part of the hotel’s historic character.

The Waldlust Hotel is surrounded by an extensive park, which once served as a refined wellness and leisure retreat for its distinguished guests. This carefully designed landscape, featuring broad promenades, terraced pathways, stone walls, staircases, and intimate seating areas, provided stunning views extending eastward to the Swabian Alb’s “blue ribbon.” Over the years, however, the park fell into neglect, with its original layout and structures gradually disappearing due to the absence of maintenance and cultivation. Recognising the park’s historic and aesthetic value, the Friends of the Waldlust Association has undertaken efforts to restore the pathways and key features of this once-elegant landscape, breathing new life into this historic setting. 

The Project

The 2025 European Heritage Volunteers Project focuses on the rehabilitation of the former hotel park, continuing the efforts of previous projects organised there by European Heritage Volunteers between 2017 and 2019. The project involves a thoughtful and strategic restoration of the historic hotel garden, which includes clearing wild vegetation that does not belong to the original landscape and the recovery of century-old garden structures. Additionally, the work will focus on the reconstruction of historic pathways and the repair of the original sandstone walls.

These efforts aim to restore the original "Parkwald" ("park forest") concept, a unique wellness infrastructure developed in Freudenstadt during the early 20th century. The Parkwald was envisioned as a carefully designed fusion of natural and landscaped elements, offering visitors a therapeutic environment integrated into the town’s renowned spa culture. Through the restoration of its pathways, terraces, and scenic viewpoints, the project seeks to revitalise the historic character of the park while ensuring its accessibility and sustainability for future use.

An important objective of this year’s project is to prepare the park for the “Waldlust Art Summer Exhibition 2025”, which will take place from July to September. Within the framework of this initiative, thirty students from the Karlsruhe Art Academy will create site-specific artworks, drawing inspiration from the park’s landscape and the rich history of the Waldlust Hotel. To complement this artistic transformation, the participants of the European Heritage Volunteers Project will undertake various rehabilitation tasks, ensuring that the setting remains historically authentic and well-preserved.

The project is also integrated into Landesgartenschau Baden-Württemberg 2025 (The Baden-Württemberg Garden Show 2025), a biennial event, which promotes the recultivation and development of urban green spaces and the conservation and sustainable development of cultural landscapes. Hosted by Freudenstadt and its neighbouring town, Baiersbronn, the event is expected to attract up to half a million visitors between May and October 2025. The rehabilitation and recultivation of the Waldlust Hotel Park will contribute to this larger event, highlighting the cultural and ecological value of park and garden heritage and promoting their role in environmental awareness and tourism.

As part of the educational programme, participants will take part in guided visits to relevant historical sites in the town and in the region, offering a more profound insight into the principles of historic garden conservation and revitalisation, sustainable landscape management, and the challenges of preserving designed landscapes in a changing climate.

In addition, participants will prepare presentations on the conservation of historic parks and gardens in their home countries, encouraging discussions on heritage policies, garden conservation, and the role of cultural landscapes in contemporary society.

Through the combination of hands-on conservation work, guided visits, presentations and the accompanying discussions, the European Heritage Volunteers Project will provide the participants with a meaningful engagement in the conservation and revitalisation of a unique historic site, ensuring its continued relevance as both a cultural and heritage landmark and a green space for the local community.

The project will take place from July 20th to August 2nd, 2025, and be jointly organised by European Heritage Volunteers and Friends of Waldlust Association, in collaboration with Freudenstadt Heritage Association, and the Kurhaus Salem Cooperative.