Podhlavický Mill in Forbes magazine!

South of Ještěd, about twenty kilometers from Liberec, there is a mill hidden in a valley for over four centuries. When you set out from Prague, you will pass through villages in the Českodubsko region with names such as Ouč and Nantiškov. Don't expect much traffic here, and in winter, expect snow covering the rolling landscape rising towards the Jizera Mountains.

Tomáš Pochop, owner of the marketing and travel agency BPR, discovered it ten years ago without even looking for it. Yes, chance often promises something big. When he saw the mill for sale, it was clear that a five-star boutique hotel would be built here. "A dream come true and a business opportunity in one," says Pochop, sitting in a chair by the restaurant window, almost within reach of the restored water mill wheel. "Part of my family worked in Lány for President Masaryk, and after the revolution, my father had a successful restaurant at Sychrov Castle. I knew for a long time that I wanted something of my own," he explains his motives, admitting that as a boy from the mountains and a lover of skiing, he originally wanted to buy a hotel in Austria, but in the end he found the right place fifteen minutes from his home.

The transformation of the old mill into a boutique hotel with ten rooms could begin. The original idea that it would be enough to repair the roof, remove the roughcast plaster, and renovate the interiors quickly faded. Especially with a plan that demanded that everything be perfect and of the highest possible quality. Poch has seen hundreds of five-star hotels in his thirty years of work. However, he highlights two as inspiration: "Forestis in the Italian Dolomites and the Maslina resort on the island of Hvar. They are perfect, and so must we be," he says.

However, instead of craftsmen, the valley was first visited by people from the National Heritage Institute, who were in charge of the architectural and archaeological survey. It was the preservationists and historians who helped discover that the mill had survived the Swedish plundering during the Thirty Years' War, but also that in the 18th century it was taken over by the Štancík family, who employed up to seventy people there. Due to COVID-19, construction did not begin until 2021, based on a design by the Liberec studio Mjölk Architekti. The original neighboring barn had to be demolished, as did the stables attached to the mill, which had to be rebuilt. Today, they house the hotel restaurant. Pochop shared the design of the rooms with his business partner Radek Meduň, with whom he bought the mill. Five for me, five for you. The wellness center with three saunas is a joint effort.

"We wanted to draw on our experience. Architects can design a beautiful room, but apart from the appearance, you have to think about lots of details that will make guests feel completely at home," emphasizes Pochop. "You can't just have one beautiful coat rack. You need to have enough of them so that guests don't have to worry about where to hang the towels and clothes they need to hang up. And yes, they still have to be beautiful. You deal with dozens of such moments when designing a hotel room," he adds.

It must be said that the result is perfect. Each room is different. Some radiate coziness, others refer to the technical history of the mill, and still others build on cooperation with glassmakers from the nearby Salansky workshop... Connectivity with the best not only from the region is another of the motifs with which Podhlavický mlýn works. Whether it's Klara Rott's organic cosmetics, Lejaan bedding, Dorsen mattresses, or gin specially created for the hotel bar from the Dlabka family distillery. Speaking of gin... It's made with chamomile. The same goes for the non-alcoholic welcome drink, the refreshing lemonade offered in the sauna, and the two signature cocktails prepared in the hotel bar. All bear the signature of Václav Vojíř from Bugsy's Bar.

Why chamomile, which even made it into the Podhlavický mlýn logo? History is to blame. "The previous owners were pharmacists who grew it on the slopes around the mill for decades and supplied it to Prague pharmacies. We have continued this tradition. Although we will no longer transport it to Prague, we will use it ourselves. Whether in drinks or cosmetics for our guests," plans the co-owner of the mill.

But right now, the slopes are still covered with a layer of snow. And the snow also hides the sun terrace, small infinity pool, and natural pond built on the slope above the mill. When the weather permits, this place will come to life, as will the open kitchen in the neighboring barn, which is also designed for more intimate events. But you won't have to stay just around the mill. In winter, just ask the staff, who will prepare a car for you the next day and, as part of the price of your stay, arrange a two-hour fresh track with breakfast on the empty ski slope below Ještěd. When the snow is gone, skis and slopes will be replaced by golf clubs and fairways at several courses in the area.

But right now, the slopes are still covered with a layer of snow. And the snow also hides a sun terrace built on the slope above the mill, a small infinity pool, and a natural pond. When the weather permits, this place will come to life, as will the open kitchen in the neighboring barn, which is also designed for more intimate events. But there's no need to stay only in the vicinity of the mill. In winter, just ask the staff, who will prepare a car for you the next day and, as part of the price of your stay, arrange a two-hour fresh track with breakfast on the empty ski slope below Ještěd. When the snow is gone, skis and slopes will be replaced by golf clubs and fairways at several courses in the area. The hotel kitchen also promises an experience, with a menu created by Dominik Unčovský, a chef not yet thirty years old with experience gained during internships at Michelin-starred restaurants and winner of the Czech round of the Bocuse d'Or competition two years ago. He will mainly be coming to the mill on weekends, when he will offer a tasting menu. During the week, the open kitchen will be ruled by Liberec chef Milan Soukup, whose take on eggs Benedict is something that will make you want to return to the mill again and again. You may even meet him in the summer on the surface of the pond hidden among the trees just above the mill. Tomáš Pochop plans to build a pontoon with a fish bar there. "A few guests will take a short walk there for dinner, and the chef will prepare a meal for them on the water from the fish swimming below them. It will be a completely different experience, one that you won't find anywhere else. And that's what the whole stay at Podhlavický mlýn should be like," Pochop is convinced

Author: Ondřej Kinkor, Photo: Jan Hubal