Holidays on a historic farm

Not your
regular farm

Farming has been practised here at Layshof for centuries. With heart and soul!

The host family now combines this passion with their second passion:
The pleasure of giving you an unforgettable holiday.

Our history

The walls of our farmhouse can look back over a very long history. It was first mentioned in a document 800 years ago.

Would you like to discover the history of our house?

A little journey through time

The estate was first mentioned in the 13th century in documents as “Vidua da Weyer”. The oldest house documents in the archives of the estate date back to the 15th century.
The estate was sold in 1609 to Michael da Porta, who from then on called himself “Port von Weyer”. The document states: “Passigaun, but now called Weyerhof zu Maia Alta, which there is a house, barn, stall, a wine press and a herb garden …”
In 1699, Johann von Keysersperg bought the estate together with the farm. In 1727, his daughter Maria Johanna married Johann Dominikus von Leyss-Laimburg, castle governor of Tyrol. He thus brought the noble seat to the Leyss family and gave the farm its name, which it still bears – in a slightly modified form – to this day. When the Layshof passed into the hands of the nobility, it was extensively rebuilt in the High Baroque period. The 2 central halls and the staircase tower were built. The upper hall and the adjoining rooms were richly decorated with stucco ceilings.
In 1869, Peter Trenkwalder died childless, having inherited the farm from his father after two changes of ownership. The farm went to his mother’s nephews, a née Klotzner from the Loth farm in Schenna. Since then the estate has been owned by the Klotzner family.
In 1888 Josef Klotzner, a farmer from the Loth farm in Schenna, took over his brother’s share and in 1901, passed the farm on to his son Josef, son of Lothen and landlord of the castle in Schenna. During this time, a brick latrine was built next to the stair tower, today’s lift shaft. Shortly before 1900, a glass veranda on the south façade was rebuilt with a solid wall.
In 1907, his son Josef Klotzner inherited the Layshof and ran it together with his wife Theresia Trogmann. He was a forward-looking and enterprising man and was active as an apple merchant throughout the Alpine region. Under Josef Klotzner, the Layshof underwent a major reconstruction and extension in 1911, which essentially gave it the appearance it has today. Adalbert von Erlebach (1876-1945), a Bohemian architect, was recruited for the project and lived at the Layshof with his family from 1910. He was also responsible for numerous new buildings, conversions and extensions in the Merano region. At the Layshof, Erlebach built the archway and the adjacent inhabited side wing with two shops. He also built the tower building and an open roof terrace on the south side, which, however, only lasted a few years and was later covered over again.
1954: After Josef’s death, his son Karl Klotzner took over the farm. Karl was enthusiastic about agriculture which is why he attended the agricultural school in Rotholz. During his work on the farm, he implemented many new ideas and in 1957 had today’s barn rebuilt and an old farm building demolished.
Hermann, the father of the present farmer, has lived and worked on the farm since his youth. In 1972, his wife Theresia moved to the Layshof and with her great support and the help of the entire family, Hermann ran it from 1980 to 2013.
2013: the Layshof was taken over by his son Andreas, who runs it together with his family until today.
2023: After a loving renovation, Andreas and his wife Christa opened the farm to guests and welcome their guests to 5 very special holiday apartments.

Passionate about being hosts

Farmer Andreas took over the farm from his father in 2013 and runs it together with his wife Christa.

Their children Mathias, Luise and Toni are ensure plenty of life and movement around the house. Andreas’ mother also lives on the farm and is keen to help out when there is a need.

The farm

The Layshof is a modern farm that exclusively grows apples. The meadows are located in Maia Alta, very close to the estate.

Due to the wide range of apple varieties grown, the work is spread over the whole year. The harvest begins in August with the Gala variety and ends only in November with the Pink Lady variety.

Shop & enjoy

You like a comfortable start to the day? How about some fresh, crusty South Tyrolean bread? Our bread roll service makes it possible. Simply register the day before, and we will bring the desired selection directly to your apartment door.

The Brunnenplatz is only 100 metres from your holiday home. It is the centre of the small Merano district of Maia Alta. The small but well-stocked shopping street with bakery, fruit shop, butcher’s shop, grocery shops, pastry shops, restaurants and cafés starts at Brunnenplatz. Here you can stock up on delicious groceries or watch the lively world go by over an aperitif.

Our product corner

Would you like to try our homemade products? In our product corner you will find a selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables as well as dried fruit, fruit spreads, apple juice and a variety of syrups.