Villa Arnica

At this adults-only hangout, there are just ten rooms and suites, keeping the vibe low-key and intimate. Made up of four doubles, two superior suites, three junior suites and a ‘bathtub’ suite which contains a beautiful freestanding tub, the décor is formed from restored features and furniture with a low-key colour palette which takes inspiration from the doorstep nature and traditional village: sage grey, forest green and burnt terracotta. Stylistic eccentricities come from contemporary design pieces – glass globe lights, Zucchetti fixtures and bathrooms layered with fine Lasa marble.

It’s a simple mantra at Villa Arnica – eating revolves around you, not a set formula of mealtimes. Chef is on-call whenever you need a little or large something rustled up – and it usually incorporates delicious and fresh produce from garden-to-table. Either that, or slightly further afield from the surrounding mountains. Offerings might include freshly made pasta, salads, just-picked fruit tarts or a communal long-table barbecue under the pergola, toasting new friends. You can also eat at sister hotel 1477 Reichhalter for a high-quality farm-to-table concept dinner, with wines from the nearby vineyards.

Breakfast at Villa Arnica is an equally civilised affair – available until noon, you can take your morning meal at the pool house or in the villa’s salotto, expect homemade jams, syrups, pastries and fresh bread.

Found in the Etschtal (Etsch Valley) between Bolzano and Merano, the traditional village of Lana is clasped by UNESCO-protected Dolomite vistas, with access being via airports Innsbruck, Verona, Bergamo and Milan. Villa Arnica encourage visitors by train – they’ll collect you from after a relaxed rail journey to the Lana/Burgstall stop.

Around Villa Arnica, most make for the hills of Vigiljoch – in the winter skiing beckons on some of the longest runs in Europe and in summer the valleys are strewn with wildflowers, accompanied by the tinkle of cow bells. Mountains aside, trips to Braunsberg Castle, teetering on the edge of the Gaul Canyon, reveal 13^th architecture, filled with silver relics and historical frescoes. Top up on culture at the interesting Museion, the Bolzano Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.