Villandro, in the Val d’Isarco, is my ideal refuge town. It has a small tobacco shop, an efficient tourist office, a supermarket, and the post office – all just a few steps away. The forests (the Chestnut Trail passes through here, starting from the Novacella Abbey and reaching Terlano), the churches of S. Stefano and San Michele, which are side by side, and the fountain with a wooden carving of the double bell tower, all take you back in time.
The town square is my “square-terrace” of Castel Steinbock. People come here for an aperitif or dinner, and for those staying, the hospitality of Elisabeth Rabensteiner, the owner, is such that it only takes a moment to feel part of a family history. Once a tribunal, then an inn, Elisabeth has redesigned the 12 suites in the ancient 15th-century walls with minimalist design. You walk on soft carpets, among dim lighting, smoked oak furniture, and if desired, there’s even a room with a sauna— a glass and wood treasure that, when night falls or snow starts to fall outside, gains even more value.
In the Stube del Tribunale, the cozy atmosphere enchants those coming down for breakfast, while in the Stube Defregger, made of larch wood, dishes from the restaurant are served. In the kitchen, there’s Tomek Kinder, a chef awarded 2 toques by the Gault Millau Guide, while Sonja and Bastian bring the dishes and recommend wines, serving as earthly incarnations of guardian angels. Besides being named Hotel of the Year 2024 by the Gault-Millau Guide, which selected the best gourmet addresses in South Tyrol, Castel Steinbock has also received the Wine Culture Award for the restaurant’s significant contribution to promoting and safeguarding the quality and diversity of South Tyrol’s wines. Everything flows like a precious mechanism, leaving you wondering about its secret—a refined simplicity that doesn’t stop here but continues in the family-owned malga on the Alpe di Villandro (ansitzsteinbock.com).
The Alpe di Villandro, just over 2000 m, is the largest plateau in South Tyrol after Susi. You ascend through farms, churches, and cultivated fields to choose which path to take, where to stop at a malga. The view is incomparable: the Odle group, Sella, Sasso Lungo, and Sasso Piatto. Through meadows and almost up to Val Sarentino, you reach the Chiesetta dei Morti (Little Church of the Dead) and the lake. Before taking the last uphill stretch (or descending), you can stop at Pfroder Alm, the mountain hut where you can taste typical, well-made dishes: I tried the canederli with goat meat. Then there are the benches, with tree stumps beside them, where you can sit and admire the view in complete bliss. Higher up, there are only the clouds. You have to imagine this plateau in winter, covered in snow, crossed with snowshoes, cross-country skis, or sleds to entertain the little ones (villandereralm.com).
