I know you are looking for a quiet and peaceful place to spend few days at the mountains, where you can take easy walks, breathe clean air and relax a little at the spa. I’ve found exactly what can satisfy everything you’re looking for: a weekend at the Vigilius Mountain Resort.
The Vigilius Mountain Resort is a mountain hotel in South Tyrol, a new and modern structure that keeps its tradition at the same time. Its principal characteristic is that it is perfectly camouflaged with the nature and the trees around; there is in fact only one way to reach it: taking the cable car. Oh yes, you are thinking right, up there, at 1500 m altitude, you will never hear the noise of cars or the smell of smog, you can really breathe a different, healthy air.
THE VIGILIUS MOUNTAIN RESORT
Vigilius is really in harmony with the landscape, the new structure is perfectly integrated with the old mountain farmhouse, obviously restored and made impeccable. The style is very minimal, with few but essential details. It has very airy spaces and the materials used, such as wood on the outside and the rock on the inside, are very effective: it almost looks like a continuation of the nature. All rooms are very elegant and characteristic, with the bedroom area separated from the bathroom area only by a septum. There is only closed room that is dedicated to toilet, while the entire room is an open-space.
The touch of RED is a symbol of identity in the hotel.
Furthermore, the hotel is usually closed for about a month during spring and when autumn arrives. Every year the closing days change, so for more information I advise you to contact the facility directly.
WHERE IS THE VIGILIUS
The hotel is located on the top of Mount San Vigilio, near the small village of Lana. It is just 10 minutes away from Merano and it takes around 20 minutes to reach the city of Bolzano from there, the main Centre of the South Tyrol.
HOW TO REACH THE VIGILIUS
As mentioned few lines above, the hotel can only be reached by cable car. The route starts from the only ski lift in Lana which is very easy to find. There, there is a car park reserved for hotel guests and the entrance to go up, which can be opened by ringing the bell. Take a seat near the window and enjoy the beautiful view on the valley as the cable car goes up.
EATING AT THE VIGILIUS 
Lunches and dinners are not managed as in the usual hotels: at the ground floor they have the Stübe Idaal where they offer typical Ladin dishes, and the refined 1500s Restaurant on the second floor that offers gourmet dishes. During your stay, you have the opportunity to choose where to eat by booking your table a few hours in advance. I had a very good dinner at the restaurant, a really accurate and particular cuisine.
On the contrary, even if I love South Tyrolean food, the stube didn’t impress me, probably because it was the last day before their spring closure and they didn’t have a wide selection of dishes. Now, let’s talk about my favorite meal: the breakfast at Vigilius is fantastic, there is whatever you want, sweet, salty … and, if you weren’t satisfied with that, they also have a small menu with hot dishes. Among yoghurts, cereals, cheeses, fruits, lots of types of bread, cold cuts, jams … I didn’t know what to eat and it was really difficult to choose and exclude something!
RELAX AT THE VIGILIUS
The Vigilius relaxation area is small but cuddly, there are many loungers where you can read and relax; it has also a large, fairly warm indoor pool with a small bridge that separates it from another pool that takes you outside. This second pool is very hot and suspended and surrounded by trees. That open-air atmosphere, in those 6/7 square meters of thermal water is really special. While I was there, I only heard the sound of the air in the branches of the trees and a slight chirping that gave me a sense of silence even higher.
The SPA is also equipped with a sauna area, massage rooms, showers and a small area with some fruit, the apples here at the mountains are never lacking.
WHAT OFFERS THE MOUNT SAN VIGILIO
Besides hosting a beautiful hotel in the midst of nature, the Mount San Vigilio offers you many walks up or down. A few minutes from the Vigilius there is an old chairlift that can take you even higher. From there you can explore the area from various paths and reach even a tender church. At the top there is also the possibility of having lunch.
If you want to relax a bit after a hectic week of work, I recommend you spend a weekend at Vigilius Mountain Resort, I was really regenerated!
