In the liminal space between earth and sky, time feels suspended. Far below sprawls a valley floor of tessellated green fields so vivid, they seem to vibrate with fertile energy; above is a boundless ceiling of astral blue. And in the Baccarat-clear air in between, you’re floating in space, wallowing in the gravity-defying Sky Pool at the Hubertus, a five-star haven of wellness and good living in Italy’s spectacular Val Pusteria.
Welcome to summer in South Tyrol, the autonomous north-east Italian province that blends easy Mediterranean hedonism with spectacular alpine scenery and traditions. Here, in the commune of Olang, surrounded by forests, wildflower meadows and the singular limestone peaks of the Dolomites, the Gasser family own and operate the stunning design hotel responsible for this peerless pool.
Welcome to summer in South Tyrol, the autonomous north-east Italian province that blends easy Mediterranean hedonism with spectacular alpine scenery and traditions. Here, in the commune of Olang, surrounded by forests, wildflower meadows and the singular limestone peaks of the Dolomites, the Gasser family own and operate the stunning design hotel responsible for this peerless pool.
The gravity-defying Heaven & Hell Spa | Credit: Alex Filz
A stone-clad horizontal monolith extending out over the valley floor, the 25m Sky Pool is cantilevered dramatically by huge, larch-clad supports, with a glass front and window in the floor intended to give guests “the liberating feeling of swimming above all things”.
But the feelings of freedom evoked by a stay at the Hubertus go beyond a dip in one of the world’s most Instagrammable lap pools. Run by the Gassers since the 1960s, the hotel has been on a constant journey of transitions throughout its history – a design and service evolution that has today resulted in a hyperlocal stay incorporating nature-integrated wellness, immersive outdoor activities and a one-of-a-kind architectural edge.
Designed to fit seamlessly against the landscape, the Hubertus curls around, and into, the hillside like a lazy letter “S”. Its contemporary facade is softened with rounded balconies and by the trunks of 80 more larch trunks, which appear to gently prop the building against the terrain.
A stone-clad horizontal monolith extending out over the valley floor, the 25m Sky Pool is cantilevered dramatically by huge, larch-clad supports, with a glass front and window in the floor intended to give guests “the liberating feeling of swimming above all things”.
But the feelings of freedom evoked by a stay at the Hubertus go beyond a dip in one of the world’s most Instagrammable lap pools. Run by the Gassers since the 1960s, the hotel has been on a constant journey of transitions throughout its history – a design and service evolution that has today resulted in a hyperlocal stay incorporating nature-integrated wellness, immersive outdoor activities and a one-of-a-kind architectural edge.
Designed to fit seamlessly against the landscape, the Hubertus curls around, and into, the hillside like a lazy letter “S”. Its contemporary facade is softened with rounded balconies and by the trunks of 80 more larch trunks, which appear to gently prop the building against the terrain.
Valley views from one of the spa’s saunas | Credit: Manuel Kottersteger
There are no artificial barriers; no sense of being cocooned away from the outdoors. Dreamy vistas and mountain hues seep into every corner of the 74-key property, whose interior has been fitted out in soothing charcoal, pale greys and fawns, with acres of wooden flooring, panoramic windows and swathes of glass, plus plenty of inviting fabrics – think soft felts and textural linens – and hand-crafted finishes. In winter, there are crackling fires and steam rising from the outdoor hot tubs, but summer is when the indoor-outdoor boundaries really blur, as windows are thrown open and feathery seed heads billow across the terraces on the warm breeze.
Outside, the extensive, 7,000sq m grounds follow the same sinuous lines as the building’s architecture, comprising emerald-coloured roof lawns dotted with sun loungers and two parks for guests to unwind and restore themselves in. There’s plenty of space to go around. In the eponymous Hubertus Park are fruit trees, herb and botanical gardens and a traditional wooden bowling alley, meticulously crafted by hand. Meanwhile, the Alpenrych Park comprises five outdoor pools, a log cabin sauna, panoramic alpine sauna and cave steam bath, as well as the tranquil Alpenrych Spa, where treatments run from ultrasonic facial lifts to athlete-specific and Ayurvedic massages.
But it’s the recently added Heaven & Hell Sky Spa that’s the real head-turner here: an eye-popping feat of architecture suspended 15m above ground, with hot and cold areas, whirlpool baths, panoramic saunas, and views that draw you into all angles of the surrounding World Heritage-listed Dolomites landscape.
There are no artificial barriers; no sense of being cocooned away from the outdoors. Dreamy vistas and mountain hues seep into every corner of the 74-key property, whose interior has been fitted out in soothing charcoal, pale greys and fawns, with acres of wooden flooring, panoramic windows and swathes of glass, plus plenty of inviting fabrics – think soft felts and textural linens – and hand-crafted finishes. In winter, there are crackling fires and steam rising from the outdoor hot tubs, but summer is when the indoor-outdoor boundaries really blur, as windows are thrown open and feathery seed heads billow across the terraces on the warm breeze.
Outside, the extensive, 7,000sq m grounds follow the same sinuous lines as the building’s architecture, comprising emerald-coloured roof lawns dotted with sun loungers and two parks for guests to unwind and restore themselves in. There’s plenty of space to go around. In the eponymous Hubertus Park are fruit trees, herb and botanical gardens and a traditional wooden bowling alley, meticulously crafted by hand. Meanwhile, the Alpenrych Park comprises five outdoor pools, a log cabin sauna, panoramic alpine sauna and cave steam bath, as well as the tranquil Alpenrych Spa, where treatments run from ultrasonic facial lifts to athlete-specific and Ayurvedic massages.
But it’s the recently added Heaven & Hell Sky Spa that’s the real head-turner here: an eye-popping feat of architecture suspended 15m above ground, with hot and cold areas, whirlpool baths, panoramic saunas, and views that draw you into all angles of the surrounding World Heritage-listed Dolomites landscape.
Dining at the Hubertus, left, and the building’s bird’s-nest positioning | Credit: Vivien Mitterrutzner, Manuel Kottersteger
Taking water and the traditional half-timbered houses of the region as its design cues, Bolzano-based architecture firm NOA flipped logic and convention to create a bold “Hub of Huts”, dangling in space as if magnified in reflection from above. Resembling an upside-down village, this cluster of gabled micro structures houses the wellness spaces that occupy two levels: downstairs, for devilishly hot “Hell”; upstairs, for the blissfully cool “Heaven”.
But perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves – to really maximise such starry wellness facilities, you’ll first want to get out into nature. Fortunately, the Hubertus is not only one of the best hotels for hiking in the Dolomites; it’s the ultimate summer base camp for exploring South Tyrol. Nearby are the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park, dotted with trails and limpid turquoise lakes, and the more challenging peaks of the Rieserferner Group, with its glaciated summits stretching into neighbouring Austria. This is your gateway to alpine adventure: hiking, biking and wandering well-marked trails through both high country and lower pastures humming with pollinators, with lazy village lunches and unparalleled views of Tolkienian peaks your well-earned rewards along the way.
Always keen to share the beauty of the mountains they call home, the Hubertus team actively encourages guests to get “out there”, whether you’re looking for an easy “passeggiata” or are up for a more strenuous “camminata”. Up to 15 times a week, there are guided hikes with hotel staff, who add a charming personal touch to the experience with local stories and in-depth knowledge of the area, but there’s also Nordic walking, forest bathing excursions, farm visits, e-biking and paragliding on offer.
Taking water and the traditional half-timbered houses of the region as its design cues, Bolzano-based architecture firm NOA flipped logic and convention to create a bold “Hub of Huts”, dangling in space as if magnified in reflection from above. Resembling an upside-down village, this cluster of gabled micro structures houses the wellness spaces that occupy two levels: downstairs, for devilishly hot “Hell”; upstairs, for the blissfully cool “Heaven”.
But perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves – to really maximise such starry wellness facilities, you’ll first want to get out into nature. Fortunately, the Hubertus is not only one of the best hotels for hiking in the Dolomites; it’s the ultimate summer base camp for exploring South Tyrol. Nearby are the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park, dotted with trails and limpid turquoise lakes, and the more challenging peaks of the Rieserferner Group, with its glaciated summits stretching into neighbouring Austria. This is your gateway to alpine adventure: hiking, biking and wandering well-marked trails through both high country and lower pastures humming with pollinators, with lazy village lunches and unparalleled views of Tolkienian peaks your well-earned rewards along the way.
Always keen to share the beauty of the mountains they call home, the Hubertus team actively encourages guests to get “out there”, whether you’re looking for an easy “passeggiata” or are up for a more strenuous “camminata”. Up to 15 times a week, there are guided hikes with hotel staff, who add a charming personal touch to the experience with local stories and in-depth knowledge of the area, but there’s also Nordic walking, forest bathing excursions, farm visits, e-biking and paragliding on offer.
Hotel exteriors were inspired by the surrounding region | Credit: Manuel Kottersteger
Want a more serious challenge? Try a climbing course or a high-altitude hike, where an experienced guide is essential. Prefer to sit back and enjoy the view? Head to the rocky shores of mirror-like Lake Braies – at 1,496m, one of the most impossibly pretty beauty spots in the Alps. Whatever you’re doing, the philosophy at the Hubertus is that wellness is as much about reconnecting with nature as it is treating yourself to a body wrap in the spa.
Fuelling all this time in the natural world is Mediterranean-influenced mountain fare in lock-step with the Hubertus aesthetic: stylish yet down-to-earth; sophisticated yet rooted in locality. Dining starts with a buffet at breakfast, laden with all the pastries, South Tyrolean cheese and organic produce you could ask for, moves onto delectable afternoon snacks – perhaps a light soup, some antipasti or a fresh garden salad – and ends with elegant five-course dinners with wine pairings, where the star attractions – perhaps an Arctic char grilled to perfection, or the most tender porchetta – are sourced primarily from the pristine fields, forests and lakes just beyond the front door.
In the restaurant, floor-to-ceiling windows afford a bird’s-eye view over the Sky Pool, which is supplied – like you – with water that comes straight off the mountain. Beyond is that tidy landscape below, with its forest-cloaked edges and ridgelines framed by distant jagged peaks – a reminder of the ever-present encircling wilderness. When you’re at the Hubertus, one thing’s for sure: life on the edge never felt so good.
Want a more serious challenge? Try a climbing course or a high-altitude hike, where an experienced guide is essential. Prefer to sit back and enjoy the view? Head to the rocky shores of mirror-like Lake Braies – at 1,496m, one of the most impossibly pretty beauty spots in the Alps. Whatever you’re doing, the philosophy at the Hubertus is that wellness is as much about reconnecting with nature as it is treating yourself to a body wrap in the spa.
Fuelling all this time in the natural world is Mediterranean-influenced mountain fare in lock-step with the Hubertus aesthetic: stylish yet down-to-earth; sophisticated yet rooted in locality. Dining starts with a buffet at breakfast, laden with all the pastries, South Tyrolean cheese and organic produce you could ask for, moves onto delectable afternoon snacks – perhaps a light soup, some antipasti or a fresh garden salad – and ends with elegant five-course dinners with wine pairings, where the star attractions – perhaps an Arctic char grilled to perfection, or the most tender porchetta – are sourced primarily from the pristine fields, forests and lakes just beyond the front door.
In the restaurant, floor-to-ceiling windows afford a bird’s-eye view over the Sky Pool, which is supplied – like you – with water that comes straight off the mountain. Beyond is that tidy landscape below, with its forest-cloaked edges and ridgelines framed by distant jagged peaks – a reminder of the ever-present encircling wilderness. When you’re at the Hubertus, one thing’s for sure: life on the edge never felt so good.
The Lowdown
Set your sights on the Dolomites and check into the ultimate alpine base camp. Summer adventures start at the Hubertus