Black Rock House

in Weiler, Vorarlberg, Austria

You don’t see the street or other people, just mountains and nature.

Sebastian, Owner
Black Rock House, Weiler, Vorarlberg, Austria

Black Rock House

  • Location: Town / Village
    Closest restaurants: Within 5 minutes by car
    Feldkirch for shops and restaurants: 9km (15 mins by car)
    Sennewies for the closest ski slopes: 9km (15 mins by car)
    Lake Constance: 28km (25 mins by car)
  • Zurich Airport (ZRH): 130km (1h 25 mins by car)
    Innsbruck Airport (INN): 168km (2hs 15 mins by car)
    Car recommended
    Free parking
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An introduction to Black Rock House

What is the story behind Black Rock House, what was your inspiration to create it?

Black Rock House is set within a very interesting location as there is a lot of incredible architecture in Vorarlberg. Within a 500-metre radius, there are at least six architecturally designed houses. Lots of international architects have worked here — that’s why we selected this area.

We first visited Vorarlberg 11 years ago and I remember seeing this concrete skin house in the mountains. Funnily, when we bought this land 10 years later, it was just 200 metres away from that property. For our family, this location is special as it’s close to the mountains and the Bodensee. It’s the first point where we can connect to the mountains and the views are amazing. 

Due to the real estate boom, it was not so easy to find land in the area and the build was tricky due to the small size and considerable slope of the property. I had this idea for a small house that looked like a black rock and seemingly grew out from the ground, inspired by the shape of the nearby mountain. Originally, we were thinking of calling the house Black Rock. 

My philosophy was centred around using only two materials — black wood to reflect the architectural history of the mountains and concrete (resembling the rocks in the area) for a modern feel. It was important to me that it was connected to the surrounding area and because of the design, you don’t see the street or other people, just mountains and nature. 

How would you describe the atmosphere and the interior design of Black Rock House?

It’s almost cave-like and very cosy. Almost all of the furnishings are custom-designed for the space and many use the same black wood that’s seen on the exterior. I am also a furniture and interior designer, so I designed the sofa and the table, which I built with my daughter. Only the chairs, the bed and some of the lighting fixtures are from companies. 

It was important to me that the interior design connected with the architecture of the house — there is harmony. It’s a modern design and open to the mountains on two sides but the feeling is very cosy. 

To you personally, what is so special about Black Rock House?

Black Rock House was designed and built by me, so it’s a small part of me. I’ve designed a lot of houses for clients but they often change things, which is okay because I am only a piece of it. With this house, the essence is me and my family — it hasn’t been designed for someone else. It encapsulates what we feel. It’s pure and there’s nothing I want to change. 

Additionally, it’s the right house for this place. If someone wanted exactly this house in another place, I would say no. It’s unique to this place. 

Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Kitchen and dining area Black Rock House — Living area Black Rock House — Living area Black Rock House — Bedroom with bath tub Black Rock House — Bedroom Black Rock House — Bedroom Black Rock House — Bedroom Black Rock House — Bathroom Black Rock House — Bathroom Black Rock House — Sauna Black Rock House — Kitchen Black Rock House — Kitchen Black Rock House — Kitchen Black Rock House — Staircase Black Rock House — Staircase Black Rock House — Entrance Black Rock House — Entrance Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Outside Black Rock House — Outside
Outside
Kitchen and dining area
Living area
Living area
Bedroom with bath tub
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Sauna
Kitchen
Kitchen
Kitchen
Staircase
Staircase
Entrance
Entrance
Outside
Outside
Outside
Outside
Outside
Outside

Black Rock House rooms & rates

There is a small entrance at the side of the house that is lined with brass. This leads to the ground floor where there are two bedrooms. Both have concrete skin on the walls and floors while the doors are constructed from wood. One of the bedrooms looks out across the mountains and the other has a bathroom with a freestanding tub, plus a sauna. There is also a laundry with a washing machine on the ground floor. 

A set of wooden stairs leads up to the first floor. This is illuminated by a small glass window, from where you can look up at the mountains and the sky. To the left is a small kitchen and a dining area, and at the end of the first floor is the living room with a fireplace and a TV. Here, the roof is 6.5 metres, so it’s very high and the view of the mountains is amazing. The weather in Vorarlberg is often foggy and it creates a really cool atmosphere. 

On the other side of the first floor is the master bathroom, which has a big shower, a toilet and a granite basin. In the master bedroom, there is a huge glass window and a concrete bathtub. There’s also a secret door you can step through and look up towards a glass bridge - it has a cathedral-like feel. 

Surrounding the house are three different terraces, the biggest of which is on the top floor with a view of the mountains.

OVERVIEW

Ground floor

  • Bedroom 1: 11.80 m² with Box spring bed with generous wardrobe and armchair. Private small terrace.

  • Bedroom 2: 21.80 m² with Box spring bed. Small work area with armchair. Separate access to the shower room with infrared sauna. Generous wardrobe. Small terrace area

  • Laundry room: Washing machine and dryer; Ironing facility; cordless vacuum cleaner.

  • Hallway: Bench and generous wardrobe

1st Floor

  • Bedroom 3: Master bedroom with 180 cm box spring bed, en-suite bathroom, bathtub with mountain view and TV. Wardrobe.

  • Kitchen and dining area: Open two-story living area with generous living landscape and fireplace. Separate terrace access.

Outside

  • Double parking space for cars with charging facility (11 kW - separate billing)
  • Black Rock House for 6 people / 155 m²
    370 / night
    • 3 Double bedrooms
    • 2 Bathrooms
    • 1 Living room
    • 1 Kitchen
    • Terrace
    • Fireplace
Included in the rates
Rates include linen and towels, WiFi, and final cleaning.
Children & Extra beds
Children of all ages are welcome, although small children need to be supervised due to the steep terrain. Unfortunately, we don’t have a bed or highchair for babies.
Minimum stay
3 nights
Check in time
after 15:00
Check out time
before 11:00

Facilities & services

  • Terrace
  • Children welcome
  • WiFi
  • Fireplace
  • Washing machine
  • TV
  • Central heating
  • Iron & Board
  • Hair dryer

Cleaning is an additional charge and can be arranged intermittently on request. On our website, we provide lots of information about things to do in the area, such as museums, hiking/mountain biking trails and restaurants. If guests want more information, they can always ask us.

Things to do in Vorarlberg & Weiler

  • Art / Culture
  • Golf
  • Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Cycling

The Bodensee (Lake Constance) is around 25 minutes’ drive from Black Rock House and can be visited from Bregenz or the Swiss side. If you want to go hiking, the nearby Hohe Kugel trail offers amazing views of the lake. There is a small place where you can ski around 15 minutes away or the biggest ski resort is just under an hour from Weiler. St Moritz is one hour and 40 minutes’ drive from the property. It’s also possible to play golf in the area, with three courses accessible within 10 minutes. 

If you’re a fan of architecture and design, one of my favourite places to visit is the Therme Vals designed by Peter Zumthor. He lives in Switzerland but has designed a lot of buildings in Vorarlberg. It’s around one hour and 20 minutes to get there but well worth it. There are also a couple of Zumthor-designed holiday houses there. 

Additionally, I’d recommend attending the Bregenz Festival, which takes place each summer on the Bodensee. It’s also worth mentioning that many of the food products are locally sourced and the supermarkets in the area stock seasonal goods. Within five minutes’ drive, there are three or four supermarkets where you can find high-quality local products to prepare back at the house.

The location of Black Rock House

We are located on a small street in the town of Weiler and have some very friendly neighbours. You can walk into town, where there are two supermarkets, a church and a pizzeria, but usually we drive as the route is very steep. If you follow the street up, there is a great view over the surrounding countryside. The closest hiking trail is around four minutes’ drive from the property. 

Weiler is located near Austria’s borders with Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Germany. In 15 minutes, you can be in Feldkirch or Dornbirn while Zurich is one hour and 10 minutes by car. This is probably the best place to go if you want to shop or you can drive to Innsbruck. We have four or five good restaurants that are five minutes away where you can get high-quality, local food. 

In Vorarlberg, all of the towns feel as though they are connected, with small bakeries and restaurants dotting the route - it’s like a small community. That being said, the state is economically successful (second only to Vienna), with lots of big companies based here. 

When is the best time to visit Vorarlberg?

For me, the best season is September/October. I like the colour in the mountains and the light is amazing. It’s not too hot and the atmosphere is perfect, in my opinion. But Black Rock House is also a wonderful place to be when it’s snowing or raining — you can read a book beside the fireplace or use the sauna. When the rain stops, there are lots of hiking trails to explore or you can go and eat at the local restaurants.