About us
What drives us
A love of beautiful things, of good quality – and of this special place in the Alps.
Who we are
Vanessa Golle and Roland Schlager
For many years, the once-famous spa town of Bad Gastein lay dormant, like a sleeping beauty. Today it’s drawing creatives and visionaries from all over Europe once again – people who believe in the „Monte Carlo of the Alps“ and are shaping this special place further, with new ideas and respect for its history.
We’re no exception. Originally from Munich – Roland is a native of Salzburg –, we’ve lived and worked in many places around the world. Today, Salzburg is our home. For many years, Vanessa organised international events for fashion, luxury and lifestyle brands. Roland founded a consultancy that advises and helps develop well-known companies.
After years of intense professional life – and perhaps prompted by our children, and a longing for more calm, nature and authenticity – a shared passion grew into something new: KWP Beautiful Things.
Our standard
Quality over quantity
Vanessa’s passion lies with table decoration and handbags, special details and things with soul – products you won’t find on every corner. Pieces that tell a story and create atmosphere.
We only sell what we ourselves eat, drink, wear and love. Timeless classics instead of fleeting trends – things that are well made, have proven themselves, and never go out of style.
Our conviction
„We don’t believe in a product range. We believe in curation.“
The KWP isn’t a shop in the traditional sense. Across roughly 120 m² and two floors, you’ll find around 1,000 carefully chosen things – from bags and fashion to tableware and home accessories, to pasta, olive oil and wines we bring back from our travels.
Bad Gastein
A place with character
Majestic Imperial-era buildings, a thundering waterfall right in the middle of town, thermal springs, and the Hohe Tauern all around. This is exactly where we wanted to be.
01
The waterfall
In three tiers, the Gasteiner Ache drops around 340 metres right through the middle of town – fed by the Hohe Tauern National Park, spanned by the stone waterfall bridge built in 1840.
02
The promenade
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Promenade recalls Emperor Wilhelm I, who came to Gastein for cures around twenty times. Where European society once strolled, our shop stands today – overlooking the historic centre.
03
Springs and mountains
17 thermal springs release around five million litres of warm water every day – they made Gastein a world-famous spa town. All around, an exceptional ski and hiking region.
As early as 1525, Paracelsus wrote about the healing power of the Gastein springs. In 1825, Archduke Johann took the cure at the Wildbad and shortly after had his own house built in the valley – he was followed by composer Franz Schubert, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, and Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, who made around twenty visits to Bad Gastein between 1863 and 1887. Prince Otto von Bismarck, Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann and Marie Curie, who first detected radon in the thermal water here in 1904, were among the guests too. In 1958, Bad Gastein hosted the Alpine Ski World Championships, where Toni Sailer won three golds. In the 1960s and 70s, the town became the „Monte Carlo of the Alps“ – with guests including Shirley Bassey, Gunter Sachs and Liza Minnelli.
No accident
Bad Gastein is no accident for us.
It’s a deliberate choice – for independence, character, and a life lived with conviction.
- Mondayclosed
- Tuesday1–6 pm
- Wednesday – Saturday11 am–6 pm
- Sundayclosed
