The Vitalpina速 Concept
At
Vitalpina® Hotels Südtirol
you get that
true “Alpine-wellness feeling”
South Tyrol. A common philosophy and
you only find in
strict
quality control guidelines,
among the partner ensure
hotels,
top standards in each one.
The Vitalpina速 Hotels Philosophy The philosophy behind the concept of the Vitalpina速 Hotels S端dtirol combines hiking experience and activity in an Alpine setting with healthy, local food and regional, as well as typical, wellness treatments using natural products.
Get active
Cuisine Well-Being
Get active • Guided hiking tours led by qualified guides. • Fitness activities out in natural surroundings (Nordic walking, Kneipp-walking etc.) • Specialized advisors for individual tours. • Transfer service on all hiking tours. • Hire of professional equipment in the hotels. • Library of relevant hiking literature and maps of local trails.
Cuisine • Vitalpina® menus designed for well-balanced nutrition. • Use of seasonal products of regional provenance. • A selection of high quality, regional wines and spirits.
Well-Being • Relaxation and wellness area with sauna and steam-room. • A choice of massages with select Alpine essential oils. • Wellness practices with local, natural products such as apples and juniper berries.
Get active Vitalpina速 Hotels S端dtirol are your specialists for an active Alpine holiday. Our core competence lies in mountain-hiking of all types and forms. Each hotel is guaranteed to have a qualified mountain guide among its management staff, available to accompany guests on weekly hikes.
Only there where you came on foot can you claim to have really been.
J. W. v. Goethe
Movement is life!
H. W. M端ller-Wohlfahrt
Professional support for individual tours • Your host can give you valid advice for individual hikes you may decide to undertake. • On request, the hotel can also arrange transportation to the starting point and/or return for all organized hikes. • The hotel recommends the use of public transportation (cable cars, local buses and trains) for transfer to and from the hikes. Public transportation schedules are available at the hotel.
Along the way with a guide • It is possible, at Vitalpina® Hotels Südtirol, to take part in organized, guided hiking tours with a qualified guide. The tours vary in length and level of difficulty and are on offer all year round. • At least one member of the hotel management is a qualified hiking guide and is available to accompany guests at least once a week on a guided tour. • A qualified mountain guide can advise you on trips and
| Get active
Vitalpina® Hotels: the hiking experts
accompany you on climbs, glacier-expeditions and high- mountain hikes with equipment.
Professional equipment • You can hire professional mountain equipment at the hotel (rucksacks, walking maps, snow-shoes, compasses, bino- culars, rain-jackets etc).
Staying well informed • The hotel library, containing hiking and mountain literature - including maps, will help you plan your individual tours.
| Get active • Once a week (usually on the night of your arrival), the “active” programme will be presented personally to all guests. • The “active” programme, as well as other hotel activities and the current weather forecast will be prominently displayed on the hotel notice board. • The guided-tours on offer by the Alpine school or a quali- fied guide are on constant display in the library with relevant literature for consultation. • Once a week there is a theme-evening based on a Vitalpina® theme including gourmet food and drink, wellness, health or Alpine topics such as wine or local-speciality tasting- sessions, speeches on herbs and their uses, Nordic walking, geology etc.
Further active offers Activities such as Nordic walking, pulse-measured walking, stretching and water aerobics are offered in or around the hotel and carried out under supervision of a qualified trainer.
Good to know Get active
1 Planning Research the length of the tour and its level of difficulty carefully.
2 Weather forecast Check the current weather forecast and follow up on any developments.
3 Fitness Gear the tour to your physical condition.
4 Walking speed Choose a moderate and even-paced walking speed and take regular breaks.
5 Food and beverage Bring sufficient and nutritious food and an adequate amount of fluids.
6 Equipment Wear proper footwear and clothing. Carry rain protection and a first aid kit.
7 Marking Follow and stay on marked trails.
| Get active
7 mountain tour tips
Exercise: walking, just do it
30 minutes of exercise a day can positively affect your life expectancy. Choose a sport that you enjoy, so that you avoid the pitfall of quitting after a short period of time.
Take every chance you get to exercise: • Stair training: Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs and use them as a personal training tool. • 365 days of fresh air: Go out in the fresh air, no matter what the weather is like. • Be mobile without a car: Instead of driving, walk short distances. • Every-day office movement: Use your lunch break well and go on a walk to aid digestion! Aim to get to specific places you need to go quicker than usual or run part of the way.
There are many reasons to hike • Nature has a relaxing effect. • Hiking activates all the senses: smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch. • Walking strengthens the heart and immune-system. • Walking regularizes metabolism.
Frequency and efficiency It is proven that hiking on a regular basis helps strengthen the heart. Two to three sessions of one hour per week are considered ideal. Your pulse should stay between 120 to 140 beats per minute. Your heartbeat increases in volume during exercise, and therefore helps make the heart stronger.
Nordic Walking: fitness with the aid of walking sticks Nordic Walking suits amateurs as well as advanced athletes. By using walking sticks, you also train your upper body muscles, which adds further to your health and sense of well-being.
| Get active
Hiking: health for the body and soul
Cuisine The gastronomic offering at your Vitalpina速 Hotel is well-suited to the necessities of active guests and makes use of typical regional produce as well as seasonal dishes.
Our food should be our medicine.
Hippocrates
Nature is the best chemist.
Sebastian Kneipp
| Cuisine
The cuisine expertise of Vitalpina® hotels Optimal cuisine for active guests The menus offered at Vitalpina® Hotels Südtirol are carefully prepared following the concept of a balanced diet. The philosophy behind the dishes prepared is that of “regional and seasonal”: each hotel uses, as far as possible, ingredients from the South Tyrol region, thus supporting at the same time local producers. Seasonality is always an important issue when choosing the dishes and their ingredients. Seasonal products from regional producers are marked up on the menu and at the buffet counter. The “Vitalpina®-dish“ is a classic example of optimal, balanced nutrition. Many of the Vitalpina® hotels also cater for people with special dietary requirements such as diabetes, lactose-intolerance and celiac condition.
Something special for true connoisseurs The Vitalpina® Hotels Südtirol offer an avid selection of local wines and spirits of the highest quality.
| Cuisine
In the morning – fresh and crispy At the breakfast buffet you will find an array of local, high-quality foods from South Tyrol. The fresh fruit and pressed fruit-juices are always seasonal. The buffet is varied and fresh and of the highest quality.
Snack-time: Vitality and vitamins In your Vitalpina hotel you will find a basket full of fresh, locally cultivated fruit at your disposal free of cost. Furthermore, such drinks as water, tea and freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices are always available, especially within the wellness area.
Evening – light and delicious To start with, you will be offered a salad from the buffet with seasonal vegetables and a choice of high quality oils and vinegars to dress it with. To follow, a menu composed of a number of courses, including the „Vitalpina® dish”, which combines Alpine tradition with Mediterranean cuisine, will be served. Local and seasonal ingredients are used.
Good to know Cuisine
1 Moderate, but regular intake
Five smaller dishes a day are better than three big ones. The three main daily meals should be complemented by two smaller snacks in between. Most highly recommended for these are seasonal fruit and vegetables, freshly squeezed juices and yogurt.
2 Variety, not monotony
The best approach is to enjoy a wide variety of food and pay attention to the diversity of a good diet. Through eating a variety of foods one can easily get all of the essential and vital nutrients that the body needs.
Water is essential for the proper working of all organs and the body’s metabolism. Place drinks in a visible place and drink between 1.5 and 2 liters every day, outside meal-times and well distributed throughout the day. Suitable, valuable drinks are water, mineral water and homemade fruit or herbal tea.
3 Everything flows
4 Enjoy your meal
To enjoy a meal in the right way, one should always have the proper care of the body firmly in mind. Therefore, take your time and enjoy eating with all of your senses.
| Cuisine
4 tips for healthy nutrition
Nutritional tips for “active� guests When you exercise, your body needs energy, so fill that need with nutritious and balanced food.
Carbohydrates: the best source of energy Carbohydrates represent the best source of energy for peak physical and mental productivity. Glycogen from carbohydrates is stored in the body. Because the productivity of the body is in direct relationship to the amount of stored glycogen, the intake of carbohydrates (bread, muesli, fruit, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.) before, during and after any sports activity is essential.
Fat: the bundle of energy Fat is the biggest reservoir of energy found in the human body. It is also an essential for cells, and helps protect the internal organs like a pillow. But fat is also the number one carrier of energy and should therefore be consumed in small amounts. Be aware of hidden fats in sausages, cheeses, sweets and finger foods. Choose cooking methods that require less fat (like braising, steaming, or roasting in aluminum foil) and use vegetable oils.
| Cuisine
Protein: no need for large amounts There are no particular guidelines regarding the intake of proteins when physically active. A well balanced diet, with more vegetarian protein and less animal protein, generally covers all of the body’s daily needs.
Vitamins: small amounts, big results Because of increased perspiration during exercise, the body loses not only water but dissolvable vitamins and minerals. These can be regenerated through proper intake of food and drink. Therefore there is no need for vitamin or mineral supplements.
Sport drinks: sense or nonsense? Sweat is part of exercising! Sufficient drinking balances the loss of bodily fluids. The ideal drink is a mixture of mineral water and fruit juices made according to a 3:1 ratio. Mineral water delivers mainly sodium, chloride and calcium to the body. Fruit juices are high in sugar, which provides the body with a quick burst of energy.
The special well-being programme of your Vitalpina速 hotel offers relaxation and recreation after an active day. Here, traditional regenerative methods are applied, with natural home-grown products from the surrounding Alpine region of South Tyrol being used.
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
John Muir
The way to all things greater is through silence.
Friedrich Nietzsche
| Wohlf端hlen
Well-Being
The well-being expertise of Vitalpina® hotels Plenty of comfortable space in your Vitalpina® hotel Sauna: Much more than just hot air • In your hotel, at least one Finnish sauna, one steam bath and one generous relaxation area are at your full disposal. • The sauna area is open at least four hours per day.
Swimming pool: Dive in and chill out • Your hotel has one open-air or indoor pool (or respectively a bathing pond available), or is situated no further than 3 km from a nearby public open-air or indoor swimming pool. • Entrance to the swimming pool is free-of-charge. • The swimming pool is open daily from 7am to 7pm.
Massage: Feel born again • Your hotel possesses its own massage room. • A qualified masseur or masseuse is at your disposal.
The cosmetics company Vitalis Dr. Joseph from Brunico/ Bruneck has created certain products exclusively for the Vitalpina® Hotels Südtirol which are especially suited for the necessities of active guests. • Vitalpina® Massage with apple and juniper berry extracts • Vitalpina® Haybrush Peeling with juniper extract • Vitalpina® Steam Sauna Peeling The main ingredients of the Vitalpina® products of Vitalis Dr. Joseph are respectively apple and juniper. Both of these fruits are cultivated in South Tyrol and represent a successful combination of active substances derived equally from both Alpine and Mediterranean nature.
| Well-Being
Exclusive Vitalpina® treatments with apple and juniper berries
The apple in the Vitalpina速 Concept
Apples have been cultivated and harvested in South Tyrol for over 100 years, thus making South Tyrol the largest and most important centre of apple cultivation in Europe. Content and effects Apples contain important pectins, vitamins, mineral nutrients and other various trace elements, as well as different types of saccharine and a variety of dietary fibres. The many active substances of the apple can be assimilated by the body quite easily, which is why this fruit is considered a highly effective stimulant. Thanks to its essential fruit acidity, the apple counteracts the hyperacid nature of bodily tissue, as the body transforms fruit acids into base substances. The dietary fibres and pectins can dilute harmful substances in the intestine and help ameliorate their expulsion. The apple contains malic and citric acids, which protect skin cells and have a regenerative effect on both skin and tissue.
| Well-Being
Applications of the apple The apple is truly multi-talented: it can be consumed fresh, dried, grated, boiled, or fermented as vinegar; as apple concentrate, to gurgle, as a drink for detoxification, applied to the skin, for brushing the teeth, for use in footbaths as well as for hair care and manicures ‌ Whether used as a pleasant bath additive or a typical product of regional cuisine, as a popular juice or vinegar type, as a basic resource for cosmetic products or simply eaten right from the tree – the apple is always a healthy treat.
The juniper in the Vitalpina® Concept
The juniper belongs to the cypress family, and grows on low-yield ground at altitudes between 600 and 2,200 metres. The symbolism of the juniper The juniper is a symbol of long life – the plant itself can grow to be more than 2,000 years old, and juniper berries need three years to completely ripen. Thus, the juniper bush can be seen as an allegory for slowing down and taking it easy – and even for the slowing down of your holiday.
The effects of the juniper The juniper is employed for its numerous positive properties in many different applications:
Cuisine and bar use: When used in teas, juniper supports bodily metabolism, helping to purify the kidneys and boost digestion. Dried juniper berries are also used as a typical spice in sour cabbage and various meat dishes.
| Well-Being
“Cured ham”: Juniper berries are also essential in the curing process of traditional ham, or speck. Apart from the berries, juniper twigs known as “Kranewitten” are used within the curing process, in order to provide the local ham with its most typical and unique flavour.
Spa: Applied on the skin or in massage, juniper has an analeptic effect on veins.
Sauna: Being used as a disinfectant agent within the smoking process, this so-called “incense of the North” is also a popular essence within the sauna.
Indoor: Containing a fragrant room scent, the aetheric oils of the juniper provide an ethereal clarity to any environment.
Good to know Well-Being
1 No time for a full massage? Stretch and expand your muscles several times a day by moving them in all directions – right in the office.
2 Do you make enough time for yourself? Just make use of that. Reserve a fixed weekly appointment, only for yourself.
3 Is it difficult for you to relax at home? Treat yourself with an extended and rejuvenating bath – to banish your stress away!
4 Does your mobile phone seem to ring all day long? Nobody needs to be constantly reached the entire day. Turn off your phone occasionally.
5 Is your bedroom a real place of rest? Turn off all electrical appliances (television, mobile phones, etc.) and sleep well …
The result: Listen to your inner voice and dedicate more time to what is actually good for you – from taking a short walk during your lunch break to trying to have day without mobile phones each week.
| Well-Being
5 tips for everyday relaxation
Wellness applications after exercise Effort and relaxation: this is truly a reasonable combination, because the thermo-therapeutic use of applied heat as well as massages, herbal packs and base drinks all help to break down the lactic acids that build up during physical activity. Moreover, correctly chosen wellness applications can relax a slightly tense musculature, so that after a pleasant night’s sleep you may again feel fit for new adventures and activities.
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holiday-packages
please visit our website
www.vitalpina.info
Vitalpina Hotels Südtirol Piazza della Parrocchia, 11 I-39100 Bolzano/Bozen phone +39 0471 999 980 info@vitalpina.info
www.vitalpina.info
Graphics: jung.it • Text: B. Alber, V. Breitenberger • Translation: Perkmann Translations • Print: Athesia Druck GmbH Pictures: Südtirol Marketing/A. Trovati, F. Blickle, S. Scatà, H. Rier, T. Zwyssig, Hotel St. Veit/H. Rier, Hotel Post/M. Prossliner