There’s an energising effect about fresh mountain air that awakens the soul. A morning spent on the balcony, filling your lungs whilst taking in the view of vast mountains is more stimulating than any cup of coffee.

After a quick fill of the extensive offering of the breakfast bar, including goats milk yoghurts, mountain cheese, meats, cereals and omelettes, we were ready for an adventure.

This is the first time I’ve spent my days in Italy without being slathered in sun cream, running around in bikinis and sundresses, diving into bodies of water to escape the adored Italian sun. Instead, I was snuggled up in thermalwear, absolutely frozen. 

We were off on a mountain bike ride across the normally snow-coated landscape of Alpe di Suisi for a thrilling start to the day. We raced and rode up and down sloping hills, speeding past dotted lines of hikers enjoying the luscious greenery, stopping to snap postcard-like pictures.
Each mountain in the Dolomiti mountain range has a name, this one being Marmolada. It’s the highest in the range, and on a clear day, you can spot Venice in the distance. At the time, it looked to be home of a villain, with an evil cloud looming overhead. See the brown buildings in the middle? That’s Adler Mountain Lodge, the hidden oasis of luxury. We stopped to make friends with those responsible for the endless tinkling sounded in the distance, caused by their cowbells. Tell me these aren’t the happiest looking cows you’ve ever seen?! Note the one on the right is smiling at me.
We carried on through the forest, with a strong scent of pine filling the air.  Having had our fill of adventure for the day, we said our goodbyes to our gracious hosts at Adler Lodge, and made our way to Bad Schörgau. Named South Tyrol’s hidden gem, this is a much more rustic experience, proudly nestled into nature with a cosy atmosphere.

We headed to the spa for a treatment unlike any I’d ever experienced, a wellness ritual of ancient German farmers. Wooden baths were filled with steaming water, sea salt and natural oils.

I want you to imagine the hottest bath or hot tub you’ve ever submerged yourself in. Now double that temperature, and imagine having to lie in there for 20 minutes. A bag of soaking Sarentino pine needles is rested on your chest in order to aid the respiratory system.
A bag of soaking Sarentino pine needles is rested on your chest in order to aid the respiratory system, and after 10 minutes, a spa attendant brings natural, local honey for you to slather onto your open pores, before returning to your cauldron bath.
Squirming in the excessive heat and steam, your only relief is a tall jug of cold water, which I sipped greedily to keep from completely melting. After our 20 minutes were up, I leapt from the steaming tub, considering streaking through the mountainside to cool down, but instead, was asked to lay on a bed of hay.   I was tucked in with a sheet, expecting lingering stress to release from the body as it returned to its natural temperature. Instead, I mulled over medieval decisions of hay-filled mattresses and how long it took for this practice to be questioned and improved, whilst my heart pounded working to keep my body from spontaneously combusting.

If you’re one of those extreme temperature (torture-inclined) kind of people, go for it. You’ll love it. Regardless, my skin felt incredibly soft and my aches from the morning’s bike ride had melted away. But, I was ready for a more pleasurable experience: dinner at Gourmet Restaurant Alpes.

Here Chef Egon Heiss makes mountain meet Michelin. The menu takes elements of nature, elevates them with experimentation and finesse, and serves in a rustic dining room. The lighting was terrible and the pictures didn’t come out, but I want to share the pine risotto with you.  An oversized white plate was sprinkled with speck dust, pine powder, pine nuts and a few drops of dwarf pine essential oil. Our server then appeared with a rustic, wooden pot holding a vibrant, lime-coloured pine risotto, which was spooned theatrically onto each plate. We were then asked to take the little spray bottles nestled into pieces of branch on the table (scroll up to the first picture) and spray the risotto with speck oil for a salty, meaty finish. Don’t tell anyone, but I may have sprayed this directly into my mouth… repeatedly. What?! Wouldn’t you?  Following dinner, we were served an incredible bowl of pastry for dessert. I can’t remember what they were called, but they were fluffy, cakey bites with a crunchy, sweet glaze, served with strawberries, fresh cream and berry compote to top each bite. A sweet ending to another day in South Tyrol, an eclectic province slowly seducing me with its charm.