Saunas forest baths and meditative hikes if skiing and climbing remain the main sources of income for this Italian mountain range locals hope that these new activities will appeal to an increasingly wide audience
At sunset Teresa Altamura moves through the sauna with the grace of a swan In one hand she holds a large white fan which she waves like a wing in the humid air With each movement the smell of Alpine larch reaches me
Themed saunas like this meditation infusion are just one of the relaxing experiences offered at Sensoria, a family-run alpine hotel located in the Dolomites In 2022, the establishment was completely reinvented to become a wellness center made of wood and glass for equine therapy, yoga, and even New Moon greeting ceremonies.
The latter practice involves manifesting ones thoughts and desires by writing them down during the new moon While skiing climbing and hiking remain the main sources of incomefor the Italian chains, for the Italian chains, locals hope these activities will appeal to a wider audience as new flights to Bolzano bring more visitors to the region
But of course the regions biggest draw is the UNESCO World Heritage landscapes Sensoria was designed according to the principles of Japanese architecture the field of vision around the lodge leads to deliberately framed views of the mountains where one of the most famous profiles of the Italian Alps stands just above the chairs long
The Schlern is a steep gray wall that ends in the shattered granite of Santner Pass the great witchs hat Indeed residents of the region claim that the Santner is home to a band of wizards who use the stones of the woods as launching pads At 2414 meters high the Santner is only half the size of some of its more famous neighbors in the Alps but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up for in its presence
Patrick a local who works as a fitness instructor when hes not in the mountains is under his influence as much as I am « It bears the name of the first person to have climbed it an Austrian in 1880 » he told me his eyes still fixed on the massif Its a technical climb but some members of the expedition team climbed it barefoot
Although climbing Santner remains one of the most popular hikes in Alpe di Siusi I focus on much gentler activities Sensorias motto is to connect with nature which is easily achievable in such an environment Patrick chose a trail that allows us to get an overview of the peaks that surround the plateau dotted with soft meadows purple crocus spots shallow streams and rivers lined with pine spruce and fir trees
With its fifty-six square kilometers, Alpe di Siusi is the largest mountain pasture in Europe. Across the grasslands, I can see for miles in all directions I breathe deeply the pure air to the rhythm of my steps Patrick shows me the bumps of Sasso Lungo, with a height of 3181 meters, and Sasso Piatto, with a height of 2955 meters. Then we reach a hillock, from which we see the distant point of Marmolada, which measures 3343 meters high. It is the highest peak in the Italian Alps, known as the Queen of the Dolomites.
Soon the spruces begin to clear up and we reach the edge of the Laghetto di Fié It is a swimming lake where bathers lounge on wooden terraces where children dive into the water and where crowds relax in a café overlooking the lake At the waters edge I see the Schlern and I feel that this is the moment I was waiting for I reach out and throw my pine cone into the black water watching it flow My journey is over Just like the many faces of the Santner I discovered a totally different side of the Dolomites