Italy holidays: this mountain is at its best in the summer months, says Libby Brodie
If you ever wondered what it’s like visiting a ski destination in summer, let me tell you that the rumours are true: it really is like stepping into a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale. At least, this was my first impression when I visited La Perla in the Italian Dolomites this July. I blame Disney but I kept expecting Julie Andrews to come bursting out with “The Hills are Alive…” Or at the very least, a puppet singing “it’s a small world after all!”
I was staying at La Perla, a five-star family hotel in the tiny village of Corvara, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Dolomite mountains. Think stone arches outside and warm wooden furnishings inside. The lady in a dirndl dress at reception did nothing to dispel the sense of nostalgia, nor the white capped and aproned maids who served in the breakfast room.
La Perla is owned by Ted Talk alumni Michil Costa, internationally known for his radical ideas about hospitality and his passion for preserving the Ladin culture of northern Italy. One of his passions is reducing the carbon footprint of hotels. At La Perla there is no air-con, though you can request a fan if opening a window to the cool mountain air just makes you hotter.
Italy holidays: The dining room at La Perla
Last year they tied guests’ cars with a big green ribbon and anyone who did not drive during their stay was gifted a free night on their next booking. The hotel has 51 rooms, including new suites, many with their own balconies with sun loungers for mountain views. Terraces are hung with bright pink and red floral displays. I was roused by the neighbouring church bells and an enthusiastic rooster. Coffee was served looking out at the Sassongher Mountain, and in the foreground waterfalls plunged between bundles of fir trees bordering bright green slopes.
In winter all this would be snow and guests could ski out of the hotel to the lifts. In summer the cable cars continue to flow, taking hikers and bikers to the plateau above. Each day our concierge, Francesco, proposed a different hike. I opted for a gentle foraging walk with chef Aldo, who’s an expert on mountain foraging and cooks with the area’s native wild herbs and plants. We collected Good King Henry in wooden wicker baskets then took part in a cooking demonstration, making turtres — a local stuffed and fried pasta dish. They were fluffy, salty, crispy, filled with our harvested greenery and fresh ricotta and extremely good.
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Talking of foodie accolades, the area has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in Italy. La Perla itself has a star in one of their five restaurants, though we dined in the main eatery, Les Stües, which offers a very reasonable four courses for 40 Euros. Most of the top hotels nearby are modernising to attract an international crowd, but La Perla seems to have taken what the other hotels were throwing out and reconstructed their looks here, a proud remnant of the area’s traditional aesthetic. Think checked curtains and impossibly cosy wooden booths wherever you look. There is also a bistro that spills onto the terrace with a programme of live music every day over aperitivo.
Libby foraging in the meadows near La Perla
Across the road lies one of the most coveted spots for après ski, L’Murin. In winter there are queues to get in from 2pm and people dance on the tables until late at night, but in summer it becomes a relaxed beer garden with chickens, a small stream for hikers to cool their feet and a treehouse bookable for private drinks. La Perla’s cellar, accessed by a fireman’s pole of all things, is only stocked with old world wines. You won’t find prosecco on the menu as they prefer to draw attention to less mass-market alternatives such as the more local Trento Doc traditional method sparkling.
A complimentary tour of the cellar can be booked but no photographs are allowed. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but I will say that having done many cellar tours, this is by far the most bizarre I have ever encountered. (Perhaps the fireman’s pole should have been my first clue.)
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The wine tasting afterwards was excellent, where a sommelier plied us with vintages of Sassicaia and specially paired nibbles. At the newly renovated spa, the pool is accessed by a romantic little wooden bridge and surrounded by windows framing those great hulking mountains. I went here to soothe my post-hike muscles and post-wine-tasting head with a salt scrub, and steam and sauna.
Surrounded by so much fairytale beauty, La Perla is at its best when it it’s surprisingly eccentric too. Not to bang on about the whole fairytales thing, but this really is a “Happily Ever After” place to pop off to for a summer break.
Book an Italy holiday for the summer
Rooms at La Perla start from £545 per night including breakfast & dinner. Wine Tasting is from €50 per head; Sassicaia Tasting €290 per head, foraging was €200 for up to four people. get there The Sky Alps London Gatwick to Bolzano round trip starts from £384. Bolzano to La Perla is approximately a two hour drive. A driver can be arranged via the hotel.