(Werbung/advertisement as I was invited by Lana Tourism)
Let us dwell in Summer memories a wee while longer, shall we? We might be on the brink of Autumn here in Europe, but my mind still travels back to that sweet Summer time in Lana, so this is where I’m taking you with this blog entry.
This was now my, let me count, seventh trip to Lana. Holy macaroni! And you know what? They get better every time. What made this one so very special, was having my best friend Carina there with me.
I was so excited when she said she’d come with me because there’s nothing quite like sharing a place that you’ve come to love so much, with someone who’s been in your life for, and again let me count, 24 years!! I was really looking forward to her reactions and how she’d perceive Lana and its surroundings.
I’ll jump right into what we got up to but if you’re new here or haven’t read any of my previous Lana blog entries, I’d like to give you a quick introduction to Lana:
Nestled in the breathtaking embrace of the South Tirolern Alps, Lana is a charming town in the Adige Valley that encapsulates both, an alpine charm and the Italian way of life. Lana is renowned for fruit cultivation and winemaking, with the valley floor covered in apple orchards and the hill sides brimming with vineyards. So you’d bet there’s always a fine vino waiting for you. Being surrounded by mountains, there’s always something to do: hiking, biking, walking you name it, Lana’s got it.
That’s exactly how I presented it to Carina. Well. Not precisely. I told her „Carina, the sun is always shining in Lana. You HAVE to come!“ And being the sun-loving person she is, how could she say no to that.
Did I jinx it with my 100% promise of sunshine? Well, I might’ve. But there’s always something exciting to do in Lana, no matter the weathers antics and that leads us to
8 places in Lana that will leave you charmed and your tastebuds happy (prepare for an onslaught of restaurant recommendations):
1. Mondschein Rooms + Apartments
One thing that’s important to me when I’m away from home is that I still kind of want to feel at home. A place where I can be at ease and comfortable. Mondschein Rooms + Apartments right in the heart of Lana, is one of those places. Our apartment felt like home right away with its wooden interior, comfy bed and colourful pillows. It also came with a fully equipped kitchen, which is perfect if you wanted to prepare your own breakfast or just cook up an easy meal after an adventurous day in the mountains. I’ve already recommended Mondschein Rooms + Apartments to my parents and my in-laws and I’m forwarding this recommendation to you, dear reader, as well. It’s the perfect base for all the fun things you’ll get up to in Lana.
2. Haidenhof
I consider eating a very fun thing to do. Especially when the food is brought to your table. And it’s hard to beat a good meal in good company (someone who lets me taste their dish is what I consider superb company by the way). Our evening at Haidenhof will be living in my mind for a long time, that’s how beautiful it was. The restaurant sits high above the Adige Valley and offers fantastic views, local delicacies, their own vino and comes with a side of unmatched hospitality. We basically had to force ourselves to leave, otherwise we’d probably still be sitting there, enthralled by the views and sipping aperitivo.
3. Mount Vigiljoch hike
We already knew that the forecast for our hike atop Mount Vigiljoch didn’t promise sunshine galore. I, for one, was quite relieved because as enchanting as a summery day in Lana might be, it can also get very hot. On the morning of our hike a thick, white blanket of clouds and fog greeted us, taking the temperature down a notch and for a second I was a teensy bit worried, that Carina wouldn’t be able to marvel at the mountains that usually grace the horizon when you’re up at 1,800m above sea level on a clear day. The landscape was dipped into blues and greens and the mountains made sure to keep up their game of hide and seek with the clouds, only revealing glimpses of their true size. It was indeed a magical scenery despite the occasional rain shower and even though Carina wasn’t able to take in the panoramic views from the top, no moods were dampened and we had the best time on our hike.
4. Stoanerne Mandln hike
Before we continue our food journey, let me tell you about one other hike that we did. When you’re staying in Lana the mountains are just begging for you to come and explore, so what else can you do than to yield. On our last day in Lana, that’s exactly what we did. We crossed the Adige Valley and made the drive up to Meltina where we parked the car and shouldered our backpacks. Our plan was to reach the „Stoanerne Mandln“ in the Sarntal Alps. During our 2,5 hours ascent, that was sometimes quite steep, we met hardly any humans but there were lots of four-legged friends around who kept us company until at last we found ourselves at 2,000m between hundreds of „Stoanerne Mandln“. „Stoanerne Mandln“ translates into „little stone people“ and lots of myths and tales are linked to the place. 500 years ago witch dances are said to have been held at the site. And even longer ago, about 2,000 years, it was a place of worship for the Celts. But there is no evidence as to why the sculptures came into being. We spent some time up there, drinking hot tea as it was quite chilly, despite the much-anticipated sunshine and when the clouds came rolling back in, we got ready to set off again. Blue hour set in on our way back and as we came out of the forest and stepped into the open it was already quite dark. We walked across alpine pastures, past grazing cows and meadows full of wildflowers for the rest of the hike and once we got back to the car, our hearts were very full.
5. Pfefferlechner Brewery
The Pfefferlechner in Lana is a classic! No visit to Lana would be complete without a visit to this rustic restaurant. While I’ve had the pleasure to be a guest there a couple of times, we added one cool thing to our Pfefferlechner agenda this time around: Carina and me got to visit the brewery on the premises. Here, the team creates their own authentic craft beers and they offer guided tours and beer tasting for anyone who wants to know more about the process and try some refreshing beverages. It’s a small brewery but they were the first in Italy to be brewing non-alcoholic craft beer. Their „Freedl“ beers are quite different with some really unique flavours so if you like your beersies, pay the Pfefferlechner a visit (and of course stay a little longer to fill your tummy with scrumptious food).
6. 1477 Reichhalter
Got distracted by craft beer for a second there, didn’t I? But you probably expected more foodie things, because that’s what I promised when I introduced this section of the blog, so here we go: I cannot not mention the 1477 Reichhalter when talking about fine dining in Lana. The restaurant and boutique hotel have been welcoming guests from near and far since 2018 and I think it was the very first place I told Carina about when we chatted about our trip to Lana. So I got her really excited, too but only because I knew that the chefs would deliver. And they did! There’s a kind of ingenuity there that combines tastes we know with something unexpected and that’s what makes the food experience at 1477 Reichhalter so very special.
7. Gutshof
„When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore“, is what you will want to sing after dinner at Gutshof in Niederlana. They are well-known for their pizza and after trying one myself I can say that the hype is real. The dough was perfectly crips and fluffy and the toppings were deliciously put together. It’s definitely a 10/10 from me. But we’re not done with the Gutshof just yet. Because you know what? They offer breakfast as well.
When we got there one sunny morning, we were led to the patio and when we spotted the table that had been prepared for us it took us a few seconds to adjust our faces, which were frozen in a kind of „aaaaw“ expression. We looked at each other and knew straight away that we were thinking the same thing „How are we ever going to finish all of it?“ There was a plethora of the most delicious (vegetarian + vegan; make sure you mention this beforehand) breakfast goodies: croissants, yogurt, muesli, oatmeal, fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, juice, bubbly… one thing for every letter of the alphabet you might say. We were very, very full by the time we were leaving but also very, very content.
8. Kuntrawant Coffee Roastery
Coffee aficionados, this one’s for you! Before we embarked on the long journey home, we had breakfast at Kuntrawant. It is first and foremost an artisan coffee roastery but they also have a wee shop and a café on site. Unfortunately, I still haven’t quite found my love for coffee, so I didn’t try any (I know, shame on me!) but what I can tell you is that it looked good and smelled divine. Plus, their breakfast was heavenly and left us energised for the long road (albeit a wee bit sad as well because we just didn’t want to leave Lana).
We might have had a few overcast days, heck, even some rain which I thought would be the end of Carinas newly found love for Lana, but it wasn’t and that’s the highest praise a place can get from her.
Her wonder, amazement, and happiness was infectious and made me appreciate Lana even more and I can’t wait to see what the next visit has in store for us. But something tells me that Lujo (our dog) might play a part in it? We will see…
