“Brugarol is rooted in the land and community of the Empordà. What began as a family estate has become a living project where agriculture, hospitality, architecture, and regeneration meet. Our purpose is simple: to protect the character of this region while sharing its quiet richness with others. Over the years, the project has grown – into organic vineyards and olive groves, restored farmhouses, regenerative agriculture initiatives, and intimate hospitality experiences. Each step is guided by the same intention: to honor nature, safeguard tradition, and support the people who call this landscape home.”
It began quietly – not with plans, but with a feeling. In a world that moves too fast, we longed for places where presence could return. Places shaped by rhythm, by silence, by nature. The first chapter unfolded in the Muga Valley, where wild forest and open skies seemed to slow time itself. Stef van Dongen felt the valley’s pull and imagined more than a retreat – a house of purpose. A place for honest dialogue, meaningful collaboration, and the kind of stillness that brings people back to themselves. As The Home grew, so did its role in the valley: a catalyst for regeneration, a refuge for leaders and creatives, a space where ideas and courage found room to breathe. In 2024, the story deepened. Stef and Victoria Engelhorn brought together The Home and Brugarol with one shared intention: to build a purpose-driven hospitality brand where nature guides how we gather.
For Victoria, this next chapter was personal. Her family had long stewarded the wine and olive oil estate, the farm Mas Salvà, the historic landscape of Mas del Vent, and Hostal La Fosca on the Mediterranean coast. And beside them stood a modern beach house designed by Catalan architect Jordi Garcés – built years earlier by her father.
These places in Palamós had always held potential: each shaped by land, light, sea, and horizon, each rooted in her family’s history on the coast. Reimagined through a shared purpose, they became a natural continuation of the story. Where the valley offers stillness, the sea offers openness. Here, salt air clears the mind. Light softens the pace. And people leave feeling lighter, aligned, and more fully themselves.
“For us, hospitality is shaped not by places, but by intention. Together with our passionate team, we create safe spaces where people reconnect with what truly matters,” Victoria and Stef reflect.
