The chestnut (Castanea sativa, Mill. 1768) is a stately and long-lived tree. It has always been a symbol of generosity, since its fruits can feed the mountain people. At Schgaguler Hotel, the warm and solid walls of chestnut wood refresh your sight and touch. The perfect embrace of their natural tone strikes you immediately. You are in Castelrotto, Alto Adige, enjoying a story apparently written to be kept among these pages. The Schgagulers believe in team game, domestic warmth, and wise revolutions, in the beauty of their mountains, in emerging talents, in ancient and modern things. You enter a room that fulfils the need of functionality of a young adult globetrotter and your fascination with the North. The natural amenities, of a brand you did not know yet, the cult design items and the latest ones, and the handmade furniture from a nearby joiner’s workshop. You plunge into the hot water tub on the patio and silently breathe alpine air until you can see only the Sciliar’s outline in the blue. In front of the fireplace, you sip an experimental drink prepared by the young bartender Peter Stauder. You taste a dinner balancing regional delicacies and Mediterranean hints in the discreet cheerful atmosphere of the restaurant, managed by Sandra – the only sister – with grace and precision. Tobias is the business manager whereas Peter, the younger brother, is responsible for marketing. Martin, the creative one, helped with the renovation project and took the fantastic pictures that embellish the hotel’s common areas. Then, there are Mr and Mrs Schgaguler. She is the womanly spirit of the house, motherly and talkative. He is the head of the family, a precious guide who has always led guests along the most extraordinary paths and tracks of his beloved mountains, sharing their secrets and their eternal magic.

Words and pictures Meraviglia Paper. A special thanks to Urlaubsarchitektur.