ALPE Summer 2010

Summer 2010

ALPE Alpe di Siusi Magazin

CASTELROTTO · SIUSI ALLO SCILIAR · ALPE DI SIUSI · FIÈ ALLO SCILIAR

Flower paradise The Alpe di Siusi in floral splendour

A royal view The big Laranzer Round

Max in the mill Old types of grain updated

www.alpedisiusi.info

Editorial & Contents

Dear friends,

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Edelweiss and gentian: Floral paradise Alpe di Siusi Page 08

ALPE, the magazine for guests of our region, bids you a cordial welcome and wishes you a pleasant stay.

A royal view: The big Laranzer Round

The miller of S. Vigilio: Grinding grain in Siusi

ction, adventure, Alpe living: whether hiking, climbing, running and biking, paragliding, swimming, enjoying a typical snack or taking a relaxing hay bath, on the Alpe di Siusi holiday ideas are end less. Whatever you do, during your whole holi day you will forget your daily routine. The articles on the following pages may be an incentive to try something different from the usual: unforgettable thrills are guaranteed. We have once more put together some interesting articles for gourmets, culture buffs, sports enthu siasts and families in this magazine. At the centre of this issue is the incomparable flora of the Alpe di Siusi: you can hear and read about it, but you have to experience it all with your own eyes. “Where the walls speak” tells as about the eventful history of the Wassererhof. Enjoy a royal view, dive into the world of past centuries in the antique shop “Anno Domini” or practice yourself in the cook ing of traditional South Tyrolean dishes. Who is Max Plunger? And who is the new President of the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament? On the following pages you will get the answers. With

the Running Park, Giro d’Italia and the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, the sports fans among you don’t get a raw deal either. ALPE wishes to be your daily guide through your Alpe di Siusi holidays. Apart from important infor mation regarding public services and interesting events, it gives much advice regarding the best re staurants, inns and clubs as well as many attractive shopping possibilities in the villages of the Plateau and its surrounding areas. This magazine also con tains the highlights in our events calendar. Should you decide to participate, your holiday album will be full of unforgettable happy moments. We wish you a happy and relaxing holiday of well ness und unforgettable moments.

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Wine, speck, and jazz? The Wassererhof in Fiè Page 20

Anno Domini: Where time looses its meaning Page 24

Alpe di Siusi Alphorn players Page 28

Walking and enjoying: Cooking at the Patener farm Page 30

Recipe: Curd cheese dumplings Page 32

The Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament 2010 Page 34

Giro d’Italia: A review Page 36

Running Park Alpe di Siusi Page 38

Summer Highlights ‘10

Eduard Tröbinger Scherlin President for Alpe di Siusi Marketing and the Tourist offices of Castelrotto, Siusi, Alpe di Siusi and Fiè allo Sciliar

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Food Festivals ‘10 Page 41

Winter Preview ‘10/11 Page 42

Around & About Summer | ALPE 3

Violet & Co.

in the floral paradise

The incomparable flora of the Alpe di Siusi and the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park

Text: Rosa Maria Erlacher Photo: Helmuth Rier

4 ALPE | Summer

ardly have the last traces of snow melted on the Alpe di Siusi when the flowers be gin to come out in vast num bers. With the grass still pale and wispy, innumerable spring crocuses turn the meadows into a resplendent sea of purple, while between them, wrapped in silky-soft mantles, vio let anemones warm themselves against the sun. The mixture of flowers includes snowdrops, prim roses and the pink spring Pasque flowers (Pulsatella vernalis). As the sun rises higher, Alpine anemo nes eagerly push upwards, each striving to show

off their beauty and finery. Between them can be seen the azure of gentians and pink, deliciously scented daphnes. Then the meadow grasses be gin to sprout, interspersed with wild orchids, large pinks, nigritella in the most unbelievable hues, ar nica, spring gentians, androsace, lilies of the valley, bluebells, lilies, daisies and labiates of all colours, globe flowers and so on. A floral paradise, practi cally unique, a celebration of colour and light! Edelweiss and veronica. But the plants are now also awakening from their winter slumbers on the rocky slopes of the surrounding Dolomites. The sil »

very expanses of the Dolomite cinquefoil, with its delicate pink blossoms, adorn the rock faces. Blu ish-green saxifrage defies the harsh mountain cli mate alongside edelweiss, artemisia and veronica. Alpine poppy, Pritzelago alpina, campion and stitchwort all brighten up the screes. Rocky slopes are likewise home to the alpine aster, the rampion and the small, tender columbine that bears the scientific name of Aquilegia eineseleana. Until late in the autumn, the flowers of the alpine pinks, also known locally as “Schlern witches” on account of their scraggy seed heads, are a delight for walk ers.

No list of plants could ever do justice to the splen dour of these flowers: you have to see and expe rience it all with your own eyes. Therefore June and July are special treats for wildflower enthusiasts, allowing them to enjoy the richness and beauty of the Alpe di Siusi to its full. But later in the year of fers plenty for the attentive eye in this wonderful mountain world. Optimal conditions. The unusual wealth of the Sciliar region’s flora that we know today has many different causes. Different kinds of rock, both vol canic and sedimentary, naturally give rise to diffe »

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Extraordinary biodiversity: some species survived for thousands of years.

rent types of floral communities. In addition, the central Alpine location produces a continental cli mate with relatively light precipitation, which ex plains why the Sciliar is such a special botanical borderland. It represents the northern/southern limits respectively for many Mediterranean and Nordic plants, while plants typical of the east ern and the western Alps meet around the Sciliar. It was also a stroke of luck, from a botanical perspective, that the mighty rock walls of the Sciliar remained above the ice-age glacier flows. Some plant species were thus able to survive the inhos pitable conditions for thousands of years on the mountain’s sunny southern flanks. Until one thousand years ago, the Alpe di Siusi was covered in dense forest. Then Bavarii tribesmen came and cleared it by fire to create pastures for their cattle. The variety of rocks, the extensive hus bandry and the change between sunny, dry lime stone and loamy moorlands, as well as the plenti ful water in the smaller valleys, has created a wide range of ecological niches. Grasslands rich in herbs. Centuries of extensive husbandry on the pasturelands have led to the cre ation of grasslands providing optimal conditions for Alpine flora rich in herbs. Not so long ago, many of the local population would each year go up and spend high summer in huts harvesting the hay, which was stored in sheds and then in winter brought down on sleds to the valley, wrapped in large sheets. The peasants regarded the aromatic hay from the Alpe, rich in herbs and flowers, as an efficacious remedy. It not only fed the cattle during the lean winter months; people too would use the ethereal herb vapours from “hay baths” to sweat out rheumatism from their joints. Even today, lo cals and visitors alike enjoy cures based on lying in dried hay from the Alpe di Siusi. A paradise for botanists. The diversity of flow ers, herbs and bushes soon aroused the interest of scientists and made the area famous far beyond

the national borders. From around 1825 on, innu merable botanists from Italy and Central Europe visited the Sciliar region. The results of their re search were exchanged and discussed at notable congresses, published in technical journals and still hold the interest of experts. The Sciliar region thus remains not just an important object of aca demic excursions, but in past years has likewise been at the centre of an important research pro gramme. “Habitat Sciliar”. As part of the long-term “Habi tat Sciliar” project, experts from Italy and abroad studied animal and plant life at fourteen different locations in the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park. The aim was to monitor the current status of biodiver sity in the nature park – a giant task, but one that offered plentiful recompense for the 60 resear chers. A total of 4,862 animal and plant types were found on the Sciliar, with 794 species of flowering plants and ferns as well as 507 different species of moss and lichens. This data was compared with historical records. The comparison surprised even the scientists, as they had not reckoned with the rich variety of species with which the area is still blessed. There were some losses of flora due to changes in agriculture (and possibly inaccuracies in previous data), but on the other hand new types from other Alpine regions have arrived, resulting in an overall positive balance for species diversity in the Sciliar region. This data will now form the basis for further im provements in the management of the nature park. For instance, practical measures will be taken to further protect wetlands – such as bogs, water courses and ponds – from human influence. More effort will likewise be made to ensure that future generations too can enjoy the unique variety of flora on the Alpe di Siusi. Farmers are thus now offered environmental bonuses to manage their meadowlands extensively, without fertilisers of any kind. «

Royal view Walking the “Big Laranzer Round”

Text: Rosa Maria Erlacher Photo: Helmuth Rier

8 ALPE | Summer

hen the Brennero railway opened in 1867 and shortly after a road was con structed up from the valley to Castelrotto and Siusi, a new epoch began for the previously insignificant mountain village of Siusi in particular. Wealthy people from Bolzano built summer houses here, attracted by the gentle climate and the beauty of the landscape. Fine hotels appeared, where well-off local and foreign guests would spend the summer months relaxing, among them the wri ters Ibsen, Björn and Björson, the pianist Fried mann, the Duke of Aosta, the scientist Max Va lier and the conductor Arturo Toscanini, as well as Russian nobles and, not least, King Frederick Au gust of Saxony and his family. This nature enthu siast and mountain climber, who visited the Do lomites several times between 1904 and 1932 and clearly found Siusi to his taste, stayed at the Hotel Salegg or its branch, the Laranzhof, regularly wal king from there to a viewpoint at the western edge of the Laranzer forest. Locals soon named this the “Königswarte”, the King’s vantage point. Royal view. Over time the King was forgotten, but the name “Königswarte” remained. It was gener ally thought that the magnificent “royal” view was the origin of the name. That was not entirely in correct, as this small rock spur offers a nearly un restricted view, far over the valley of Bolzano up to the Ötztal glaciers, to the Ortles group and the summits of the Adamello massif, and to the Renon

where, high over the Isarco valley, the little church of S. Verena perches on a rocky summit. At eye level opposite is the Church of S. Costantino, ap pearing almost close enough to touch, with its sur rounding farms, then come the steeply rising cliffs of the Sciliar. At our feet is the Pflegerhof, famous for its organic herbs, then on a rocky outcrop over the ravine of the Weissries torrent are the ruins of Rovereto castle, now overgrown with ivy, once the stronghold of the Lords of Aichach and later the Lords of Castelrotto. How do we get to the Königswarte? The best way is to walk the “Big Laranzer Round”, a tour that leads around a wooded porphyry knoll between Siusi and Castelrotto. We should allow some two hours for this walk, which is also popular as a jog ging route because of its gentle gradients. The quickest way to the Laranzer forest is along the main road, either from Siusi or Castelrotto. But there are prettier variants. We thus continue our walk from Siusi to the Church of S. Valentino and past the cemetery for plague victims, to Tel fen. Starting from Castelrotto, on the other hand, take the path marked No. 5, which turns off below the Hotel Schönblick and likewise leads to Telfen. Or simply take the bus. Above the nursery garden we follow an asphalt road that leads past a horse-breeding centre to the Lanzinhöfen. A wayside cross is the start of the cir cular route (marked No. 5). It gently rises through»

Admirably situated: the trail between Siusi and Castelrotto.

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Hiking suggestion Starting point: Siusi, Signpost 7, at Hotel Enzian you go in direction “Peterlunger hof”. Just before you reach Peterlungerhof, you turn at the Signpost 7A direction via Platten. Difficulty: Easy tour, all year through, also with strollers. Signposts: 7-7A-7

wooded slopes until we reach a fork in the path. Here we can take the shorter variant, the “Small Laranzer Round”. This leads back to the “Pilzeweg” (mushroom path) and then over the sports field to Telfen. Taking the Pilzeweg is a special treat for families as, along a narrow path in the middle of a deep forest, a local artist has erected wooden sculptures, as high as a man, reflecting the various types of mushroom that can be found in plenty in the Laranzer forest. It recalls the forests of chil dren’s tales, where suddenly fairies, dwarves or other creatures of legend might emerge from be tween the rocks and tree trunks. On the highest point of the ridge is a timber construction with a viewing platform that gives marvellous views of the surroundings, both near and far.

Back on the Big Laranzer Round (No. 5), we reach the Königswarte with its wooden safety fence, where we can comfortably rest on a bench and naturally enjoy the view. The last section of the walk now leads through young pinewoods and rocky, sunny areas where, in spring, the heather flowers particularly abundantly. The path then goes through meadows where, sit ting on a bench under a cherry tree, we can once more enjoy the magnificent view of the Sciliar and the outer reaches of the Alpe di Siusi, Spitzbühl and Bullaccia. Past the Laranzhof, a stately pro perty decorated with turrets, on a broad gravel path and we come to a fork: the right leads back to Siusi, the left leads on an asphalt road back to Telfen and then to Castelrotto. «

Hiking Time: To San Osvaldo about 2 hrs. Where to stop off: Albergo Tschötscherhof Maso Lafoglerhof Albergo S. Osvaldo What to see: Malenger mill Church of San Vigilio Rovereto Castle Kräuterhof Pflegerhof Farmer’s museum close to Tschötscherhof Church of San Osvaldo There is a bus that takes you back to Siusi and Castelrotto.

The Laranzer forest not only inspires the children’s imagination.

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With Max at the Malenger Mill Close by the ancient church of S. Vigilio, the Malenger farm runs an old mill on the Rio Freddo stream. Max Plunger, the farmer, is passionate about his original types of grain.

» Text: Barbara Pichler Photo: Helmuth Rier

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ax Plunger, the farmer at the Malenger mill, is normally a calm, reserved type. But get him talking about his mill and the production of grain and he is hard to stop. His passion is this historic mill and the growing of old, original types of grain. For years he has been concerned about – and has warned against – the effects of genetically altered grain. He cannot understand why farmers would want to grow grain that germinates just once. The types of grain he cultivates, Otterbacher

rye and wheat, were introduced to him by his fa ther: they are not hybrids, but rather the original grain. “Yields are less, but the grain is much more disease-resistant. Those with allergies can also tol erate it better. I am repeatedly asked for my flour because so many people have seen that they can tolerate it better”, says Max proudly. This confirms his view that he is doing something right. A cultural and historical jewel. The mill, along with a love for grain cultivation, were inherited »

The old waterwheel at the “Rio Freddo” stream is still in service.

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Where time stands still: the Malenger mill is in function for 500 years now.

Miller with heart and soul: Max Plunger masters his craft.

by Max from his father, who also told his son how to grind the grain and how the mill operates. His mission is to preserve and maintain this cultural and historical jewel in S. Vigilio, located below Siusi allo Sciliar. He is energetically assisted by his three daughters, Manuela, Sieglinde and Martina and his son-in-law, Raimund. They help him with the grain and the mill. The farm today only pro duces grain for their own use, but Max’s concern is to preserve the old types. These must in no case be lost, as Max distrusts genetic engineering. “You never know where it all might lead with genetically altered species”, says this well-informed farmer. Max knows all there is to know about his mill: he is familiar with every cog and sprocket and can tell whether everything is in order from the sounds it produces. When he has time, he will relate all he knows about the craft of the miller and the grow ing of grain. Rye, wheat, spelt, barley and buck wheat are still sown on small fields on his farm. In high summer, the “Kornschaber”, figures made of corn, can be seen in the fields. This is particu larly interesting as there are few corn fields left in the area. Nor can many people nowadays tell the difference between rye and wheat, or barley and buckwheat, but Max certainly can. In front of the mill he has made a display of the various corn ears and grains. This is perhaps the first time that many people will have seen what spelt grain looks like or how a mill operates. Each visitor can thus imagine how flour was made for bread in former times.

The craft of the miller. The inside of the mill, with its wooden gear wheels, its bolts and millstones, is a showpiece of the old miller’s craft. Some days Max sets the mill working to show interested visi tors how the complicated drive system works as the flour is being milled. The old mill is powered by water from the Rio Freddo stream. Water runs via a wooden channel from the stream to the larch waterwheel. Above the farm, by the hay barn, there is also a water wheel to drive the threshing ma chine, which separates the chaff from the grain. The straw is fed to the animals, while the grain is made into flour. Max has also collected old documents about the mill, for example from the museum in Innsbruck, proving that the Malenger mill was functioning as long ago as 1525. The farm was documented be fore, in 1448. There were once 15 mills along the Rio Freddo, of which only the Malenger mill is still working today. Even fifty years ago mills and grain production both played a significant role in the lives of the rural communities around the Sciliar. Grain was grown primarily for the farmers’ own use, while the miller would also grind grain for the surrounding farms. Bread was baked at least four times a year on the farms, with rye, wheat and sometimes spelt grown for this purpose. Buck wheat, which is not actually a grain but a form of knot-grass, was used for “buckwheat mash”, a po pular dietary mainstay. «

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Autumn attracts with its rich colours and sweet fruits.

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Where the walls speak In the “farm on the water” two brothers embarked on new ventures and transformed a decayed farm into a cosy and popular meeting place for gourmets and bons vivants.

ndreas shows me a photo album documenting the restoration of the “Wassererhof”. It is simply unbelieva ble what he and his twin brother Chri stoph have created! In 1996 their father bought the rundown property in Novale di Fiè, with neglected vineyards and steep meadows and a farm consist ing of three ramshackle buildings. But, it must be said, the steep south slope of the Novale di Fiè, which extends from the Isarco valley to the high plateau at the foot of the Sciliar, receives plenty of sun and the land rewards the hard work that the farmers put into it, with all sorts of fine-tast ing fruits, from crunchy apples to peaches and apricots, sweet plums and berries and of course the grapes that ripen here in the excellent con ditions. The “Buschenschank”. For Christoph, a qualified agronomist, who had previously worked in Bolzano on his parents’ vineyard, taking on the farm repre sented an enormous challenge – but also a new opportunity. Together with his brother, a trained accountant but who, as an enthusiastic amateur chef, had long been on the lookout for a more crea tive outlet for his talents, he came up with the idea of opening a Buschenschank together. You don’t know what a Buschenschank is? The name comes from the word for a bush, usually a bunch of pine twigs, that the farmer would in the olden days place over his front door to show that

he was offering the fare stored in his cellars and pantry after the harvest. In South Tyrol today there is still many a Buschenschank to be found: a sort of tavern offering its own wine and food, usually open for business in the autumn for Törggelen (new wine and roast chestnuts) and in the spring, offering wine made on the premises and delicious peasant cooking mostly prepared using produce from the farm itself. Six centuries old. The idea was of course good but, in view of the disintegrating walls, a huge gamble. The easiest solution, tearing down the old building and erecting a new one in its place, was certainly not one the headstrong brothers were willing to entertain. The centuries-old walls, with their Gothic sandstone arches and the mas sive vaults, were too precious for that. As the seat of the Lords of Liechtenstein, the Wassererhof, the “farm on the water”, i.e. the River Isarco, was mentioned in the chronicles of Fiè of 1366, and at least six hundred years of history had left many fascinating marks. An architect friend encouraged them and, with her, they drew up an unusual con cept. The character and structure of the old build »

Text: Rosa Maria Erlacher Photo: Helmuth Rier

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“Törggelen“ A very special tradition in South Tyrol “Törggelen” comes from the Latin “torculum” meaning wine press. The „Törggelen“ season lasts from around mid October when the grapes have been har vested, to late November. It involves an autumn outing to a farmhouse inn called a „Buschenschank“. The main attraction is the new wine with roasted chestnuts, but fresh grape juice, local food products („Speck“, „Kamin wurzen“, „Schüttelbrot“) and typical South Tyrolean dishes, can all be enjoyed in a cosy farmhouse parlour in jolly company. Find the farmhouses offering „Törggelen“ at www.alpedisiusi.info.

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ing would be retained, interwoven with the design language of the 21st century. The brothers began with the careful restoration of the buildings, which meant two years’ extremely hard work. “What we could do, we did ourselves. We exposed the natural stone walls, scraped soot off the beams and, when the moon was right, we cut wood from the forest for the floors and the roof structure”, recounts Andreas. A remarkable result. The existing old structure is visible throughout: “The walls should speak”, as Andreas puts it, while the minimalistic simpli city of the natural wood furniture recalls the plain peasant lifestyle of old. Unwelcoming? Far from it: a cosy, friendly atmosphere pervades the premises once the Murano glass lamps diffuse their warm glow and the guests gather around the finely spread tables. Here Andreas is in his element. He combines South Tyrolean specialities with Mediterranean lightness in the ultramodern kitchen. Every vari ation of Knödel (dumplings), savoury and sweet, pasta envelopes with tasty fillings and light-as-

air gnocchi, tender lamb from the Alpe di Siusi or meat platters, followed by jam Krapfen (dough nuts) and apple strudel for dessert. To accompany it all there are of course his own wines or homemade apple juice. A fertile paradise has arisen from the rundown property, where Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau and Zweigelt grapes all thrive in new vineyards, while potatoes and other vegetables are grown in the extended orchards and fields. It’s just a shame that a motorway service station spoils the view be low. “My brother Christoph is more in charge of the farming side, while I’m more responsible for the catering side, but of course we help each other out”, says Andreas. Both live in the “Wassererhof”, in two apartments above the Buschenschank. Now and then Hannes, another of the brothers, also comes by. He is a jazz musician: his advice is ur gently sought when the monthly concerts have to be organised there. Music is also an integral part of the Buschenschank experience, even if the sounds to be heard at the “Wassererhof” are perhaps a lit tle bit more modern and up-to-date, as befits this particular establishment. «

Simple but stylish: the Wassererhof is all about natural materials.

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Under the spell of the centuries Without fuss, but with enormous enthusiasm, Walter Grüner and Petra Gögele collect and sell arts and crafts and antiques. Their particular passion is for original works from the Alpine region.

Text: Elisabeth Augustin Photo: Helmuth Rier

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faint odour of churches, with the aura of old farmhouses, mixes to gether with the unique smell in “Anno Domini”. Visitors are im mediately captivated by the innu merable large and small items: here an old sewing machine, there a hand-carved Madonna and child; chandeliers and lamps of unbelievable shapes and colours dangle from the wooden ceiling; the walls are lined with pictures of chubby angels; red leather chairs at an ancient table stand alongside colourfully painted farmhouse cupboards, while a radio dating from the beginning of the last century plays modern music and, in the back room, a mag nificent cabinet from a vestry awaits a suitor. This is the world of Walter Grüner and Petra Gögele. The pair share their enormous passion for antiques and arts and crafts and spend the majority of their time restoring and selling old furniture and other items. “Time is what God gave us to make the best of our abilities” is how Walter expresses his own philosophy. Since 2000, Walter and Petra have run an antique business at the entrance to Fiè allo Sci liar, the only one for miles around. The economic crisis passed their business by practically unno ticed: “We have always tried to keep our feet on the ground”, as they put it. This means, as well as

reasonable prices, their total commitment to the business, usually seven days a week as well as long hours into the night. Quality and originality are their main aims; they are proud to relate that every one of the innumer able items in the shop has passed through their hands. Thus for example old lamps are scrupulously taken apart, repaired, cleaned and reassembled. If you purchase a 300-year old farmhouse cupboard from “Anno Domini”, you can rest assured that it will be delivered as new, with no woodworm. “We make the old new”, explains Walter Grüner. He is a qualified hotel manager and worked for 25 years in the catering trade. Finally, however, his excep tional interest in art took precedence and, with a business partner, he struck out in a new direction, planning and producing rooms and furniture from old timber. He achieved his ultimate aim, however, with the opening of his antique shop, his interest for years now: and with Petra Gögele he has the best possible partner at his side. For art lovers, these spruced-up objects offer an inexhaustible feast for the eyes. Each item has its own history, which Walter and Petra are always pleased to recount to interested visitors. “We don’t know everything, but we know a bit about »

Anno Domini: not a mingle-mangle, but a veritable artwork.

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Walter Grüner and Petra Gögele share their enthusiasm and fine feeling for the original.

everything”, says Walter. His motto is only to deal in things that he knows something about. He de fines this attitude as having “a certain serious ness”. Buying and selling antiques and art objects is a real matter of trust, with honesty the highest imperative. Thus he does not trade in silver, while he deems jewellery as too risky. He describes what he sells as “nothing fancy”: he offers items from ru ral and peasant communities in the Alpine region, from South Tyrol, the Austrian Tyrol, other parts of Austria and Bavaria. There is no fixed period, but the farmhouse furniture makes up the largest part, contrasting wonderfully with individual objects in

the Biedermeier and Art Nouveau styles. Walter Grüner guarantees the quality and originality of each item with his own name. The customers of “Anno Domini” come mostly from South Tyrol and other parts of Italy, but also travel from Germany, Switzerland and even Hol land. But why would anyone want a Tyrolean farm house cupboard in Rome? “It fits perfectly into a modern apartment setting”, says Walter Grüner, just as an old farmer’s table can develop a spe cial relationship with leather designer chairs. An old chest can contrast beautifully with a modern couch, or an old candlestick fit into a minimalis tic habitat. When Walter Grüner and Petra Gögele deliver their old furniture in Rome, Milan or Ham

burg, which they always do personally, they can see for themselves where these old items will find new homes. Customers appreciate the personal serv ice, while Walter and Petra can not only develop good contacts but at the same time check out all the antique dealers and markets in the city. Walter Grüner is pleased that, in the meantime, his fame has spread such that old furniture and art ob jects are now offered for sale to him by both private individuals and antique dealers who are giving up the business: “That makes for a fine mixture.” This of course does not make it any easier to leave the

“Anno Domini” showroom empty-handed. Walter grins: “It’s true – people come to buy a lamp and leave with a table, or perhaps they’re looking for a special cabinet, then they fall in love with a set of four chairs.” But it is not just this that makes his job so unusual and rewarding.

Every object and every work of art tells its own story.

Do not bother looking for Walter Grüner and Petra Gögele on the Internet. And be patient if you want a photo of a particular chest of draws. Instead of using a computer, Walter takes an old camera and sends pictures to interested customers by post. “You have to allow some time”, says Walter. And, if you consider how many centuries repose in the “Anno Domini”, time soon becomes a secondary consideration. «

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How Urban discovered the Alphorn Majestic tones flow like waves over the gentle hills of the Alpe di Siusi; they are caught in the surrounding rock faces and lie like a carpet of sound over meadows and forests.

Text: Rosa Maria Erlacher Photo: Helmuth Rier

24 ALPE | Summer

es, these are indeed Alphorn play ers, producing wonderfully soft, warm yet voluminous sounds with their apparently archaic instru ments. Four men powerfully blow into these four-metre long wooden pipes, whose curved ends rest firmly on the ground. These are however no imported Swiss Alphorn players, as might be assumed given that the Alphorn is a wellknown national symbol of Switzerland. No, these artists are true South Tyroleans, from Castelrotto to be precise, identifiable by their tucked-up blue aprons, the typical garb of local farmers. Only the great conical, curved wooden pipes originate in Switzerland, like the first Alphorn that Urban commissioned thirty years ago from a Swiss horn maker. The “Alphornbläser Seiser Alm”. Urban is the veteran member of the group known as the “Al phornbläser Seiser Alm”, the Alpe di Siusi Alphorn players. He founded the group and made concert appearances in numerous countries: although he is well over seventy, his love for the Alphorn re mains undimmed. “It all goes back to 1980, when a Swiss holidaymaker brought his Alphorn to Castel rotto and gave a fine display of his skills up on the Monte Calvario”, he remembers. The instrument immediately made its mark on Urban. He had to get his hands on an Alphorn and learn to play it. His enthusiasm was so great that he was able to per suade some enthusiasts among his friends to help out with this musical experiment. “As horn players in the local band, the technique required to play

this instrument was to a certain extent familiar to us”, he explains. The quartet immediately commis sioned a Swiss horn maker to make four Alphorns. “Our enthusiasm for the entire project also helped us build up an extensive repertoire in a relatively short period of time”, Urban relates. Hats off to them, because the Alphorn, precisely because of its utter simplicity, is rated as one of the most dif ficult instruments to play. The long wooden pipe has no holes, keys or valves, so it can only pro duce tones via a skilled blowing technique. This produces sixteen natural tones that however offer a very wide range. Sixteen natural tones. Urban explains: “The pres sure of the diaphragm is used to blow air from the lungs into the instrument”. Vibrating the lips causes the air to oscillate as it passes. The air inside the Alphorn is excited and begins to resonate. “If I let my lips vibrate slowly, I produce longer waves, developing a deep tone”, says Urban. If the lips move faster, high tones are produced. The coni cal funnel shape of the Alphorn acts as an acou stic amplifier. After their first successes around the Sciliar, the group travelled to the convention of Alphorn play ers in Switzerland, where they made useful con tacts and developed friendships. By 1985, players from all over Europe were meeting on the Alpe di Siusi to make music and compete in a friendly manner against the backdrop of the wonderful landscape. Since then, the “International Meeting »

Sound artists: the alphorn demands a lot from the musician.

Summer | ALPE 25

of Alphorn Players”, held every five years, ranks along with the Mountain Fair and traditional Bul laccia festival as one of the most memorable sum mer experiences up on the Alpe. Urban Rier, Anton Fill, Martin Silbernagl and Pe ter Sattler, the current band, are closely bound by their music as well as the friendship and com radeship that is the result of their long collabora tion. Since the Alpe di Siusi Alphorn players first got together 30 years ago, the first of their kind in South Tyrol, they have had unbelievable suc cess. Apart from major appearances in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria, they have even had a special Japanese tour organised for them! The high point was without a doubt however the invi tation from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra to its Christmas celebrations in the German capital. “That was a great acknowledgment for us”, remem bers Urban. “We played before a select audience of musicians and celebrities and received tumul tuous applause.” Concert successes. Picture the scene: four fine men stand on the stage in their traditional Castel rotto costumes, filling the vast concert hall with the solemn, tradition-rich tones of the Alphorn – and Maestro Claudio Abbado joyfully applauds! In retrospect the whole event was fun for the four Alphorn players from the Alpe di Siusi, if also ex tremely stressful on occasion. Fortunately, Alp horns today are easy to transport. They can be di

vided into three sections, placed one inside the other, and carried in a protective case. In former times it was impossible to take these horns, 3-4 metres long, on any sort of journey. They were manufactured from a single piece of wood by halving a curved tree trunk along its length, scrap ing out the two halves, then sticking them back together and sealing them with resin or beeswax, finally binding them with wire, twigs or twine. To day’s horn makers on the other hand use milling machines and high-quality adhesives, fixing the parts together with brass connectors. The “mo dern” Alphorn also has a wooden mouthpiece. “Previous instruments only had a recess carved in them”, explains Urban: it is not difficult to imagine what sort of improvement this makes for the lips. The quartet are happiest playing on the Alpe di Siusi. The effect is that of an enormous open-air arena, giving the tones a depth and power that cannot be achieved in a concert hall. The Alphorn was, Urban reflects, actually devised for the out doors. The sound carries over long distances, which is why it was formerly used by herdsmen as an instrument to call their herds or as a way of communicating from pastureland to pastureland. The calm, lengthy playing using natural tones in the midst of beautiful landscapes also has a me ditative and relaxing effect, yet makes the senses more aware of the mysteries of nature. The warm, deep and ancient tones will also warm the hearts of all those who listen to them. «

The “Alpe di Siusi Alphorn players” elicit their instruments unique nature tones.

26 ALPE | Summer

Your real estate agent in the Sciliar region

Armin Profanter Profanter Real Estate

P R O FA N T E R

• • • •

investment insurance real estate management services

39040 CASTELROTTO - Via Panider, 5 Tel. +39 0471 707 248 - Mobil +39 348 383 27 88 - Fax +39 0471 707 380 www.agentur-profanter.com - info@agentur-profanter.com OFFiCE hOuRS: Monday to Friday from 8 to 12.30 a.m., and from 2 to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 to 12.30 a.m.

Walking and culinary pleasures What could be finer than the combining of two pleasures? First enjoy the wonderful landscape, then end the day cooking and eating together.

» I

n recent years there has been an increase in the interest in typical South Tyrolean fare. Simple, unpretentious food made from fresh, regional ingredients is more and more popular”, believes Maria Anna Plunger of the “Patenerhof” in S. Valentino. This busy farmer’s wife thus came up with the idea of organising cookery courses for guests. Together with another farmer’s wife, her friend Paula Prossliner from the “Zemmer hof”, Maria Anna completed a course as a teacher in farmhouse cooking. Their project, “Cookery courses on the farm”, was thus ready for take-off. The new accommodation next to the old farm house contains a functional kitchen and a dining room where the delicacies prepared together can be consumed in comfortable surroundings.

Text: Barbara Pichler Photo: Helmuth Rier

Walking and culinary pleasures. The project started in co-operation with the Castelrotto Tour ist office in summer of 2009. Cookery courses are offered on different topics, depending on the sea son: herbs in high summer, knödel (dumplings) and strudel in the autumn, Christmas baking with the famous zelten cake in December and finally Lenten dishes at Easter. It is a tour through the farmhouse cooking of South Tyrol. But the gourmets must earn themselves the right to enjoy this genuine South Tyrolean food as, before tucking in, their agenda features the local landscape and culture. The guests are accompanied by a guide from the village square in Castelrotto to S. Valen tino and the “Patenerhof”. Along the via Marinzen, past the images of the saints on the wayside shrine at the “Wegmacherhof”, then on path No. 6 up to the “Scherer Platzl”. We continue south on path No. 7, towards the Sciliar, and past an old plague cross to the Church of S. Valentino. Mentioned in archives in the 13th century, the church stands against the impressive backdrop of the Sciliar and the Santner spire and is probably one of the most photographed

places in the Sciliar region. Mysterious legends sur round its location. Frescoes from the 15th century decorate the southern facade, with Saint Christo pher, the patron saint of pilgrims, to be seen along with the Adoration of the Magi. Cooking at the “Patenerhof”. After a short rest, just a few minutes remain to reach the Patenerhof. The hungry walkers are already expected by their hosts Maria Anna and Paula. These two efficient farmer’s wives will now initiate their visitors into the secrets of cooking knödel. All participants receive a recipe book: knödel with speck, spinach, cheese and liver, pressknödel (cheese and potato dumplings), as well as sweet knödel with curd cheese and plums are all on the menu. Everything is prepared in the kitchen, with the ingredients for the individual recipes all neatly lined up. But participants have to chop the onions, peel the potatoes, weigh out the bread for the knödel dough, and mix and knead everything together. Maria Anna and Paula remain in the back ground, answering questions, giving suggestions and observing what is happening with a trained eye. It smells of stewed onions, speck, steaming pota toes and, finally, crushed sugar and cinnamon. Af ter three quarters of an hour the speck Knödel are ready to be served. So it continues, one round after the other. Seven different types of knödel – savoury and sweet – are to be cooked. Each will be tasted by all of the participants. Eating together in the dining room, experiences are exchanged and the explana tions and tips from Maria Anna and Paula are lis tened to with especial interest. The proverb, “too many cooks spoil the broth” does not apply to the Patenerhof cookery course. The knödel are all delicious, the participants have had plenty of fun cooking them and they have learnt that the cooking of knödel is by no means a dark art. «

Maria Anna Plunger and Paula Prossliner transmit peasant cuisine and delight their guests with down-to-earth dishes.

Summer | ALPE 29

Knödel with curd cheese Ingredients

For preparation

5 semmel (bread rolls), one day old 125 g of butter 4 eggs 200 g of curd cheese (quark) 1/8 l of sour cream 100 g of flour 120 g of semmel bread crumbs, 120 g of butter

Remove the crust from the bread rolls and cut them into very small cubes. Mix the butter and eggs to a foamy consistency, add curd cheese, sour cream and sifted flour, mix everything with the bread cubes and form into round knödel. Allow to simmer gently for some 15 minutes in salted water. Melt the butter and brown the breadcrumbs well. Drain the dumplings, then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with sugar and serve with stewed plums. (Source: La cucina delle Dolomiti, Anneliese Kompatscher, Athesia) Suggestion from Maria Anna Plunger: add some vanilla sugar to the curd cheese. Topfenknödel can also be served without breadcrumbs and just with stewed plums.

Culinary Walking Tours Walking and enjoying culinary pleasures on the Alpe di Siusi Spring and autumn invite with their riots of colour and their culinary delights – from herbs over dumplings and strudels to sweet chestnuts - to pleasure walks. Whether at a „Törggele” walk with stop for a hearty snack or a hike with a cooking course, the trip is a pleasure for all senses.

Our suggestion for a special shopping experience

Fresh produ cts from our local farme rs

The shop Konsum Markt - Coop of Castelrotto was opened in summer 2009. In the specialities’ corner you will find dishes form local farmers and from the whole of the Alpine Region. At the selling desk there is the famous butcher Heinz of the renowned Butcher Shop Silbernagl and Helga, the soul of the Bakery and Confectionery shop Burgauner. Why don’t you come around?

Food - Butcher - Bakery - Confectionery Hardware - Gardening - Agriculture articles

Burgauner BAKERY · CONFECTIONERY

butcher’s silbernagl

MARKT

Famiglia Cooperativa Castelrotto Via Panider, 24 · Phone +39 0471 706 330 · www.konsummarkt.com Opening hours: From Monday to Saturday from 07.30 to 12.30 a.m. and from 3.00 to 7.00 p.m. (closed on saturday afternoon when out |of season) Summer ALPE 31

Saddle up! The Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament is one the of annual high points in the Alpe di Siusi events calendar. On 29 and 30 May this year, horses and riders will once more be competing for the coveted winner’s standard.

Text: Elisabeth Augustin Photo: Helmuth Rier

o other event combines history, sport, culture, dynamics and folklore so well as the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, a horse race first run in 1983 at the foot of the Sciliar and which has since then each year drawn thousands of specta tors from near and far. The Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament takes place over two days: on Saturday the tour nament is solemnly opened, with the 36 teams riding in their respective traditional costumes through the village, alternately Castelrotto, Siusi or Fiè, then gathering to see their starting num bers drawn by lot. The lords of the castle, in medie val garb, explain the individual tournament games, upon which the ride is opened by the patrons in a solemn ceremony, this year in Castelrotto. On the Sunday each team must prove its speed, skill and handling of horses in a total of four tourna ment games on the Monte Calvario of Castelrotto, at the foot of Castelvecchio Castle in Siusi, at the

Laghetto di Fiè lake and at Presule Castle. Each team consists of four horsemen or women, with team spirit, courage and a love for horses all be ing essential conditions simply to be able to com pete. This unique event concludes and culminates with the awards ceremony at Presule Castle. And then the celebrations begin… in the style of the old Wolkensteiner! Who was Oswald von Wolkenstein to whom this spectacle is dedicated? He was undoubtedly (even long after his time) the most famous son of the Sciliar region: a knight, minnesinger, castle owner and traveller. Oswald von Wolkenstein was prob ably born in 1376 or 1377 as the son of a well-posi tioned and recognised family, owners of the Forte Castle high above the Isarco valley, a visible sign of their power. As however Oswald’s older brother inherited the family estate, Oswald was left with nothing but his noble origins. He is famed not only for his extremely varied life, but also as a Tyrolean warhorse and radical. «

Gudrun Panitz, who chairs the committee organising the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, tells ALPE what makes the Wolkenstein ride so special: Could you tell us how your first year in charge of organising the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament has gone? Gudrun Panitz: For me the first year in charge was an im portant task, very hard and in volving considerable responsi bility and challenges. But thanks in particular to my ex perienced colleagues I was up to the job.

What do you regard as the greatest challenge? Giving the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tourna ment new momentum while retaining the tried and tested aspects, all the while ensuring it remains a popular attraction. Temperamental horses, enthusiastic riders in traditional costumes, exciting tournament games, a unique

backdrop: what other “ingredients” can the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament offer? It is like Christmas: always a shining Christmas tree, the crib, the songs we have all heard a hundred times, but a special celebration all the same…! Back at the time of the first ride in 1983, nobody could

For both horse and rider a thrilling competition till the last second.

have predicted the success that this spectacle would have. What does the future hold? Tradition has its obligations too: the ride should continue to be held for future genera tions of riders. Some teams have been riding together for years. Are there new teams coming through?

The fact that quite a few teams have been competing for many years, in one case for 27 years, tells you some thing about the meeting. But there are for example also young teams from the Saren tino valley and the Sciliar re gion who compete with the same enthusiasm as the “old” teams. Quite often they are children of the veterans.

You get 20,000 spectators each year: how can such a large meeting be so well organised? The organisation only works with an experienced team that has been working together for years, with some 500 volun teers from various associa tions. The Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament

has had a partnership for years with a much larger sporting event, the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel. What can you learn from each other? Both are two classics: the Kitzbühel race for skiing and our race for horse-riding. It is an honour for us to have a partnership with the worldfamous and legendary Hahnenkamm race.

GIRO D’ITA Exactly 100 years after the first starting sig nal, the 13th of May 2009 the participants of the legendary „Giro d’Italia“ transformed the Alpe di Siusi into a Mecca for cyclists

Text: Elisabeth Augustin Photo: Helmuth Rier

34 ALPE | Summer

and bike sports enthusiasts. The 5th stage led the competitors from San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino passing breathtaking mountain roads to the stage finish on the

Alpe di Siusi at 1.820 m above sea level (big picture below). The many spectators on the roadside rewarded the effort with enthusia stic applause and couldn’t barely believe

ALIA 2009 how quickly, silently and easily the stars flashed by. The victory of the Alpe di Siusi stage went to the later winner of the Giro, Denis Menchov (in the orange-blue shirt,

image on the left). On the feared mounÂ tain stage the Russian was able to leave the Texan Lance Armstrong (2nd image from the right) three minutes behind him. ArmÂ

strong, however, remained confident and this let him celebrate together with the stage winner Menchov by the many sports enthusiasts.

Summer | ALPE 35

With 19 routes totalling 150 kilometres, located at a perfect altitude, the Running Park Alpe di Siusi offers wonderful running and optimum training conditions for amateur joggers and professional runners alike. The running park is due to open in summer 2010. ALPE talked to Hubert Unterweger, Director of Alpe di Siusi Marketing.

The attractions of running »

ALPE: You can run anywhere, so why a running park? Hubert Unterweger: The run ning park project is intended for visitors who do not know their way around the Alpe di Siusi holi day region. But it is also for dis covering these beautiful routes and enjoying running in unusual surroundings. What sort of runners have you in mind? All types of runners, from top athletes to amateurs. Runners can choose between long and short distances, hard and easy paths. As with ski pistes, the routes are graded blue, red and black to indicate difficulty.

Interview: Michaela Baur Foto: Helmuth Rier

36 ALPE | Summer

How did the idea for the running park come about? Following the first training ses sions by visiting Kenyan mara thon runners in 2007, we played with the idea of making the Alpe di Siusi into a running Mecca for amateurs and hobby runners. We simply had to measure and mark

out the existing paths and, of course, design maps and orienta tion panels. Some of the routes are even named after the Kenyan stars. Are the marked distances solely for the use of runners? No, as I said, these are on already existing trails and paths: both walkers and runners can use the routes. How is the running park different from other similar parks? The biggest difference is the alti tude: eight of the suggested routes lie at heights of between 1800 and 2200 metres, while eleven are at around 900-1100 metres. The Alpe di Siusi Running Park is the first of its kind and size in Italy, with distances total ling some 150 kilometres. Is it possible to combine different routes? Of course: many of the routes on the Alpe di Siusi link together

and fit runners can combine them. What sort of ground are you running on? The routes are mostly over undu lating terrain, on gravel paths or grassland, with only short asphalt sections. What is your favourite route? A particularly fine run, named af ter marathon runner Viktor Röth lin, is the one around the Bullac cia mountain. The first kilometre or so is quite a steep ascent, but after that you are running over gentle hills. You also get a won derful view of the surrounding Dolomite valleys. The going is quite soft: you run past the En gelsrast (angel’s rest) and the Panche delle Streghe (witches’ benches), around the Bullaccia, and back to your starting point. For a shorter distance that avoids the steep uphill, simply take the Bullaccia lift up to the top and start from there.

The Kenyan marathon stars appreciate the optimum training conditions on the Alpe di Siusi.

Summer | ALPE 37

Summer Highlights ’10

> May 28 to 30, 2010

> June 11 to 12, 2010

> June 19 to September 11, 2010

> July 3 to 24, 2010

28 Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament

Big Open-Air Concert of the „Kastelruther Spatzen“

Summer for families

World-best marathoners’ training camp

Galloping into the Middle Ages: the last weekend of May, the vil lages surrounding the Alpe di Siusi are dedicated to the biggest horse back riding festival in South Tyrol. A total of 36 teams face the chal lenging competition games of the Oswald von Wolkenstein Riding Tournament. Besides the competi tion, medieval festivities with hi storical bands, jugglers, fire-eat ers and flag wavers take us back to the times of knights and damsels.

For the fourteenth time the famous folk music group from Castelrotto, the “Kastelruther Spatzen”, invites to the Open Air on home soil. But even after all these years, the fascination of the concert is unbroken: many thousands of fans will arrive in Castelrotto this weekend in June to enjoy the breathtak ing landscape and to experi ence the „Spatzen“ live. A spe cial experience for all big fans …

The traditional riding spectacle starts on Friday, 28 May with a big medieval festival in the historical centre of Castelrotto. On Saturday, the ceremonial entry of the teams on horseback, accompanied by his torical teams and bands, is on pro gramme. On Sunday, the audience draws on foot or by shuttle buses together with the riders from race to race. At the close of the tourna ment, there will be an awards cere mony at Presule Castle, with a sub sequent festive celebration quite in keeping with medieval traditions. www.ovwritt.com

38 ALPE | Summer

Summer time is family time – the Alpe di Siusi will become a paradise for children: from the 9th of June to the 3rd of July summer on the Alpe will be all about riding, hiking, climb ing and cooking. The family summer promises a lot of fun – not only for children but for the entire family. July and August are dedicated to “Witches & Wizards at Alpe di Siusi”: whether a thrilling night walk with Martha, the witch or a discovery journey for secret signs at Presule Castle, magi cal weeks are guaranteed. The thirst for adventure doesn’t get a raw deal either: the end of summer, from the 28th of Au gust to the 11th of September, is full of action and fun, with climbing, hiking and painting.

From 3 to 24 July, the world’s best marathon runners will be coming once more to Europe’s largest moun tain pasture. The optimal altitude from 1.800 to 2.300 m leads the elite runners from Kenya, for the fourth time in a row, to the Alpe di Siusi. With two training sessions a day the runners prepare for the match season. Among the stars there are also world’s top ten marathon run ners as James Kwambai and Martin Lel. Also marathon runners from the Chinese female team will join the 30 top athletes from Kenya in the training. For everyone who wants to run side by side with the Kenyan stars there is the Alpe di Siusi Run ning on 18th July 2010. All amateurs are invited to lace the running shoes and to measure themselves with the marathon runners over 12,7km.

> July 12 to August 16, 2010

> Summer 2010

> August 29, 2010

> October 8 to 10, 2010

Summer Classics in Siusi allo Sciliar

Summer in Presule Castle

International Festival of Alphorn players

“Kastelruther Spatzen” Music Festival in Castelrotto

Konnichiwa, Gruezi, Bonjour, Hallo and Grüß Gott. Let us be interna tional! On the 29th of August 2010, 120 alphorn players meet at the fe stival, especially dedicated to them. Every five years the Alpe di Siusi in vites to the International Festival of the alpine horn players. At Bullac cia, there are not only representa tives of nations, where this kind of music is a traditional one, but also ensembles from France and even from Japan will join. A sound of free dom and brotherhood will ring at 6 a.m. on the very Alpe di Siusi, in Castelrotto, Siusi and Fiè. At 11 a.m., all participants and their fans will meet at Bullaccia for a holy mass.

Three days of celebrating, spen ding pleasant evenings together, experiencing the “Kastelruther Spatzen” live: the Spatzen-Festival in Castelrotto is a must for every fan. Surrounded by the unique scenery of the Dolomites the seven “Spatzen” enchant all the friends of traditional music.

For lovers of classical music, Siusi of fers an extraordinary series of con certs. Artists (primarily from Italy, but with international experience) will perform the works of great com posers. The „Summer Classics“ of Siusi represent a high level of mu sical talent and have long since be come an integral component of our summer cultural program. Both lo cals and visitors will be enchanted.

This summer Presule Castle comes up with open-air theatre, the cham ber music festival and nights at the castle. What does the Dracula family, when she’s broke and has no drop of blood left in the castle? The Open Air Theatre brings “Twi light. Dracula at Presule Castle “ on the stage. The Chamber Music Fes tival focuses on Gustav Mahler’s song cycle about life and death, “Das Lied von der Erde” (“The Song of the Earth”). The concert of a verita ble ensemble of 20 musicians con cludes the festival. And whoever can’t attend the events can still par ticipate in guided tours and view the historical castle from the inside. www.schloss-proesels.it

Summer | ALPE 39

Food Festivals ’10

> June 13 to 27, 2010

> August 29 to September 12, 2010

> September 23 to October 3, 2010

> October 1 to 31, 2010

Natural Food in Fiè allo Sciliar

Strudel Festival

The „Knödel & Knödel“ Dumpling Festival

33rd The “Dispensa di Fiè” Culinary Festival

The week-long „Knödel&Knödel“ Dumpling Festival in Castelrotto can be regarded as a culinary monument to this, the most South Tyrolean of all dishes. Finally, dumplings are ac corded the honor due them. Dump lings of all tastes, colors, and tex tures will figure prominently on the menus of all the restaurants which have organized this festival. Only the typical round shape of the dump lings is assured.

The “Dispensa di Fiè” Culinary Festi val in Fiè allo Sciliar is a well-kept se cret among gourmets and friends of „down home“ cooking, alike. Since 1978, the innkeepers and restaurant owners in Fiè have been inviting visi tors to partake in the „Gastronomical October“. At the close of the season, the best chef cooks of Fiè will do their utmost to astonish and enchant you with new variations of traditional dishes – dishes pepared wit passion and enjoyed with fine appreciation. If you are in search of original dishes (based on time-honored recipes, but with a modern accent), you ought not to miss this month-long culinary festival in Fiè allo Sciliar.

For years, now, the cooks of Fiè have been peparing especially light and appetizing dishes in anticipation of the coming summer. Because in early-summer the gardens there are full of sweet, juicy, and hearty fruits and vegetables, and the desire for natural and unadulterated foods of course increases. The culinary month of June in Fiè allo Sciliar offers a tempting array of tasty, natural dishes skillfully prepared and cheer fully served. A secret tip not only for health-conscious gourmets.

Strudel – whether with a sweet filling or stuffed with hearty ingre dients – is among the most-tempting taste treats which South Tyrolean cuisine has to offer. But all strudels aren’t the same: every region and every family has a different strudelmaking tradition. Each master pastry chef has his own special ingredients, mixes his batter differently, and thus ensures that „his“ strudel has a truly individual character. During the twoweek-long Strudel Festival in Sep tember, you’ll have ample opportu nity to discover and appreciate the subtle differences. Apple strudel, mushroom strudel, and their friends will be at the top of the menus of the restaurants and cafes. www.festadellostrudel.com

www.dispensadifie.com

>July 1 – 11, 2010

Herbal Delights Savoury dishes made with aro matic herbs from the farmer’s garden will spoil our guests during the “Herbal delights” weeks in July. A real celebration for the palate!

40 ALPE | Summer

Winter Preview ’10/11

> December 2010

> January 13 to 23, 2011

> January 19, 2011

And a lot more …

Christmas in Castelrotto

Traditional „Hoazetkuchl“

For the fifth time, the inhabitants of Castelrotto will unveil the secrets of their Christmas traditions and al low others to participate in them. Beside the little Christmas market, local farmers’ wives will offer their cookies, Christmas logs, pastries, and other authentic goodies for sale. On the second weekend, the well-known „Kastelruther Spatzen“ folks music group will present songs and tunes in keeping with the „Feast of Love“.

Authentic South Tyrolean „Knödel“ (dumplings) and calf’s liver, goulash soup and rye bread, sweet „Muas“ (applesauce) and holiday pastries are just a few of the authentic Tyrolean country dishes from which to choose during the traditional „Hoazetkuchl“.

South Tyrol Moonlight Classic Alpe di Siusi

> December 12, 2010 Alpe di Siusi Winter Opening

Appointments > December 4 to 8, 2010 > December 10 to 12, 2010 > December 18 to 19, 2010

Presule Castle is a majestic, ex tremely well-preserved castle located in the hamlet of Presule in the vicin ity of Fiè allo Sciliar. In wintertime, too, you can visit it and participate in a guided tour through impressive armories, and up breathtaking spiral staircases. The tour ends in the “Knight’s Hall”, with musical entertainment and a selection of delicious South Tyrolean specialties.

www.mercatino-castelrotto.com >January 16, 2011

Traditional country wedding of Castelrotto The Country Wedding in Castelrotto has already become a tradition. It’s the authentic reproduction of an hi storical farmer’s wedding like those celebrated since time immemorial at the foot of the Alpe di Siusi. The throngs of participants wear their traditional garments with great pride - one of the reasons why the event has developed into one of South Tyrol’s most spectacular pageants.

> Winter 2010/2011

Winter Spirits at Presule Castle

www.schloss-proesels.it

The moon will be astounded when it peeks over the Dolomites. Because that’s when the starting pistol will fire for a cross-country marathon of a most unusual kind. At 8 p.m., namely, several hundred cross-country skiers will shove off from Compaccio and glide on their narrow skis in the light of their forehead-mounted lamps through the luminescent night-time winter landscape. They’ll follow the route for 20 or 36 kilometers, finally returning to their starting point. But the „South Tyrol Moonlight Clas sic Alpe di Siusi “ is a fantastic ex perience not only for the partici pants, but for the spectators, too! www.moonlightclassic.info > January 23 to 31, 2011

swing on snow Dolomite Music Festival

> December 18, 2010 King Laurin Snowpark Opening > January 1, 2011 Ski race Fan & Fun with our Skistars Denise Karbon and Peter Fill > January 15 and 16, 2011 Freeski Contest King Laurin Snowpark > January 23, 2011 Alpe di Siusi Winter Golf Tournament > February 12 and 13, 2011 Subject Schlern 9 Snowboardcontest > March 2011 The “Blue Ribbon” Race of the Alpe di Siusi > March 19, 2011 10-Spots Mission King Laurin Snowpark

Eight days of music on the Alpe di Siusi, the huts and in the villages at the foot of the Sciliar moun tain, sweet melodies and dynamic rhythms, groups from the entire Al pine region, and above all a great atmosphere: this is Swing on Snow 2011. For the sixth year in a row the Dolomite Music Festival offers a mix of traditional folk music with jazz, soul, pop and classical music. www.swingonsnow.com

Summer | ALPE 41

Foto: Markus Kompatscher

Around & About

The Global Kryner vs. The Rounder Girls at Swing on Snow. Gospel and Soul with some alpine flavour meets urban coolness -

Playing golf in the snow

Helga Rauch is the fastest. At Lucerne Marathon the innkeeper of the Rauch Hut, measuring a time of 2:56:56 was the first to arrive at the finishing line and won the marathon, before 358 other competitors. “From the beginning till the end, it was a great feeling“ so Rauch.

Photo: Hotel Steger-Dellai

Photo: Swiss Image/Andy Mettler

Golfers can’t take a joke? Far from it! The President of the Golfclub Castelrotto Alpe di Siusi, Nina Urthaler, on January 17, invited to the 2nd International Winter Golf Tourna ment on the Alpe di Siusi and 18 tandem teams fought for the trophy. Ambition also played a role but above all it was a great fun to go by ski or by sled, with three clubs un der the arm, from tee to tee and to bring the coloured golf balls towards the flag. The de cision was made on the partially frozen putting green in front of the Hotel Plaza. The Winter Golf Tournament will be held again this winter. All golf players are welcome.

a great mix of two famous groups. They played some classics like “Realing in the Years” and folkloristic pop like “Schnucki, ach Schnucki” and “Hamma net” and so the Global Kryner vs. The Rounder Girls became the highlight at Swing on Snow 2010. At -10° C their show was transferred into a big tent, where the trio with powerful voices and the five man with Alpine feeling heatened up the atmosphere.

Alpe di Siusi winner ADAC Prizes for Top Ski Areas: Alpe di Siusi is 3rd in ranking. Much ski fun at reasonable prices offers the skiarea Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi and ranks 3rd in the category “SkipassIndex Italien”. The Alpe di Siusi offers a variety of slopes of about 60 kilometres, for begin ners, advanced and professionals skiers.

The Alpe di Siusi is the training camp of great athletes: The Olympic Stars of Nordic Ski prepare since 1990 on the highest mountain plateau in Europe. Twice a year - in August and in January - the Nordic Ski team meets on the Alpe di Siusi, in order to prepare for big competitions. And the success at the Olympic Games was there to arrive. Marit Bjørgen was crowned queen of Nordic Ski, thanks to three gold, a silver and a bronze medal; her colleague Petter Northug got three medals.

IMPRINT. ALPE: Reg. Court Bolzano / Bolzano, n. 9/2002 R.St. Published by: Alpe di Siusi Marketing. Responsible Editor: Hubert Unterweger. Editorial Team: Elisabeth Augustin, Rosa Maria Erlacher, Barbara Pichler-Rier, Michaela Baur; Translations: Bonetti & Peroni, Bolzano. Graphicdesign: Komma Graphik. Advertising: Sabine Demetz, Christoph Trocker. Printing: Litopat, Verona. Circulation: 50.000

42 ALPE | Summer

Werbemitteilung / Messaggio pubblicitario

Mit vollem Einsatz. Massimo impegno.

Ziele erreichen. Der Erfolg hat viele Väter. Harte Arbeit, voller Einsatz und mentale Stärke sind nicht nur im Sport entscheidend. Raiffeisen fördert den Südtiroler Sport und ist auch der richtige Partner in allen finanziellen Bereichen. So kommen Sie sicher ans Ziel.

Raggiungere gli obiettivi. Il successo è la sintesi di numerosi fattori. Duro lavoro, massimo impegno e forza mentale non sono determinanti solo nello sport. Raiffeisen, il partner giusto in tutte le questioni finanziarie, sostiene lo sport locale per consentirvi di raggiungere sempre il vostro traguardo. Agencies: Castelrotto

Siusi

Alpe di Siusi

Phone: 0471 711 711 E-Mail: cra.castelrotto@raiffeisen.it

Phone: 0471 711 700 E-Mail: cra.siusi@raiffeisen.it

Phone: 0471 727 944 E-Mail: cra.castelrotto@raiffeisen.it

Oltretorrente

Roncadizza

Phone: 0471 711 800 E-Mail: cra.oltretorrente@raiffeisen.it

Phone: 0471 711 811 E-Mail: cra.roncadizza@raiffeisen.it

www.raiffeisencastelrotto.it

Without auto-mobile

Affordably and conveniently to the trekking wonderland The Seiser Alm Card Gold and the Combicard

Seiser Alm Card Gold

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70,00 Euro

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St/Iva iusi.it : 013706 00213

Combicard 3 in 7

Combicard 7

Combicard 14

In the course of 7 days (after first use)

In the course of 14 days (after first use)

> 3 times to the Alpe di Siusi and back, with the Alpe di Siusi Aerial Cableway or the Alpe di Siusi Express > unrestricted use of the shuttle buses, of the Almbus and the Nightshuttle > 3 days free use of the Public Transport Services „Mobilcard Mitte/Centro“

> unrestricted use of Alpe di Siusi Aerial Cableway and the Alpe di Siusi Express > unrestricted use of the shuttle buses, of the Almbus and the Nightshuttle > unrestricted use of the Public Transport Services „Mobilcard Mitte/Centro“

34,00 Euro The “Combicard” and the “Seiser Alm Card Gold” are untransferable! Children (0-5 years) and persons on wheelchairs ride free of charge. Juniors (6-15 years) pay only half fare.

Alpe di Siusi Aerial Cableway 39040 Siusi allo Sciliar · Via Sciliar, 39 Tel. 0471 704 270 · Fax 0471 704 269 www.cabinoviasiusi.it · info@cabinoviasiusi.it

43,00 Euro

63,00 Euro