When winter comes to the Taunus, everyone freaks out.

As soon as the first snow falls around the Feldberg, people in functional clothing with children, skittles, sledges, rucksacks and hiking sticks flock to the summit.

But especially with their cars.

And they use them to clog all the streets, paths and parking spaces until there is no way through.

During the past two weekends, this spectacle could be observed once again.

The rush was so great that the police had to block access to the Feldberg summit to prevent even greater chaos.

Peter Badenhop

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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It was packed up there anyway.

So full that anyone who had reserved a seat in the new "Feldberghaus" was lucky - because the extensively renovated and redesigned inn was basically the only place to escape the hustle and bustle, at least for a while.

Of course, it was also full in the large dining room and the adjoining room "Fernblick", but not overcrowded because of the advance bookings.

And if you could show your reservation down at the entrance, the traffic wardens even let you drive up to the summit.

Enormous benefit for the Feldberg and its visitors

The "Feldberghaus" is a blessing for the mountain and its many visitors.

For many years, until spring 2019, that was also the old "Feldberghof".

But the long overdue, comprehensive renovation and the complete, contemporary refurnishing of the large house, which was built in the 1980s and is now clad with old Canadian spruce wood on the outside and also with a lot of light-colored wood on the inside, is an enormous gain for the entire summit ensemble.

The new tenants Carolin and Jens Fischer give the inn the right culinary setting with their modern, home-style, preferably regional offerings.

In doing so, they are much more demanding than was previously the case here, but remain down to earth and do not scare guests away with overly ambitious gimmicks.

The program is correspondingly wide, ranging from eight sweet and hearty breakfast variations and the large Sunday brunch for 39 euros per person to coffee, cake, "afternoon tea" and rustic little things such as beef broth, hand cheese with music, jelly with fried potatoes or sausage salad to main courses such as pretzel dumplings with mushroom cream sauce (18 euros), venison ragout with spaetzle (24.50 euros) and veal boiled beef with horseradish sauce (23.50 euros).

Of course, there is also a decent Wiener Schnitzel or various salads and ravioli with ricotta filling (18.50 euros) for those guests who want to remain meatless.

It's neither rocket science nor award-winning innovation, and it could be seasoned a little more boldly - but everything is well-crafted and of very solid quality.

The Fischers and their very dedicated team are evidently aware that their "Feldberghaus" is ultimately one thing above all: a place for excursions.

However, a highly recommended one.

Feldberghaus Großer Feldberg 5, Schmitten, Internet www.feldberghaus.com.

The inn is open Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

However, the times may vary and are coordinated with the self-service "Stubb".

Current opening times online at www.feldberghaus.com.