Everybody’s pitching in, from the youngest to the eldest. Reception, kitchen, bar and service – we are taking care of all these areas in the hotel ourselves. Our junior works in the kitchen and offers delicious alpine food, served by his girlfriend, to our guests. His parents are in charge of the bar and reception. To us, family means tradition. Our hotel was built in the 50ies by the parents of the current owner. Back then, it was known under the name “Villa – Pensione Waldruh”. Since then, a lot has changed. The rooms were initially offered with running cold and hot water, a luxury for that period of time. Little by little, the hotel was then expanded and restructured and the rooms were equipped with comfortable bathrooms. Just recently, the last remaining rooms were finally brought to completion – traditional charm in a modern atmosphere.
Generation to generation.
The early 50ies.
The present owner’s parents were the ones who established our hotel back in the 50ies, at a very difficult time for the South Tyrolean people. The time after the Second World War was everything but easy and hit our little region hard. Many Tyroleans impoverished and emigrated. Tourism in the area was just starting to become established. Between the years of 1939 and 1943, the South Tyrolean people were given the choice to either leave their homes and move to Austria or Germany or stay at home and become ‘italianized’. Later, when the war had ended, uncertainty about the future of the region caused great anxiety among the South Tyroleans. Many returned and hoped to regain the Italian citizenship. An agreement between the Austrian minister Karl Gruber and the prime minister of Italy made this possible. The same agreement also laid the foundations for the wealthy South Tyrol we experience today. Our parents seemed to have had the right instinct.
Ladin mythology.
The pass of Falzarego.
San Vigilio and its surroundings have been fascinating people for centuries and have led to the creation of its very own mythology. One of the most famous stories is about the brave king’s daughter Dolasilla, a war hero of the Fanes people. Her father, a greedy man, had stolen some precious objects from a group of dwarves which Dolasilla returned to them without her father’s knowledge. In return for that, she was given a white armor which would protect her from arrows. The dwarves also predicted that Dolasilla was to become a war hero and that she should not go to war if her armor ever turned dark. They also told here that something mysterious was growing in the Silver Lake. Her father then sent messengers to this lake to have a look. There, they found silver reeds from which silver arrows were made. With these arrows, the Fanes people never lost a war again. Dolasilla was awarded with a precious stone called the “Rajëta”. One night, Dolasilla had a dream where she saw one of her dead enemies warning her of continuing to fight with the silver arrows. The king, however, insisted that Dolasilla should keep using them. In the meantime, the wizard Spina de Mul forged an alliance against the Fanes realm. He wanted to steal Dolasillas precious stone. He hired the hero Ey de Net, “night eye”, who should kill Dolasilla in their next battle. Ey de Net, however, was so impressed by the king’s daughter, that he shot no arrow at her. Spina de Mul betrayed him by shooting an arrow behind Ey de Net’s back. The latter felt betrayed and switched sides. He became the shield bearer of Dolasilla and even asked for her hand in marriage. But the king knew about a prophecy stating the Dolasilla would lose all her battling power if she was ever married. Out of greed, the king sold his realm to his enemies and banished Ey de Net. Dolasilla, unwittingly, gave away all her silver arrows to children sent by Spina de Mul and had to leave for a battle shortly afterwards, even though her armor had turned dark. It was in this battle, that Dolasilla was killed. Her father, who received the news while he was waiting on the Lagazuoi, turned into stone. He, the “treacherous king”, “falza rego”, can still be seen on the pass of Falzarego.
Now and then.
Holiday in the Alps.
South Tyrol is one of the wealthiest regions in Italy and Europe. It is mostly known for its unique mountain landscape which attract a vast number of tourist every year. But actually, tourism in this area had only been established fairly recently and very slowly. For a long time, the Alps weren’t but a unwelcome obstacle on the journey to the sunny Italian beaches. Around 1800, when the South Tyrolean Andreas Hofer led an uprising against Napoleon, the region became known all around Europe for the first time. It had been a popular health resort before that among the richer upper-class people of the cities in and around Tyrol. The first, real tourism climax was reached shortly before the beginning of the 20iest century. Foreign investors began building large-scale hotels in towns like Dobbiaco. At the same time, mountain climbing became more popular from which especially mountain huts profited. In the years before the first world war, South Tyrol became, for the first time, a popular postcard picture motive. These years were characterized by glittering nightlife and luxurious hotels for the high society. Mass tourism in the region began a little later, after the First World War, when South Tyrol became part of Italy. The Italians came in flocks to visit the area. Around 1930, the first cable cars, restaurants and mountain hotels were built. Then, tourism began to grew rapidly. After the Second World War, families started to rent our rooms in their homes. With the ski star Gustav Thöni, skiing became immensely popular and new cable cars and skiing areas were established. And in the middle of this vibrant history – our hotel Riposo al Bosco.
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