Time out with a view
To recharge his batteries and to be able to spend a lot of time in his adopted country Austria, Belgian Gerdy Biesbrouck built a holiday home for himself and his family in Kirchbach (Carinthia), the “B-Lodge”. He also recently started renting it out to tourists.
It is the fond childhood memories of his holidays with the whole family that have always kept Gerdy closely connected with Austria. He likes the region around Kirchbach, the people here and their culture, and he appreciates the nature and tranquillity. In order to continue the beautiful family tradition and in the long term to create a place of balance to his demanding professional life as an entrepreneur in Belgium, he decided to build his own holiday home here.
Consciously regional
A large proportion of the building materials used, such as the wood for the façade of the B-Lodge, comes directly from the region, and he also employed mainly local tradespeople for the construction itself. “Many small things also contribute to the big picture,” Gerdy tells us about his efforts to promote the regional economy. He designed the furniture himself and made it in his own carpentry shop – he even made the washbasins by hand. With the RIKA STEP stove, he did not merely integrate another Austrian quality product into his lodge, but above all brought pleasant warmth and a feel-good atmosphere into the living area. Its efficient, economical operation as well as the timeless modern design, which perfectly matches his furniture, convinced Gerdy right away. His guests’ enthusiasm for the stove is great, which of course makes him especially happy.
Adventure with a recreation factor
Since the completion of B-Lodge in 2022, Gerdy has been coming to Austria for a few days about every two months. Whether in spring, summer, autumn or winter – at any time of the year, the B-Lodge has a special charm and the region around Kirchbach offers plenty of leisure activities.
Gerdy invited us to experience his holiday home for ourselves and spend a relaxing day in Kirchbach. Five RIKA employees gladly accepted this invitation and, without further ado, packed their snowshoes. From autumn to spring, you are guaranteed to have snow in the Gailtal and Carnic Alps, and the team became well aware of this during an extensive snowshoe hike on the Plöcken Pass. Completely exhausted, they were looking forward to a cosy afternoon in the B-Lodge and were not disappointed: stylish, modern furnishings, a homely ambience, lots of wood and a fantastic view over Kirchbach awaited them. The stove was quickly lit – they are professionals at that after all – and so they allowed themselves a short breather in front of the blazing fire. After a few rounds of “Hey, don’t get angry,” which required a glass of wine or two afterwards, they then ended the day with a relaxing dinner together.
The conclusion: The B-Lodge is the perfect place for family and friends, for quality time, to switch off and let go – and we are delighted that one of our RIKA wood-burning stoves can add to the cosy atmosphere. We would like to thank Gerdy and his family for their hospitality and wish them many more relaxing hours in Carinthia!
