The Sternen estate - formerly known as the "Wirtshaus unter der Steig" - is closely linked to the development of the Höllental valley as a route to the Black Forest. The St Oswald chapel, which has existed since 1148, suggests that there was already an old path across the Höllental valley at that time.
For centuries, this was certainly nothing more than a mule track or cart track, which was very dangerous. In 1734, the city of Freiburg tried to obtain an improvement to the Höllentalweg from the government of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was not until 1753 that it was decided to turn the "Falkensteige", as the Höllental was known at the time, "into a good and travellable goods and postal route". The work was carried out between 1754 and 1755.
In May 1770, the great hour of the "Hofgut Sternen" struck. Marie-Antoinette, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, was on her way to Paris to marry the French King Louis XVI. The bridal procession, consisting of 21 magnificent coaches, 36 carriages and 450 horses, stopped at the old inn and certainly offered a marvellous spectacle of baroque splendour in this setting.
The key to the customs house is available at the reception of the Hofgut Sternen.