There are places where I’d love to come back time after time. Dolomites and Lefay Resort and Spa Dolomiti have become one of them: it’s a magical spot where splendor of nature and effortless luxury of a hotel blend in together.
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Dolomiti
The Dolomites mountains stretch over a few italian regions, and we chose Trentino as a destination for our trip. Undoubtedly, it’s winter when all the buzz around Dolomiti rises up because of skiing (like Madonna di Campiglio ski area, for example). Nevertheless, in snowless months you still can cycle, climb mountains, paraglide etc. If you’re up to a more relaxed holiday as we did (I was 3,5 months pregnant when we were there), it’s still a great choice for a holiday!
Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti
We spent four nights in Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti – and I’d joyfully stay there for much longer (just noting that this was not a press invite 🙂 ) The whole architecture of the hotel and the use of materials had some Nordic vibes: real wood, open fire, natural fabrics and rocks, turn towards sustainability, high technology and holistic approach. This sounds like the luxury of the 21st century, doesn’t it?
We even took some inspiration from our room and spa when we were decorating our new flat.
Dolomia restaurant is both a place for breakfast and the restaurant in the evening, and its main highlight is undoubtedly the views. Grual restaurant is a Michelin-ish location with a great tasting menu where the local ingredients from different ‘elements’ – river, forest, sky etc – are all combined together.
Finally, a true gem of the resort is their wellbeing section. There is an outdoor pool, a few indoor pools, and of course a spa area divided into the five stations: The Centre, The Green Dragon, The Red Phoenix, The White Tiger and The Black Tortoise. They had everything you can only think of and reminded me of the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate: there are sensory showers, salt water lake and the salt grotto, relaxation areas with phytotherapy, Kneipp Path, 9 saunas and so on. No need to mention that the outdoor relaxation area had the best view ever!
Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, access to some areas had to be booked in advance. After visiting this resort, we made our way to Lefay Resort & SPA Garda – and I’ll post a different blog about it too.
Pinzolo
Our hotel was located in a small and charming town named Pinzolo that immediately reminded me that Austrian borders are not too far away (see my blogs about Innsbruck, Vienna and Salzburg!). Its location is 800 meters above sea level and it’s surrounded by the picturesque mountains from all sides.
It’s a lovely town where you can go for a walk, take a look at the Palazzo del Ghiaccio di Pinzolo (not far away from the Campo Sportive and Tennis Club), to stroll along the river in the Pineta park, and to do a bit of shopping: souvenirs and crafts are waiting for you even in summer. Don’t be surprised: there are plenty of small hotels over there, and sometimes it feels that everything is the town is in the shadow of skiing resort.
Gourmet side is also an important part of the experience. Have a strudel with warm tea or coffee, visit a famous local bakery where we saw people queuing outside, and try local cuisine.
For instance, I found the north mountain twist on Italian cuisine the most fascinating: think about blueberry risotto and all sorts of herbal teas of local produce!
The main historical attraction of Pinzolo, the Church of Saint Vigilius of Trent, is dedicated to Vigilio of Trento, first bishop of Trent who according to the legends, was stoned to death near the Lake Garda attempting to battle Roman religious beliefs. The church that played an enormous role in lives of the habitants of Baldino, Pinzolo and Carisolo is famous for the 15-16th centuries frescoes on its outer walls and 72-meter high bell tower, the highest of all Trentino region.
Mountain hike
Going up the mountains is probably the unmissable part of your trip to Dolomites. You can take the cableway up to the Prà Rodont – there is a restaurant over there right near the station and a cafe called Refuge in a walkable distance up.
We didn’t stop there and took a chairlift all the way up to the Doss del Sabion to the height of 2100 meters. Just look at these mighty peaks and Alpine vibes – and brave souls that paraglided over there! In addition, you have the best views over alpine valleys: Val Rendena and its lateral valley Val Genova.
If you have plenty of time, wear stable shoes and are ready for some exercising (it also might be worth bringing some water with you), don’t miss an opportunity to descend walking from Doss del Sabion to Prà Rodont. The scenery is simply breathtaking and you are immersed into nature completely – and spot on wild strawberries, bilberries, mushrooms and other wonders of nature!
Hope you enjoyed my blogpost! Yours, Anna |