Discover Germany | Design | Abolengo de Alpaca
Näsemann family. Photo: © Kira Strunk
Abolengo de Alpaca: A true gift from nature For centuries, alpaca fleece has been called the fleece of the Gods, and rightly so. The precious soft fabric has outstanding qualities and is perfect for people suffering from allergies. Alpacas are usually bred in South America and are known for their origins with the Incas, but a herd of a hundred animals have found a marvellous home in Germany’s Münsterland at the alpaca farm Gut Aldenhövel. TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
‘Abolengo de Alpaca’ is the name of the alpaca breed at the beautiful Gut Aldenhövel in Lüdinghausen. The Näsemann family, who were firmly established in the bedding industry, fell in love with the gentle animals over a decade ago. It all happened almost by chance. Beatrix Näsemann was ill and had to spend time in bed, where she watched a documentary about alpaca breeders. “I always had it in the back of my mind to work with an10 | Issue 53 | August 2017
imals,” she remembers. The rest is history as they say. Today the family runs its own alpaca farm with six hectares of lush pastures and cannot imagine a life without their beloved alpacas. The family’s speciality is using alpaca fleece for various bedding purposes, from fillings for duvets and pillows to mattress toppers and mattress stitching. The luxury organic blanket with 100 per cent alpaca filling is the most popular product
as it is perfect to regulate the bed’s temperature. “To complete the optimal sleeping experience you need to have a duvet that provides excellent sleeping conditions,” explains Näsemann. “Alpacas are capable of adjusting to temperature differences between minus 25 degrees Celsius to plus 20 degrees Celsius on a daily basis. This makes the fibre so valuable for humans.” The alpaca products are particularly great options for people suffering from allergies, as they contain very little lanolin. Näsemann says: “We only use prime quality for our duvets. Because the finer the alpaca fleece, the stronger the positive characteristics such as the light weight paired with the ideal thermal capacity.”