Freiform Private Guesthouse

Nature in Widescreen Format

This spectacular glass refuge by architect Martin Gruber puts only wide panes of glass (and exterior, electric privacy curtains if you must) between man and nature. The 65sqm, organically shaped guest house built of concrete and glass, complemented by local oak and loden, was built to provide guests the exhilarating sensation of wild freedom and a rare, complete immersion in nature. With its structural mass of hard concrete and glass providing safety yet transparency in the cinematic South Tyrolean wilds, the refuge’s interior conveys a softer, subtler and organic mood, a walk-in sculpture that changes throughout the day and seasons, given its full focus on its surroundings.

Sliding doors open in warmer months, creating a luxe picnic-like meal space, and beds are infinity styled, jutting into the pear tree meadow inches from the grassy turf, yet protected behind a glass shell. The intimate guesthouse bath is a deeply sensual spot, richly tinted and mellow, with soft lighting, sturdy brass fittings and natural products at the heart of the home.

Please note: there is a tourist tax of 2.40 euros per person per night, payable on arrival.

Around

The best things to do here are the simplest: witness the sunrise on the jagged and solitary Peitlerkofel Mountain, observe the deer that gather in the Eisack Valley at dusk, grab the in-house guitar and strum, or peer through the provided binoculars on a nearby walk or from the window seat. Nature moves before your eyes in widescreen here, and there’s plenty of outdoor recreation to be had, if you wish, from hiking and mountain biking in spring and summer, to skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing and sledding in winter. Painting, picnicking, barbecuing and simple crafts such as sketching and whittling are ideal ways to pass the time in front of the home’s dazzling panorama.

Fruit orchards line the owners’ neighboring farm, and the small village of Verdings spreads out below the property. The Brixen Dolomites offer a stunning natural playground and the town of Bressanone/Brixen is close by for sightseeing. The region’s oldest community, the town is known for its magnificent architecture, ranging from the Baroque Cathedral, to its Romanesque Chiostro di Bressanone covered in medieval frescoes, to its Renaissance art museum, the Diocesan.