Active and vitality holidays in South Tyrol

Despite the comfort of our suites, we get up early, following the call of the mountains. Because the sun and the deep blue sky are already beckoning and making us want more! More mountains, more activity, more enjoyment!
The panorama restaurant, where we enjoy breakfast, is the perfect place to soak up the morning sun and enjoy the unique views of the mountain and valley. An extensive selection of healthy, regional products, freshly squeezed juices, regional bread and cheese from the Schlininger Alm, Aft Mult and much more await us at the sumptuous breakfast buffet.
There is no doubt: this is the perfect start to our day of holiday in South Tyrol!

Our hiking guide and senior host Martin takes us to the Schliniger Alm by hotel bus, which is where our four-hour tour starts. Step by step we trudge through the fresh powder snow with our snowshoes and enthusiastically follow the words of the hiking guide. The scenery is just a dream: deep meadows and forests covered in snow and the invigorating fresh mountain air.

Having arrived at the quaint Schliniger Alm, we enjoy a warming barley soup prepared according to a secret recipe. It tastes simply outstanding. We realise as we stand up here enjoying the fabulous view: we have discovered what is the ideal hiking hotel in South Tyrol for us!

Upon our return from the snowshoe hike, the spacious wellness area awaits us. The sauna world and the 17-m-long infinity pool (approx. 32°) connected to the outdoor whirlpool (approx. 37°C) ensure that our tired muscles can relax and unwind completely. The absolute highlight is the views into the valley, which we can enjoy from all over the wellness area. The water world of DAS GERSTL Alpine Retreat is truly versatile with its indoor infinity pool, the outdoor pool, the outdoor hot tub and the super-elegant indoor hot tub made from marble.

After getting active in the fresh air and splashing around in Gerstl's water world, we start to feel hungry again. We order a piece of delicious cake, freshly prepared in the hotel's own confectionery. We sit down on the panoramic terrace, reflect on the day's experiences and enjoy the unobstructed views of the snow-covered Vinschgau Valley.

Since we love being pampered and looked after, we have chosen DAS GERSTL Alpine Retreat as our perfect wellness hotel in South Tyrol. The hotel offers a great variety of massages and cosmetic treatments for face and body and exclusively uses regional products for that. The Venosta Spa Team, inform us well. In the end we opt for a fragrant pine wood massage, which we book as a couple massage, so both of us get pampered at the same time and we can enjoy the moment of relaxation together.

We have heard so much about sauna infusions in South Tyrolean hotels and we would like to try them out for ourselves now. The infusions at DAS GERSTL Alpine Retreat are held in the Panoramic Sauna. The sauna master begins with the infusion. We are getting quite warm, but the spacious window front with views of the mountains and the pleasant music make us feel very comfortable and enjoy the moment. The infusion scents are very pleasant: Swiss stone pine, then lavender, then Alpine juniper. We enjoy the infusion and after about 15 minutes the sweating session comes to an end. We shower and cool off in the cool-down pool and the ice fountain.

The grand finale of our fantastic day at DAS GERSTL Alpine Retreat is the 5-course menu of choice in the evening. Our palate is thoroughly indulged. The combination of regional South Tyrolean cuisine with creative ideas is marvellous. The team lead by head chef Michael surprises us every day with something new and accomplishes outstanding things. We observe the sea of lights in the small villages down in the valley through the large window fronts in the restaurant, which creates a uniquely romantic atmosphere. We are delighted to have found the perfect hotel with gourmet cuisine in South Tyrol!

Although we know that a dreamlike suite with a soft, cosy bed is waiting for us, we do not want to call it a day just yet. At the hotel marble bar we meet some of the people who did the morning hike together with us. Lukas, our host, and his mother, Susanne, join us and ask us how we all are. We rave about the unparalleled breakfast buffet at the hotel, the guided snowshoe hike, the delicious cake in the afternoon, the wellness area, the massage and the unbelievable gourmet dinner at the hotel. Now Martin, the senior host, has spotted us too and we are all sitting together by the crackling fireplace, chatting leisurely with each other and winding down the evening with a glass of local wine.

Now it's time for bed, after all, we want to enjoy the wonderful Suite we have booked to the max. We were looking for a hotel room to fall in love with and we found it...
Tomorrow, we will feel all new and be ready for another day full of adventure and relaxation at DAS GERSTL Alpine Retreat. We have already decided to spend the day skiing in the sunny Watles ski resort and we want to attend a wine tasting with Sonja, the sommelier. Luckily, we still have plenty of time to spend here. We will take a relaxed approach to deciding which activities we will take part in…