San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge
San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge is an exclusive vacation rental retreat amid forests and lush meadows in the unspoilt heart of the Dolomites.
A magical and luxurious stay for guests seeking peace and nature.
What is the story behind the lodge, what was your inspiration to create it?
The lodge is an 11th-century farmhouse and barn located at 1,200 metres between Villanders and the Villander Alm. The current owner, Thomas Erlacher, bought the property 15 years ago and lived here for 10 years with no electricity or heating. He wanted to take time to get to know the farm as it had remained for many years before making any changes.
Five years ago, he decided to build his own apartment underneath the farmhouse to use as a private dwelling. While it is connected to the listed farmhouse, it is completely independent and largely underground.
During the first Covid lockdown, he began renovating the historic building and created the lodge as it is today. It combines a traditional farmhouse with modern architectural features to create a luxury stay for guests seeking peace, nature and an exclusive break.
Erlacher collaborated with Rudi Perathoner, an architect with whom he had previously worked, and the project took around two years. Most of the yard didn’t have a basement and the roof had to be completely insulated to make the farmhouse liveable.
That being said, the structure of the building remained completely untouched, not only because it is listed but also to preserve its unique atmosphere. For the additions, old materials such as wood and stone were used wherever possible while the low door frames, steep staircase and small bedrooms were retained.
How would you describe the atmosphere & the interior design of the lodge?
The lodge is a combination of old and new, with both traditional and modern elements. Serving as the living space is a wooden stube, which is typical of the South Tyrol region. While the kitchen is fully-equipped and very modern, it is blackened as it would have been in the past by smoke.
Tom is a carpenter, so he did a lot of the work on the farmhouse himself, alongside friends and local artisans. Many of the objects and furnishings are from the South Tyrol region, aside from the fabrics in the living room, which Tom sourced on a trip to Marrakesh. In the bedrooms are modern Italian box-spring beds while objects from as far away as Bali, Nepal and Yemen decorate the spaces.
To you personally, what is so special about the lodge?
I think it’s the personal experience that we offer our guests. The lodge is operated by myself (Claudia) who is the manager, Tom (the owner/founder) and Matthias (the guide). We are very close friends and do a lot of activities with our guests — I think that makes it special. It’s a place where you can really relax, with your own sauna and amazing views of the Dolomites.
The lodge is also an adventurous place that is full of history and stories. The farmhouse is of historical significance and has been renovated with a special flair. Anyone who gets involved and looks behind the centuries-old facade will encounter an interior that has been curated down to the smallest details. The incorporation of fabrics, furnishings and objects from all over the world is complemented by the expansive views from the windows.
The barn’s steep, thatched, half-hipped roof is also a rarity as one of only five surviving roofs of this type in South Tyrol. Many guests comment that the property is “magical” and “something out of a fairytale”.
The lodge is set across three floors, with a Finnish sauna, a relaxation room and a wellness shower on the ground floor. Up a level is the main entrance, the kitchen and the Stube, as well as one of the bedrooms. On the top floor is a big living room and a library that’s filled with books, plus two additional bedrooms and another bathroom. In total, the property can accommodate six people.
The farmhouse is south facing, so you have all-day sun and a perfect view to the Dolomites. Adjacent to the farmhouse is a building where the sheep and goats stay.
SERVICES INCLUDED
• Welcome drink
• Spring water on tap throughout the lodge
• Finnish sauna with local pine wood for 8 guests
• Hay beds for relaxation
• Relaxation areas arranged indoors and outside the Lodge
• Wood-fired heating stove in the Stube area, turned on every day in winter
• Fully equipped De Manincor kitchen
• Lounge with sofas and library with international books, flat-screen TV
• Bluetooth-compatible stereo system for music streaming
• Free Wi-Fi
• Zilla toiletry bag, bathrobe and slippers, sauna towels
• Dyson hair dryer
• Exclusive plastic-free natural cosmetics by Just
• Bed and bath linen changed daily on request
• Daily housecleaning of the lodge
• Washing machine and dryer
• Car parking lots in the garage
• Deposit with lock for trekking, cycling and ski equipment
SERVICES INCLUDED
All of the services listed above, plus...
• Gourmet breakfast with regional products prepared by our breakfast cook
• Evening dinner is prepared by our chef (menus are planned together with the chef)
• Afternoon coffee and/or tea break with home-made desserts
• Honesty bar (with local wines, alcoholic beverages, and non-alchoholic drinks)
• Personal Alpine guide, excursion guide, ski guide, yoga instructor
• Private concierge
• Transfer by Land Rover Defender, Pinzgauer or Skimobile to all climbing starting points
• Rental of E-Bikes, Vespas and climbing gear
We offer guests the option to either rent the lodge as it is or as part of an all-inclusive stay. The latter includes transfers in luxury vehicles from the Bolzano Airport or transport from Venice, Verona or Innsbruck.
As part of our all-inclusive package our private chef will prepare breakfast and dinner at the property, as well as a picnic lunch if guests are going out on excursions. We check with guests about their dietary requirements beforehand and then the chef will chat with them during their stay about what they would like to eat. It’s very personal and flexible. All drinks (including alcoholic beverages) are also included.
Our all-inclusive package also includes outdoor activities and experiences with a guide, such as hiking, climbing, skiing and snowshoeing. Our concierge service can take care of organising cooking classes, helicopter flights and wine tastings — whatever guests would like to do.
If guests prefer to rent the property without any services, there is a fully equipped kitchen they can use. Alternatively, they can select some services they would like and create a customised stay.
FACILITIES & AMENITIES
While the lodge isn’t located in a tourist hotspot, it has amazing views of the Dolomites and it’s not far from the ski resorts and the area’s most popular attractions.
I’d highly recommend the Alpe di Villandro, an alpine meadow that is just five minutes from the lodge. Facing the Dolomites, it’s a great place for hiking and biking, with huts where you can stop for lunch. It’s not overcrowded like some of the other areas, so you have nature all to yourself. In the winter, we can create an igloo in the snow and guests can spend the night there.
How you experience the area depends on the weather and our guide is very experienced in figuring out what is possible. Some people don’t have much experience in the mountains but he always has ideas and understands what they can achieve.
For example, last September we had a group from Canada staying who planned to do a via ferrata. But overnight, snow fell and it was too dangerous. Instead, Matthias suggested they go climbing, even though they had no experience. It ended up being a highlight of their stay!
The lodge is located in the town of Villandro at 1,200 metres above sea level. It’s around 15 minutes’ drive from the nearest highway and 30 minutes from Bolzano and Bressanone. Within 30 minutes’ drive, you can be at the closest ski area or you can take a five-minute helicopter flight to get there. In town, there are several trattorias and a pizzeria that are just five minutes away.
We have two Land Rovers that serve as taxis to take guests wherever they want to go and this is included in the all-inclusive package.
We are open year-round and each season has its own charm. In summer, you can go hiking, cycling or sleep out under the stars. Autumn is amazing and you can do all of the summer activities during this time.
In the winter, it’s about skiing, snowshoeing and sleeping in our handmade igloo. In spring, there is still some snow about and you can visit the wine-growing regions. We have a special relationship with some of the smaller wineries, so you can have quite an intimate experience, walking through the vineyards and chatting with the winemakers.
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