Introducing the St. Aegidi-Keller

The St. Aegidi-Kellar is a wine cellar situated in the heart of Bad Reichenhall. It offers excellent food and is a fine example of a historic listed building which has been impressively restored. Its vaults rest against the medieval church of St.Aegid and date back to ancient times (1159).

1159 -

was the time of:

• the German Staufer Kings (1152 – 1250),

• monastic and courtly culture (Minnesingers),

• the battle for supremacy between the papacy and the empire,

• the foundation of Moscow.

The history of the wine cellar is inextricably linked to that of the St. Aegid Church.

It begins with the building of the church in the year 1159 on the old marketplace of the Thumer Quarter in accordance with a special charter.

In this charter of 1159, Heinrich, also known as Loubecce, received permission from the Salzburg Archbishop Eberhard von Biburg (1147 to 1164), to build a church on his (Loubecce’s) land.

All this would all suggest that, with the construction of the church, Loubecce had bought himself the right to brew and serve beer, for example, the "licensed brewery and inn rights" which have been recorded in the land register since "ancient times“.

This meant the right to brew beer and run an inn, which is still valid today.

And, amongst other things, the construction of a cellar below the entire church building, which was not common practice.

Blick in den hinteren Teil des Gastraumes

Treppe in den Keller

Russischer Hof; 1870

There are no records in existence which can be specifically linked to the wine cellar before 1674.

In 1674 the wine cellar was called the "Kasererbräu mit Brauerei". It is the oldest known name recorded in a deed of purchase. The owners were Josef Kaserer und Maria Eßlinger.

We won’t list all the subsequent owners here.

In the more recent past – in the 19th century – as the spa resort thrived and Russian artists, princes and other affluent people from Russia stopped off on their travels to visit the wine cellar, it was known as the "Russischer Hof".
The owner Ludwig Rumpf still brewed beer.

After the Second World War, the place became known as the "Deutscher Hof“ and finally the "Reichenhaller Hof“- until the entire building was demolished in 1976, right down to its very core – the "St. Aegidikellar".

The history of the "St. Aegidikeller" and its direct link to the church prompted Bruno Biernath (Sen.) to purchase the wine cellar on 22nd November 1978 and to restore it to its former glory. Through skillfull architectural planning and project work, he was able to successfully create a design which fulfilled historical requirements, complemented the church surroundings and complied with the preservation order. The end result is a stunning and truly unique architectural feat.

In the face of criticism and adversity, Bruno Biernath established his business on 6th September 1980 and soon made the wine cellar into a thriving tourist attraction, both in terms of gastronomy and architecture.

Herr Biernath and his achievements have also received special praise from the town of Bad Reichenhall, not only for the way in which the wine cellar has enhanced the town itself, but also for the success of the overall development project.

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Rittertafel

And what’s more, we serve only the very best food and wine!

The owner’s sons Bruno und Michael, together with their dedicated team of staff, will ensure that you experience only the very best of food, wine and service.

The impressive forged gates of the wine cellar open at 10.00 am and close at midnight;
you can therefore enjoy excellent food and drink any time during these opening hours and you can even make your own selection from the impressive range of wines on offer in our wine cellar. Select a bottle of wine to take home with you, or enjoy the wine of your choice amidst these historic surroundings.

The wine is kept underneath the church; an ideal, cool place for storage.

And to round it all off perfectly, you can also enjoy our exceptionally beautiful garden in the Arcade Yard designed with Mediterranean flair: if the weather is fine, take a seat on our beautifully forged chairs and enjoy a truly exquisite gastronomical experience.

And there we have it: the St. Aegidi-Kellar - a unique historic gem in Bad Reichenhall.

Just call in and see us – we would be delighted to make your acquaintance!