When a border post became a home
An old customs house on the border, a vision nurtured over many years, and the passion to create a truly special place. Learn more about the journey of the Zollquartier, from its history-steeped past to what it is today: your exclusive retreat in the heart of the Weinviertel.
Between 1940 and 1950
A look back
In the middle of the landscape, there once stood a customs house.
Customs officers carried out their duties here, and travellers crossed the border.The connection between Austria and what was then Bohemia and Moravia was controlled at this location.
Documents were checked, stamped, and decisions were made about onward travel.A place where movement paused briefly –
and paths diverged or continued.1948-1989
When borders still divided
With the Iron Curtain, everything changed.
Overnight, a border became a division between two systems.For more than four decades, this place was part of a strictly guarded border.
The customs house stood right in the middle of it – a silent witness to that time.People could no longer meet freely.
Families were separated, routes were cut off.A border that did not only divide countries –
but lives as well.1989
The most beautiful moment
With the political turning point, the Iron Curtain fell.
The border lost its significance.People could meet freely again.
Connections were renewed, routes reopened.A new era began for the customs house as well.
Its original purpose was no longer needed.A place that once divided –
became part of something new.2000s
Forgotten
The last tenants moved out.
The years passed.
The customs house stood empty.The marks of time became visible –
weathered surfaces, shuttered windows, silent rooms.The place lost its significance, yet it remained.
Unchanged in its structure, sustained by its history. A building that waited –
for a new purpose, for a new time.2013-2023
A new beginning
In 2013, the customs house became the property of the municipality of Schrattenberg.
A new chapter began.
With a view to what had been –
and the question of what it could become.Ideas emerged.
Thoughts took shape.
Possibilities were recognised.But none of it became reality.
The house remained.
Silent.
Unchanged.And waited –
for the right moment.2023
The vision of “Zollquartier” is born
In 2023, Rudolf Zesch took over the customs house.
A master builder, a Schrattenberg local, and closely connected to the region.With a clear idea, a new chapter began:
The former border post was to become a place
where people can arrive. With the idea of carefully renovating the building and continuing to develop it over the coming decades,
the project won the tender.
The customs house became the ZOLLQUARTIER.2023 – 2026
What may come into being
With the start of implementation, the Zollquartier was reimagined step by step.
It was planned, worked on, and designed with great care.
Day by day. Room by room.The existing structure was preserved –
and carefully developed further.This is how six apartments are being created,
modern and clear –
yet still shaped by the history of the house.With views of the vineyards.
And with space for what matters today:
Arrive. Breathe. Be.
The transformation: Turning old into new
This house has a long history. Many people have come and gone here; much has been experienced, and it is still remembered within its walls to this day. From the very beginning, it was important to us to preserve this special character and to guide the old customs house into a new era with great respect and sensitivity.
Over several years of renovation, we revitalised the building step by step. Old materials were carefully inspected, preserved, and gently restored. We deliberately left some traces of the past visible – as a quiet reminder of what this house once was.
This created a place that connects history and the present. A house that does not forget its roots while also making room for something new.
Today, the Zollquartier is a place to arrive, breathe, and feel at ease – a place where the past remains tangible and new memories are welcome to be made.
Today – Borderless
Today, the Zollquartier is a place of peace and arrival. Where borders once separated people from one another, a place has been created where you may simply be.
Here, it becomes quieter. The view opens out across the vast landscape, thoughts are free to settle, and everyday life can be left behind for a while.
Barriers became open doors.
Control became welcome.
History became the present.
The borders of the past are now only a memory. What remains is a place that connects.
And when you arrive here, let your gaze wander over the vineyards, and simply pause for a moment – then you will feel it:
Some houses carry stories within them. And sometimes, entirely new ones may grow from them.
We are happy to give you personal insider tips for your tour of the region!