Travel story: Vila Muhr
Through whispers of tranquillity and echoes of royal stories
MORNING ON THE DAY OF FAREWELL
Day 4; Friday, 21 February 2025, at 7:30
This morning, Vila Muhr is drowning in a thick fog that lazily wraps around its wooden contours. The weather calls for staying in bed and letting time slip by. But this morning is no time for lounging. Today is our last day in Bohinj. I know that Lili is already on the yoga mat at this hour, but I prefer to use the walking poles. I wrap a scarf around me, put on a hat and go for a quick walk by the lake before breakfast.
The winter fog over Lake Bohinj spreads out like a veil, limiting the world to a few steps. Peace and quiet, no one anywhere. The only walker I meet this morning is at the church of St. John the Baptist He is holding a phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other, while heavy bruises hang over his cheeks. A few years ago, someone might have met me in a similar state, but thankfully not any more. I look behind him without judgement and see him disappearing in a misty embrace, along with the outline of Ribčevega Laza. On the dirt path that leads around the lake, I enter the complete emptiness of this morning. Only the mist over the water and the sound of my footsteps in the silence of the morning stillness accompany the morning calm. The air smells of damp and wet moss. Tiny waves caress the shore as if whispering stories of days gone by. The almost tangible calm is occasionally interrupted by the distant splash of a fish, rising above the surface and then disappearing before anyone can catch a glimpse of it. The ripples it causes spread out in tiny circles until they are swallowed up by the fog. I feel blessed to be here, at a time when most people are starting their working day caught in a fog of busy schedules and countless expectations. It is a real privilege that Lake Bohinj, one of the most powerful energy points in Slovenia, belongs to me alone this morning.
After half an hour of fast walking, in a sparkling conversation with my own thoughts, I am tempted to climb over the edge of the path that leads around the lake. After a few metres of climbing up an overgrown bank, a small meadow opens up in front of me – a hidden corner that cannot be seen from the path. As I turn towards the lake, I am struck by a moment of pure amazement! The fog over the water is only a few metres high, and through it a completely unexpected scene is revealed, reaching to the other side of the lake and beyond! On the opposite side, I can see a few cars driving towards Ukanec, the shy winter sun rising over the Vogel Mountains, and a flock of ducks flying unheard above the lake’s blanket of silvery mist. What a surprise! Just when you think you’ve discovered all the beauty, a few steps off the beaten track opens up a different perspective, revealing a whole new face. How true it is that life rewards us when we dare to step off the beaten track! Beauty has many layers, its true essence goes deep and reveals itself gradually – a realisation that enriches my thoughts on my return. It shines like the last in the line of jewels on the crown of Vila Muhr that have been revealed to me over the last few days. The wooden beauty stands there on the other side of the lake, wrapped in a cocoon of morning mist, as the energy I absorbed echoes silently within me.
A villa that doesn't host, but embraces
ARRIVAL AT THE SANCTUARY
Day 1: Tuesday, 18 February 2025, at 18h
Before my first dinner at Vila Muhr, I enjoy half an hour in the sauna – in my own suite, by myself. The opening moments in the calm heat soothe me. Breathe in, breath out. Empty head. Thoughts disappear, leaving only a feeling of warmth that slowly floods the body. With every breath I relax more, as if the everyday world is slowly receding. I pour hot stones and enjoy the luxury of silky steam and total privacy. When the heat reaches its peak, my heart beats faster, my skin becomes very dewy and I feel a need for fresh air. I step out of the sauna and wrap myself in a fragrant soft robe embroidered with the monogram of the villa, honouring the legacy of Adolf Muhr, the vila’s first owner and the visionary behind its story. I am attracted to the seat by the large window, which looks out over the winter idyll of the Bohinj Mountains.
The impressions of our first day in Villa Muhr are slowly settling in. I have the feeling that I am not just a guest here, but something more, that this connection is deeper. This space welcomes me differently, enveloping me in a sense of security, as if I were in an intimate sanctuary where time loses its meaning. My suite, eloquently called Prince George, is a world unto itself. An impressive 180 square metres of history and prestige, details that don’t impose themselves, but leave an impression. Wooden beams tell stories of the past, soft fabrics invite you to touch them. A round table by the private bar calls out for thoughts to be jotted down, and the enviable selection of champagnes and fine wines in the wine cabinet speaks volumes about the pleasure potential of the evenings here. Since Lili and I will definitely have a glass of wine with dinner, I prefer to make a cup of fragrant espresso as an aperitif. I sip the intoxicating invigoration, which instantly merges with the peaceful moment, and in the glow of the soft light, I explore the space with my eyes.
The fireplace in the centre of the suite is ready for me to strike a match and start a fire that will fill the atmosphere with the warmth and scent of wood. The large bed on the other side looks like a white cloud, inviting me to perfect rest. Every detail is carefully thought out, nothing is left to chance; warm, soft. Completed.
Vila Muhr is not just a place to stay, it’s an experience to be remembered. When I look out of the window, I feel like someone who has escaped the world for a moment and found a place where he can be completely still. There is no rush, no weight of daily commitments – just me, my breath and the warmth of a place that welcomes me like an old friend.
It’s time to get ready for dinner. I will taste the delicacies prepared by Chef Davor Arnautović, whose culinary style has been widely praised. Before leaving, I look around the room once more and realise that I am looking forward to the moment when I will bury myself between the white fluffy sheets and let the peaceful world of Vila Muhr embrace me for good.
Among the stones that carry memories
THE WHISPERS OF THE PAST
Day 2; Wednesday, 19 February 2025, at 15h
I am standing in the underground corridor connecting Vila Muhr with the neighbouring Hotel Bohinj, another Alpinia gem. This passageway is not just a modern architectural invention – in fact, such a passageway connected the two original buildings many decades ago. The walls are illuminated with photographs and cuttings from old newspapers from all over Europe, and the vintage typefaces are silent witnesses to the past. The feeling of passing through history is almost tangible, as if I am following in the footsteps of someone who walked here long before me. It’s extraordinary how many stories this place carries, and now I’m part of one of them.
The new Vila Muhr is built on the site where the original vila , designed in 1902 by Austrian architect Franz Ritter Von Neumann, once stood. I try to imagine what it was like when Adolf Muhr, a landowner, a businessman and a man of vision, first stepped across its threshold. At the beginning of the last century, he recognised something in Bohinj that had remained hidden from the eyes of others: the potential of the place, its silence, its beauty. He hosted his hunting friends at the villa and sat by the fire with them in the evenings. After his death, the company and the property were taken over by his sons, who sold the villa following the First World War and the formation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1922, it became the royal hunting residence of Aleksandar Karađorđević. I imagine the King striding through its corridors – perhaps right here, where I am standing now – brooding before a hunting expedition in the forests above Lake Bohinj.
Last night’s dinner at the Vila Muhr restaurant was a meeting of culinary art with the best of Bohinj’s local ingredients. Each dish was a masterpiece, made with precision and passion, reflecting the mastery of the culinary team. The restaurant’s space is exceptional: a sophisticated setting by the crackling fire of a huge fireplace, with a wooden chandelier made of beech roots that were blown down by a storm last year by the lakeshore, creating an atmosphere of warmth and timeless elegance. Their selection of prestigious spirits is stunning, and the selection of teas even richer, observes Lili, who is having a cup of “Grace of Goddess” tea this morning. She is enchanted by its beautiful, vividly coloured flowers. I order “Sweet Happiness”, a herbal tea that charms me just with its name. The breakfast we enjoy is no less worthwhile an experience than the dinner served last night. Nibbles of local cheeses and meats, a rich selection of fruit and eggs Benedict with Chef Arnautović’s signature touch. Finally, there’s an impressive array of desserts – tiny muffins, creamy mousses and crunchy croissants that melt in your mouth. A cup of fragrant coffee, with a subtle bitterness that envelops all the flavours, provides the perfect finishing touch. We sit by the window, watching the day wake up, and we both know that this is one of those moments that stays with us, captured in our memories.
Culinary and other journeys to inner clarity
WHEN THE SENSES COME ALIVE
Day 3; Thursday, 19 February 2025, at 9.30
Last night’s dinner at the Vila Muhr restaurant was a meeting of culinary art with the best of Bohinj’s local ingredients. Each dish was a masterpiece, made with precision and passion, reflecting the mastery of the culinary team. The restaurant’s space is exceptional: a sophisticated setting by the crackling fire of a huge fireplace, with a wooden chandelier made of beech roots that were blown down by a storm last year by the lakeshore, creating an atmosphere of warmth and timeless elegance. Their selection of prestigious spirits is stunning, and the selection of teas even richer, observes Lili, who is having a cup of “Grace of Goddess” tea this morning. She is enchanted by its beautiful, vividly coloured flowers. I order “Sweet Happiness”, a herbal tea that charms me just with its name. The breakfast we enjoy is no less worthwhile an experience than the dinner served last night. Nibbles of local cheeses and meats, a rich selection of fruit and eggs Benedict with Chef Arnautović’s signature touch. Finally, there’s an impressive array of desserts – tiny muffins, creamy mousses and crunchy croissants that melt in your mouth. A cup of fragrant coffee, with a subtle bitterness that envelops all the flavours, provides the perfect finishing touch. We sit by the window, watching the day wake up, and we both know that this is one of those moments that stays with us, captured in our memories.
Vila Muhr is not just a place, it is an experience that appeals to all the senses. Flavours mingle with the warmth of the materials, light refracts softly through the large glass surfaces of the intimate restaurant. But what brings everything together in perfect harmony is something invisible, unique and ever-present – the sound of Villa Muhr. This interplay of quiet footsteps, the crackle of wood on the hearth and the distant rustle of the wind, a sound that sneaks in through a closed window. As I walk its corridors, the muffled footsteps on the wooden floors echo as a silent reminder of a carefully chosen aesthetic that creates a sense of elegance. And then there’s the touch – the warmth of old oak, the cool metal of the fittings, the softness of the upholstered armchairs. Everything is coordinated, nothing is left to chance. Each element carries its own story and, together, a whole range of feelings. They promote an awareness of the importance of space, not only as architecture but as a holistic experience of living. The light of the morning refracting through the glass walls of the dining room and reflecting on the finely cut porcelain, the delicate tinkle of cutlery, the smell of freshly baked pastries… These are gems that are tangible and perfect. Every detail is part of a whole that goes beyond the experience just had and becomes an almost tangible moment of transformation.
The penultimate day of our stay is coming to an end. I notice an unforeseen effect of my time here – some of the decisions that have been germinating, mixing, crumbling in my head and waking me up at 5am in recent weeks have fallen into place at Vila Muhr.
This is the transformative power of the experience of this place, one of the brightest jewels of its royal crown.
Prestige is not only in what you perceive, but in what remains within you
THE TREASURE OF SILENT MOMENTS
Day 4; Friday, 21 February 2025, at 12h
I’m packing my suitcase. I’m stacking things, lost in thoughts that are like glimpses of the lessons of the last few days. Gratitude pervades every movement, every folded garment. Visiting Vila Muhr was not just a visit to a destination, it was an experience that touched me more deeply than I expected. Here, I have found more than comfort and aesthetics – I have encountered the essence of peace, clarity and new perspectives on the way I want to live. Not just in terms of physical comfort, but in terms of spiritual presence, connection to space and appreciation of the moments that really count.
A last look out the window reveals a scene that will always be etched in my memory – a curtain of mist rising lazily over the lake, as if nature is slowly opening its eyes. Looking at it awakens new discoveries in me, too. Vila Muhr taught me that it’s not just where you are going, but how you experience every moment of the journey. It has changed my perception of what I want to be in the future – not only as a traveller, but as someone who seeks deeper, unexplored layers of existence.
Before closing my suitcase, I put on top the soft plush slippers that greeted me on arrival as a silent sign of hospitality. They are imprinted with a symbol that is also embedded in the emblem of Vila Muhr – the bear, guardian of the forests, the embodiment of strength, balance and protection. It is a reflection of the connection that I have felt anew here; that inimitable bond between man, nature and space that once led travellers, hunters, nobility and visionaries to leave their indelible mark here. In Vila Muhr, every detail carries a story, and now I know why I felt like more than a guest: I became part of her narrative, which now continues in me. I have become proof to myself that it is not just the destination that leaves a mark, but the experience you take with you.
Vila Muhr is more than just a boutique retreat and a harbinger of a new era of luxury tourism in the Bohinj region – it is a place where the past and the future are intertwined, where the spaces breathe history but are designed for the modern person who dares to dream. Once the vision of generations past, a cottage hidden in undiscovered hunting grounds, Vila Muhr has come to life again in the flow of time, carrying with it the spirit of the past. Carefully renovated, it stands as a testament to an eternal elegance, measured not in years but in the imprints of time.
Some places stay with us even when we leave them. And some moments are not just memories, but part of the story we live on.
