Winter at a slow pace in the Antholz Valley

It is a kingdom of one of the most fascinating snow sports, the biathlon. In this discipline, which combines cross-country skiing and shooting, Dorothea Wierer, who was born in nearby Brunico and grew up in Antholz, triumphed in February 2020 on the slopes of the Südtirol Arena, winning the gold medal for Italy at the world championships. And it is also on these tracks that the biathlon competitions of Milan-Cortina 2026 will be held. In this small side valley of Val Pusteria, squeezed between the peaks of the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park, the Games are a plus in a season, winter, that offers a wide choice of activities to be experienced in a unique mountain landscape. The places to stop are the towns that follow one after the other from Valdaora, at the entrance to the valley, to the Stalle pass, on the Austrian border, at an altitude of over 1,600 metres. The main one is Rasun, a scattered hamlet made up of several hamlets and characterised by a 13th-century ruined castle and a swarm of votive chapels linked by a route to be followed on foot or with snowshoes. The highest of these hamlets - and also the closest to the lake (which in winter often turns into a frozen mirror on which the foliage of the surrounding coniferous forests is reflected) - is Anterselva di Sopra. Here you can indulge in a holiday of pleasure and relaxation at the Falkensteiner Hotel Antholz, a 4-star 'adults only' establishment (with a large, well-maintained SPA and indoor and outdoor swimming pool) surrounded by unspoilt nature and the perfect base for wonderful excursions to the nearby lake. Each hamlet is an ideal starting point for walking from croda to croda in a context that makes cross-country skiing (about 20 kilometres of trails available) and moving at a slow pace its philosophy. The Anterselva valley also preserves a traditional dimension to be savoured around the table: in the typical restaurants one can discover the characteristic flavours of 'doc' dishes, while for an experience not to be forgotten, the address to consider is Ansitz Heufler, in Rasun, chef Norbert Niederkofler's last home, housed in a magnificent castle dating back to 1580.

https://www.antholzertal.com/en ; https://hotel-antholz.falkensteiner.com/en