Felder Alpin Lodge

For High-Altitude Adventure Appetites

A globetrotting mountaineer with a passion for ancient architecture, a cyclist/sommelier, and an Alpine guide walked into an 11th-century farmhouse… and the rest is no joke. The trio have turned the 500-year-old classified structure into a modern adventure lodge set high in the serrated peaks of South Tyrol.

A centuries-old rural outpost, this historically protected Dolomite lodge merges ancient vernacular with contemporary redesign in a traditional, high-altitude farmhouse and thatched roof barn, one of only five such barn structures remaining in the region. Transformed by lauded local firm Perathoner Architects, the 500-year-old perch stands at 1,200 meters, brims with antiques, original global artefacts, and contemporary design contrasts. It also hides an underground wine cellar and panoramic Finnish spa overlooking four private, forested hectares crossed by a stream. 

An antique masonry kitchen with a barrel vault ceiling and original Stube lounge occupy the home’s heart. Designer furnishings are spread throughout, including horsehair couches from Marrakech, Antonio Lupi designs in washrooms, Pierre Frey linens and Luis Trenker loungers outdoors. 

AROUND

The farmhouse overlooks a dramatic Dolomite landscape from its 1,200-meter perch near Villandro Alp. The valleys that spread out below the steep cliffs and rocky outcroppings are crossed by traditional vineyards and historical villages where monasteries and castles rise. The area around Villandro has been home to Roman vintners and miners who flourished under the resident Prince-Bishops who ruled the area later. Visits to historical mines and underground cellars and vineyard tasting rooms reveal the region’s varied past. The larger nearby villages of Bolzano and Bressanone offer shops, services, and cafes, though the emphasis here is on adventure—climbing summits, skiing, mountaineering, and hiking with golfing, wine-tasting and sightseeing a close second.

EXPERIENCES

A Land Rover Defender Jeep and Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile come with the rental, and the three hosts offer expert-led guided adventures in the rugged Alpine environment. A selection of experiences immerse guests in traditional Alpine activities such as climbing, via ferrata, trekking, mountaineering, snowshoeing—even igloo building. Due to its deeply rural location, many mountain traditions and customs live on and can be experienced on site, including hay bathing, butter churning, and Muas-making at the farm, or assisting owner Tom in tending to the farm animals.

There is a deposit with lock for trekking, cycling and ski equipment, a yoga instructor, a private concierge, transfer by Land Rover Defender, Pinzgauer or skimobile to all climbing starting points, rental of climbing gear and snowshoes. Breakfast is included. Evening dinner is planned with and prepared by the chef. Afternoon coffee and/or tea is provided, with home-made desserts. There is an honesty bar with local wines, alcoholic beverages, and non-alchoholic drinks.

The house has a Finnish sauna with local Swiss pine wood for eight guests, hay beds for relaxation, a wood-fired stove in the Stube area (turned on every day in winter), a lounge with sofas and library with international books, a flat-screen TV, a Bluetooth-compatible stereo system for music streaming.

LOCATION

Villanders, Bozen, South Tyrol, Italy. Nearest airports: Bolzano/Bozen (40km), Innsbruck (104km), Verona (181km). Private helipad on site.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round