17 September 2021
He works in one of the loveliest places in Switzerland: Bruno Marthaler, manager of the restaurant and priory hotel on St. Peter’s Island. This natural paradise, with its own organic farm and vines, invites you to relax, discover and savour. As a guest of the Attila Boutique Boatel, you enjoy an unforgettable stay on the Lake Biel island.
«This is where I drink the first coffee of the day and enjoy these beautiful surroundings», says Bruno Marthaler, breathing in deeply. We sit on a bench in front of the priory building; on the horizon the sun rises and makes sky and lake glow autumn-red. In a treetop behind us, countless starlings loudly sing in the new day. You feel, hear and savour the intact landscape of the nature reserve.
«This region has so incredibly much to offer, culinarily too. My aim is to give priority to regional producers and to shape the menu accordingly.» A trained and widely travelled chef with further training as an organic gourmet specialist, he wants to give a central role to the island’s organic farm, a fisherman from the neighbouring village, local vegetable growers and winemakers from the Three-Lakes region.
St. Peter’s Island is a fixed stop and a special attraction on the Attila cruise across the three lakes. The guests of the Boutique Boatel are spoiled by Bruno Marthaler and his team with products from the region. In future he wants to welcome visitors not only in summer, but also in winter: «The moods here are breathtakingly beautiful in winter too. The theme will be slowing down, the calm of the place.»
«Look at the Attila’s landing stage. A dream spot. There’s surely no more beautiful place to wake up and start the day — and first enjoy a morning swim with a fine coffee.» The water is crystal clear, the morning sun lights up the scene.
That he can picture the Attila cruise so well is no coincidence: Bruno Marthaler himself spent years working as a chef on cruise ships, often on expedition voyages as far as Antarctica. «In total I spent seven years on cruise ships.» But now he’s back in his home region. «Together with my wife I want to build something beautiful once more on St. Peter’s Island», he says, smiling in the morning sun, and rightly adds: «It’s the most beautiful workplace in the world.»