Over 400 French people are celebrating at the Bareiss

It was a record: well over 400 French people – more than ever before – gathered on 14 July at the 5* Superior Resort Bareiss (Baiersbronn, Black Forest) on 14 July to celebrate the traditional Franco-German Déjeuner amical, marking the double celebration of France’s National Day and the 75th anniversary of the family-run hotel, now in its third generation. The hotel has once again been recognised by the Michelin Guide as one of the “most exceptional and remarkable hotels in the world”.

Guests therefore turned out in droves. Champagne sparkled in the glasses. Jean-Marc Lieberherr, grandson of the legendary French ‘architect’ of the European Union, Jean Monnet, delivered a powerful and stirring speech. And the hosts at the ‘Culinary Hotel of the Year’ proved once again that an old saying needs rewriting: ‘Eat like a king at the Bareiss’.

The festivities kicked off in the Mitteltal spa gardens with a festive reception, accompanied by music from the Mitteltal traditional band (conducted by Sascha Eisenhut and Timo Gaiser) and the Parforce horn players from Holtzheim in Alsace. Hannes Bareiss welcomed everyone on behalf of the family, his wife Britta and his father Hermann Bareiss. His welcome turned into a heartfelt thank-you to the guests from France, who have shown their loyalty to the resort for 75 years with their “wonderful warmth and zest for life”. This has been the case every 14 July for the past 31 years: hundreds of guests from Europe’s proudest nation celebrate their national holiday on German soil. Hannes Bareiss: “Who could have imagined that back in 1945?” For its part, the Bareiss remains steadfastly true to the principle laid down by its founder, Hermine Bareiss: “We never say no to a guest.” By Hannes Bareiss, alluding to the famous revolutionary slogan ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’, translated as: ‘Freedom above all: everyone can holiday here as they wish, in the way that suits them best.’

Jean-Marc Lieberherr’s speech was characterised by clear statements on the political role of France and Germany in European unity. He recalled that the leading politicians of the post-war era succeeded in “overcoming decades of hatred and conflict to create peace and a union of equals, and to lay the foundations upon which our Europe was built.” He appealed to today’s leaders in France and Germany, “that they bear the moral and historical responsibility to continue the work of those great visionaries – Konrad Adenauer, Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman – by setting aside national interests in favour of the common good. “Only if we return to this spirit” – as Lieberherr made clear, to our credit – “will we rise to the challenge of history and be able to counter the resurgence of nationalism with a strong European project, of which Germans and French must be the key architects.”

Michael Ruf, Mayor of Baiersbronn, spoke with the same resolve: “We need reason, we need freedom; we do not need nationalism. We now need a bold, courageous leap forward. We urgently need a Europe capable of defending itself and a renewed axis between Paris and Berlin, so that we can resolutely defend our freedom in this harsh world.” At the same time, he thanked the hosts for their passionate commitment to Franco-German friendship: “The Bareiss family has masterfully fostered our deep friendship for over three decades. When we share our common zest for life today, we form an indestructible shield against all international crises.”

In the very spirit of this joie de vivre, Hermann Bareiss – who was only recently awarded the Brillat-Savarin medal – brought the conversation back to the guests with an aphorism from the great French gastronome: “To invite someone as a guest is to ensure their happiness.” The senior manager emphasised: “In the 75 years since the hotel was founded, throughout all these years, it has always been, and continues to be, about just one thing: ensuring that you are happy here with us.”

And happiness – great culinary delight – was provided by the kitchen (headed by Daniel Sorge) and the service team (headed by Dieter Kalweit), serving, amongst other things, smoked char from the hotel’s own Buhlbach trout farm, confit cod and gratinated fillet of pasture-raised beef. And what, year after year, was naturally not to be missed? Why, the ‘Forêt-Noire’ tartlet, the Black Forest cherry tart, of course – otherwise something essential to a gourmet’s delight would have been missing