The term ‘Alwind’ or “Allwind” was first mentioned in a document in 1370 and refers to a spot on a hill exposed to ‘all winds’ on what is now the city border between Lindau and Wasserburg.

In the 15th century, the property belonged to the old Lindau family von Höchst. In 1455, Johann von Höchst built a small castle here, which he named ‘Alwind’. For three centuries, the owners changed constantly. Most of them were nobles who called the small castle their own for a time.

Old name, new villa

In 1797, it was acquired by the Lindau merchant family Gruber, who owned it for almost 200 years, until the end of the 19th century. In 1852, a certain Georg Gruber had the medieval building demolished in order to build the present Villa Alwind on the same site. The merchant retained the name for the new building.

Unfortunately, the original plans from that time have not been found to date, but it is very likely that Johann Christoph Kunkler from St. Gallen, who also designed Villa Amsee, was the architect of the building. Villa Alwind – often referred to as a castle by the residents of Lindau – consists of a central building, which housed the ornate rooms of the merchant family, as well as smaller annexes and outbuildings intended for the staff.

A park and an empty grave

The villa’s park has been redesigned several times, most recently in 1924 by Paul Beckmann. Unfortunately, it is no longer known what the original planting looked like: today, the large tree population includes ginkgos, tulip trees, Judas trees, katsura trees and sequoias. But death is also present in the park: an urn burial site was also built here – but never used as a grave.

Georg Gruber remained childless throughout his life and bequeathed the villa to a nephew. However, he lived in Italy and took little interest in the property. As a result, the estate remained uninhabited for almost five decades until it was purchased by textile industrialist Leopold König in 1905. He was enthusiastic about the villa and its location, but had it completely renovated. Photographs from this period show that large parts of the original furnishings were destroyed in the process.

Enjoy it like back then

Today, the villa houses the restaurant ‘Leopold am See’: let yourself be enchanted by the cosy yet stately ambience of the villa. Enjoy regional, freshly prepared delicacies and breathe in the spirit of the 19th century in all its beauty!