Head for the hills

Interior Design / Travel

There’s no better way to understand a place than to learn from those who know it well. In South Tyrol, that person is luxury chalet owner Tom Erlacher, who invites us to his cosy guesthouse to let us in on some of the region’s best-kept secrets.

Tom Erlacher swiftly steers his green Land Rover Defender up the winding road towards Villanderer Alm, a flat, high pasture in South Tyrol. Given that he grew up in Valle Isarco, he knows the area well, even in the wintry dark. Our destination, halfway up the road, is his alpine chalet Felder Alpin. „It was born out of my own passion,“ says Erlacher of the retreat, which he has been renting to small groups of up to six since 2022. „I’m always travelling with my childhood best friend, Matthias. We like going to countries that are difficult to get to, such as Yemen, Jordan, Iran and Tajikistan. When it comes to these places, you need to know someone who can give you tips, organise transfers and help you to find your way around,“ adds Erlacher, who also runs an interior-design company in the village of Barbiano. „I wanted to offer our guests a similar experience, albeit in a slightly more luxurious setting.“

At Felder Alpin, that means a rustic house with all the modern amenities and services. Mountain guide Matthias Hofer contributes with personalised tours for guests, while Claudia Rier, a tourism expert and trained sommelier, has been supporting him and Erlacher since 2022. „Guests can choose what they want to do,“ she says. „Would they like to keep to themselves and cater autonomously or would they like to get to know South Tyrol through our eyes? The latter is exactly what most of our guests want.“

The next morning, as the sun rises above the jagged peaks of the snowy Dolomites, the South Tyrolean panorama reveals itself in all its beauty. All around the valley, farms are scattered loosely between vineyards. Felder Alpin dates back to the 11th century and is a former so-called „paired farm“‚, meaning that its residential and agricultural buildings stand side by side. Muffled bleating can be heard coming from the barn, which serves as a stable for a small number of goats and sheep in winter.

Erlacher lived in the three-storey house for 10 years before Pavol Mikolajcak, an architect friend, designed a private extension for him. „When I set about remodelling the old house, I initially had very simple accommodation for guests and friends in mind,“ he says at the breakfast table. The corner parlour where we are sitting has been left almost untouched. „The wooden floors and ceiling are centuries old and still in excellent condition. Why should I change anything?“ He also wanted to preserve the house’s structure. „The proportions are perfect,“ he adds, sipping his tea. Nevertheless, he wanted to elevate the building’s interior design, which is understandable given the work that he does with his company, furnishing international luxury hotels on behalf of his clients.

A glance into the adjacent cobalt-blue kitchen reveals that Felder Alpin blends historical substance with modern technology: here, a gas hob, a wood-fired oven and a teppan-yaki plate grill can all be used to make elaborate dishes. The property’s private chef, Elena Vian, recently returned to South Tyrol after spending a few years abroad. She has just started preparing a lentil soup and homemade gnocchi with pesto.

Konfekt, Erlacher and Rier climb the wooden staircase that leads to the upper floor. Two spacious bedrooms have been created here, with windows extending into the gable and wood-panelled walls made from smoked oak. The open living room is also lined with colourful cushions. „I brought the fabrics back from Morocco and Turkey,“ says Erlacher. On the shelf just above a mattress, you’ll find more souvenirs from his travels, including a sheepskin cap from Georgia and a hand-woven carpet from Yemen.

More design pieces, albeit of a wholly different scale, fill the garage. There’s a Pinzgauer, an old Austrian military vehicle, which can be used by guests keen to get to mountain areas that are difficult to access. A vintage red Moto Guzzi, several Vespas and half a dozen e-bikes are also parked nearby. But it’s not just adventurous souls who will find happiness at Felder Alpin. For those wanting to recharge their batteries, there is also a sauna and a plunge pool with a view of the Dolomites to cool off in.

In the evening, Vian brings a smoked trout with beetroot and raspberries to the table alongside the lentil soup and gnocchi that she prepared earlier. The group savours the dishes in awe. It feels as though there is nowhere else any of us would rather be. Or is there? Erlacher has another surprise in store: he invites us into the kitchen and opens a trapdoor. Underneath, he and his friends have excavated a three-metre-deep passage in the gneiss rock. We carefully descend the steps. Once at the bottom, we reach a tiny room with a wooden bench and a square table in the corner. „This is probably the most secret place to drink enzian in the whole region,“ says Erlacher, filling our glasses with the spirit, which is made from the gentian plant.“If we’re lucky, he’ll reach for his accordion later,“ adds Rier. That’s as close as you can get to the soul of South Tyrol.

Konfekt,
Winter 2024