Impressions of South Tyrol

Q: CAN YOU TELL US IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT PARTICULARLY STOOD OUT?

Gillian: The clean air really struck me, it was so fresh and this wasn’t something that I was necessarily expecting. I was also surprised by how beautiful the mountainous scenery was – I have certainly been converted to a holiday destination of this type for the future; everywhere was so tranquil.

Q: DID YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE HOTEL?

Karla: I absolutely loved Radein, it was just so peaceful and relaxing in a lovely location.

Marie-Louise: Sporthotel Floralpina in Saltria was my favourite due to the location – it is in a great position for access to a variety of walks including some easier routes. It recently had renovation works and now offers beautiful spa facilities – the renovations have certainly been worth it!

Gillian: Hotel Saalerwirt in Saalen stood out for me: I loved the décor of the hotel, so much so I was already imagining redecorating my house to be in the same style. The hotel is a real family unit, and it was lovely to see everyone in the family involved in some aspect of running the hotel. We also particularly liked the offering of a natural pool for swimming and morning yoga classes which Sarah was keen to get involved with during our stay. It was such a tranquil place!

Sarah: Hotel Drei Zinnen in Moso was the one for me. After arriving in the dark with drizzly miserable weather, I opened the curtains the next morning to bright sunshine, green meadows and snow-topped hills… It was breathtaking. I have specific dietary requirements and the Drei Zinnen was particularly good at meeting these, the staff really couldn’t do enough for me. We offer this hotel on our Dolomites’ Three Peaks walk in the summer months but this year we have also introduced a Snow holiday there – I can really see why as it is a beautiful hotel with great sitting areas for a cold evening!

Q: WHAT SORT OF FOOD WAS ON OFFER?

Karla: Generally, the food was amazing, we had a lot of Speck  which is a cured pork product very similar to prosciutto, and a typical meat in Austria. This was accompanied by lots of cheeses. The food was hearty mountain fare but prepared in a refined way – it was lovely and we certainly never went hungry!

Gillian: We only snatched a glance of Maria Alberta (the main chef at Aldein) as we were passing through the kitchen on the evening of our arrival, so we didn’t have a formal introduction. However, we did sense her indisputable presence as we dined and as the evening progressed. Competence, experience, knowledge of food, respect for ingredients, customers and the business are all evident at Gasthof Krone and have inevitably filtered through from Maria in this family-run hotel which is a favourite locale for gourmets and offers natural regional cuisine with fresh produce from the home farm.

Q: HAS IT ENHANCED YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE ITINERARIES WE OFFER IN THE AREA?

Karla: Most definitely. I feel I have a much better understanding and knowledge of the area now, giving me more confidence when speaking to customers. We are all excited to share our experiences with customers and will be passing our expertise around the office too!