I wish you a belatedly beautiful first Advent! Yesterday I sat down full of anticipation at the laptop to write a few new articles for you, but then the technology has made me a line through the bill. Blog deleted, server down, domains incorrectly linked – everything was there. Thank god everything is running again.
It’s already Christmas in our apartment. Last year we didn’t have a Christmas tree, this year I got one again. Currently, it is still a little sparse in the apartment, but smells wonderful. I will decorate it probably only in the coming days. It’s not December yet.
I had already bought candles for our Advent wreath but unfortunately I had no idea what kind of wreath I wanted to make this year. Originally I wanted a very classic wreath, but am then at the idee. Creativmarkt came across this wooden wreath, which I can still decorate the coming years at will. For below there was also the matching round tray. Especially with Christmas decorations I wanted to buy something that I do not immediately throw away again, but can still use often. How do you like it?
Actively relax and regenerate, that’s what I set out to do after a very intense time and therefore chose this 5-star active hotel, newly opened only in 2020. From mountain friends for mountain friends – inspired by the passion of South Tyrolean mountain sports legends so writes the Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz, it wants to be a new active hot spot for adult guests and offer unique experiences on and around the best active mountain in South Tyrol all year round.The journey into the weekend begins with a picturesque drive through the Puster Valley, past cornfields and castles, and my thoughts are already a little freer. A desire to finally roam through a cornfield. Arrived! How nice, the Falkensteiner Hotel is located in beautiful nature, adjacent to wide cornfields in Reischach/Bruneck below the famous Kronplatz.
Falkensteiner Hotel KronplatzDESIGN and ARCHITECTURE
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The signature of architect Metteo Thun is unmistakable here. The entrance area is friendly and very inviting. Striking is the artificial tree in autumnal coloring, which almost blocks the exciting view of the mountain station of the Kronplatz. Well distributed, the many cozy lounge places invite you to linger and to window shop the display cases with fashion items and accessories.
The entrance hall with cozy lounge spots and the bar in the background.
And at the Summit Bar I immediately get a refreshing welcome drink. Tastes delicious!
Experiencing self-determined and unique active moments.
UNIQUE. MOUNTAIN. EXPERIENCE.
South Tyrol’s Kronplatz is a veritable El Dorado of active highlights that should make sports enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies alike happy, writes the Falkensteiner Hotel. I know the Kronplatz in winter and gladly confirm this statement. It is a very special pleasure to let off steam on 117 km of dream pistes at Kronplatz in wonderful snow conditions and then sink into a hut afterwards. I can only warmly recommend such a skiing vacation.
But first to the late summer / autumn program of Experience Concierge René: What would I have imagined? Experience an individually designed and personalized adventure in the Pustertal mountains or go out together with the concierge? Paragliding from Kronplatz and landing in the cornfield, a sideseeing flight with the hot air balloon, hiking or yet the extreme climbing tour? A round with the mountain bike or “downhilling” down from Kronplatz? There is something for every taste. But I leave the falcon flight and the hot air balloon to the other guests and enjoy watching the fun from below. Canyoning or rafting in the wild waters of the Pustertal, that sounds good. Golfing would be possible in the only 1.8 km from the hotel 9-hole course of the “Golf Club Pustertal”. In the hotel itself, I could let off steam on the indoor climbing wall and test the various levels of difficulty. And maybe even hit the jackpot? But no one would have managed that yet… And in the modern gym would be super great high-tech cardio equipment and I should not forget.
Fitness studios are everywhere, but this unique diverse mountain landscape, you can not find everywhere.
So then, off to the mountains!
A long mountain tour would be just right and I have been looking forward to it for a while. Unfortunately, however, rain is announced for tomorrow. There seems to be no agreement with the weatherman here.
No matter, for this I have plan B: in the LUMEN, the photography museum at Kronplatz a new exhibition opens. The Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz cooperates with the LUMEN, so my Experience Concierge is not offended.
It’s just a 5-minute walk to the cable car station and the ride up offers a magnificent view of the surrounding mountain landscape.
With the Museum of Mountain Photography LUMEN, this fascination finds a photographic home: located at the summit of Kronplatz, 1800 square meters are fully dedicated to the photography of the mountains. On four floors, LUMEN makes it possible to experience the history of mountain photography from its beginnings to the present, as well as the art of mountain photographers from all over the world. Scientific standards and entertainment are not a contradiction in terms – the LUMEN Mountain Museum shows historical photographs and digital innovations, exciting temporary and special exhibitions as well as spectacular stagings. Adjacent to the museum the well-known restaurant of ***star chef Norbert Niederkofler & Paolo Ferretti The AlpiNN – Food Space & Restaurant.
LUMEN
Currently on view at LUMEN is a wonderful exhibition by Gregor Sailer: THE POLAR SILK ROAD until 04/24/2022.
Gregor Sailer’s fascinating photographs of human outposts of the north.
Even in cloudy weather, it’s good to hike at Kronplatz.
Falkensteiner Hotel KronplatzATTRACTS AROUND THE KRONPLATZ
“Experience South Tyrol with all your senses on the sunny side of the Alps”
Whether on the mountain or down in the “green valley”, as the Pustertal is also affectionately called. Here is very much on offer. It stands for diversity that the heart desires. Gain exciting insights into history and tradition, discover unique sights, be overwhelmed by the breathtaking mountain world and (experience) alpine-Mediterranean lifestyle. So writes the Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz and the range of activities for adventure and adrenaline wants almost no end:
HIGH ROPE GARDEN Various high ropes courses around Kronplatz promise a combination of fun, skill and thrills.
FATBIKE In summer as well as in winter – with the fatbike you can get over any terrain.
ALPINE COASTER KLAUSBERG FLITZER Have fun on the longest and most spectacular Alpine roller coaster in Italy.
ZIP LINE KRONPLATZ Europe’s longest Zip Line to dizzying heights, 3.2 kilometers down the mountain for a bird’s eye view of the beautiful South Tyrolean landscape. An unforgettable flight of fancy in the heart of the Dolomites. Zipline Adrenaline X-Treme Adventures Park
The Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz rents out e-bikes to guests. Racing bikes and mountain bikes bring the guests themselves. That sounds at first like offer for very comfortable bike laps. But active sports concierge Renè says he would choose a challenging bike tour for me. And I would be happy to be on the road with a battery-powered bike. I’m excited about the e-bike tour into the Reintal valley to the three waterfalls.
The bike stable in the old cattle shed.
I get an e-bike in suitable size and can start. For the first time it goes downhill in the direction of Bruneck. The bike path passes close to the city center and I also quickly explore this charming little town.
The city of Brunico left behind me, I continue along the many green fields and castles in the direction of Reintal.
A cornfield with creative incision.
Resting place to park the bikes and continue walking to the waterfalls.
The Reinbach Falls – The three waterfalls in Rein in Taufers are an impressive natural spectacle and an insider tip in winter, when they freeze over and present themselves as glittering ice sculptures. Already here at the 1st waterfall I am impressed by this wild nature and the water power.
I can hardly get enough of this natural splendor and the thunderous roar of the water of these three waterfalls. Back to the launch site, I treat myself to the fun of whizzing through the woods on the Fly line.
On the way back I cycle again along these beautiful green fields.
In the early afternoon I am back and look forward to lingering in a cozy outdoor spot and another experience in the hamam.
Where wine or fruit is grown elsewhere in South Tyrol, the Puster Valley is known for its corn cultivation. Here adjacent to the Falkensteiner Hotel are these vast cornfields of lush green. So soothing and relaxing is the view of this landscape.
Corn, corn, corn!Evening atmosphere on the way to sleep.
deluxe double room
Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz THE ROOMS
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It is wonderfully quiet to sleep in the comfortable beds in the Falkensteiner Hotel – completely without street noise or other disturbing factors. The rooms are simply and functionally furnished for active athletes.
There are DELUXE DOUBLE ROOM and GRAND DELUXE DOUBLE ROOM to choose from. They are spacious rooms on 35m² with balcony on the 1st and 2nd floor, or terrace, own wall bars, training utensils, medicine ball, reclining sofa, oak parquet floor, dressing room, desk, minibar, coffee and tea station, toilet with bidet in a separate room, shower, double sink, TV. Some of these rooms are conveniently accessible for people with handicap.
Prices per night for double occupancy from € 349,00
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The room terrace with comfortable reclining sofa.
Falkensteiner Hotel KronplatzThe Suites
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The FALKENSTEINER KRONPLATZ also offers spacious suites – the JUNIOR SUITE and the LOFT SUITE between 36m² to 46 m², with balcony and located on the top floors. All these rooms are equipped with their own wall bars, training utensils, medicine ball, reclining sofa, oak parquet flooring, dressing room, desk, minibar, coffee and tea station, toilet with bidet in a separate room, shower, double sink, TV and infrared cabin with view.
Prices per night based on double occupancy from € 479,00
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Even more exclusive is the spacious SUMMIT SUITE with 48m², 2 terraces and outdoor sofa located on the top floor, with its own wall bars, training utensils, medicine ball, reclining sofa, oak parquet flooring, dressing room, desk, minibar, coffee and tea station, toilet with bidet in a separate room, shower, bathtub, double sink, TV. The outdoor Finnish sauna promises sauna pleasure with exclusive privacy and views of the surrounding area.
Prices per night based on double occupancy from € 629,00
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DIRECT BOOKING BENEFIT
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When booking your stay through one of the official Falkensteiner booking channels (Falkensteiner website, an official Falkensteiner call center or directly with a Falkensteiner hotel), you will be rewarded with a 20% discount on all spa treatments during your stay. Discover all direct booking benefits.
The 25m long sports pool in the early morning.
After a wonderfully restful sleep, I take advantage of the quiet and do a few laps in the sports pool before breakfast.
Wellnessen at the Falkensteiner Hotel KronplatzAQUAPURA MOUNTAIN SPA
What could be more pleasant than to regenerate deeply relaxed after an intense day of activity in the great outdoors? Immerse yourself in the world of scents, warmth and hot steam? Here at the Acquapura Mountan Spa in the midst of the South Tyrolean mountains, this is a special experience. “Acqua pura” – pure spring water directly from the surrounding mountains as well as rock, mountain air and mountain sun are the 4 mountain elements for active well-being. Hamam – hay bath – Finnish sauna – outdoor pools – relaxation rooms on different levels – sun terraces … that sounds now for the first time like stress what how where and when to try?
In any case, it is ideal to start the wellness pleasure in the Summit Hamam. Hamam stands for warming and bathing and is used for relaxation as well as personal well-being. Soap lather, clear water and hot steam provide a multi-sensory experience to cleanse the body and mind
You can test all this out freely every day from morning to night or experience it even more intensively through individually tailored treatments and personal consultations. The perfect balance to an active day on the mountain.
Activating Mountain Balancing – The Mountain Wellness Experience
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The Finnish outdoor sauna with the soothing view into the green fields.
Here on the upper terrace it is wonderful to relax and linger, whether after a sporty active day or after the sauna sessions.
One of the many relaxation rooms.
Rest, relax or for a workshop.
DAY SPA for external guests
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The DAY SPA offers free use of the entire SPA, pool and sauna area as well as the fitness studio and yoga room of the Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz: use of SPA, pools and the saunas, use of the fitness studio and yoga room, 50-minute treatment of your choice, 7Summit snack, tea, water, fruit and dried fruit, the Falkensteiner wellness bag with bathrobe, sun towel, shower towel and slippers, Free WLAN. From 14 years for € 140,00 on advance booking.
Mountain sports make you hungry and hungry for CULINARY FEASTS
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The FALKENSTEINER JAUSE in the afternoon.
The 7Summit Jause is served from 2 to 5 pm, on sunny days in the outdoor courtyard and is incluvisive when booking the 3/4 pension. In addition, there is a small card for extra requests for the particularly hungry.
A cozy spot at dusk for the aperitif before dinner.
7Summit Slow Food and innovative South Tyrolean cuisine, alternately inspired by the flavors and typical dishes from the regions around the highest peaks on earth. A concept with high-quality products from the surrounding South Tyrolean farms and refined by delicate spices from distant continents. In this spirit, the 7Summit chefs and their brigade create special dishes every day.
And already it is over again my short active vacation in the Falkensteiner Hotel Kronplatz. I feel fit and recovered at the same time, culinary pampered and with the desire to come back and enjoy more exciting mountain experiences.
Isn’t summer wonderful? I am very relieved that we can currently enjoy it a little more carefree and can currently move more freely between the countries. I also spent a few summer days at home in South Tyrol. The balmy summer nights with a light mountain breeze and then the heat in downtown Bolzano have such a special flair, which you start to miss when you’re away longer. Also, the luxury of living in the middle of the countryside I learned to appreciate so much over the past years. I’ve never thought that I might loose my love for the city life a bit at some point.
A few weeks ago I spent a very nice barbecue evening at home in the garden. There was a special occasion here, because I wanted to test my OFYR Tabl’O table grill. One thing is said in advance – it will not be the last time.
At the end you can also expect a small raffle!
Fun at the table | OFYR TABL’O TABLE GRILL
My boyfriend is a passionate griller and I’m usually spoiled when he fires up the grill or smoker. Of course, you’ll find much smaller barbecues in the garden. With the OFYR Tabl’O tabletop grill I have finally found a smaller tabletop grill that not only functional, but also aesthetically meets my requirements. I find the classic grills super bulky, and between you and me, not very aesthetically pleasing either (don’t tell my boyfriend that though!).
OFYR
.OFYR is a Dutch manufacturer of outdoor furniture, grills and accessories. I particularly like the modular outdoor kitchens, as well as the larger fireplaces. Grilling is just fun and you do not have to use only in the summer. Grilling can be used just as well at a fire ring in the winter super.
LightingEASY!
The Ofyr Tabl’o consists of a bowl on which the grate is placed. In the middle there is a closure, with which you can regulate the air supply. The starter set includes the quick lighter jug. You can stack the coconut briquettes in it and then light them with the quick lighter. However, the process took us a little longer than expected. The coconut briquettes are completely gray when they are ready to grill. The briquettes are then placed on the grate and covered with the grill plate.
Then the grilling fun can begin at the table!
A good glass of rosé, for example, pairs wonderfully with barbecue!spread the briquettes on the grill and then place the grill plate on top.
Communicative grilling at the TABLE
The table grill is particularly suitable for 2-6 people. For such a small table grill you can occupy the OFYR Tabl’O very well. Not only the meat, but also the vegetables turned out very well. Grilling is just fun, especially because there is not just one person at the grill and everyone else has to wait.
We grilled very classically this time. With the OFYR Tabl’O you can buy an iron casserole, which I will get soon. This can be positioned in the center of the grill and then also used for baking or also for steaming dim sum, among other things, as I saw on OFYR’s recipes page.
We spent a wonderful barbecue evening at home with friends. It will definitely not be the last evening!
Last but not least, there’s a little giveaway on my Instagram profile. I may raffle off another OFYR Tabl’O together with OFYR. Go here to enter to win!
Every now and then you just have to escape the Berlin summer – if only for a short weekend. The morning run down to the beach to Antibes, while the temperatures outside already begin to scald. Only briefly the feet in the water was not enough refreshment. There is nothing better than jumping into water early in the morning. Finally times again feel how salt water feels on the skin. Meanwhile, the first sailboats were already heading out to sea. The summer time was clearly noticeable, because the beach of Antibes was already well visited for the early hour. On the way back I stopped at the Boulangerie Paul. A couple of French sandwiches for breakfast, so we were fortified for the rest of the day for the first time. The afternoon we spent in La Guérite on the Île Sainte-Marguerite. For this, I can now just let the pictures speak.
The weekend was only in full swing. In the evenings we went to dinner in the charming French village of Valbonne, located about 20 minutes from Antibes in the hinterland. The evenings were getting long. So some fortification on the beach on Saturday was just the thing. I wish we could have added a few more days. Summer in Berlin is always much too short. I’m already looking forward to next year!
In this post
La Guérite ( you can book transfers to the island either from Cannes or, for larger groups, directly from Antibes from Hotel Belle Rives)
Longing for sun. From the 300 sunny days in South Tyrol Berlin can take a leaf out of its book. Last week I was still sunbathing in the beautiful mountain landscape, while this weekend the weather here in Berlin is going crazy again – sun and rain on repeat. South Tyrol on the other hand with its mostly hot and sunny valleys, as well as the strong mountain sun inspired the South Tyrolean cosmetics line Arc Suncare to make a mineral sunscreen made in South Tyrol . I was very happy to be contacted by the brand and to present products from my home region up here. Additionally, mineral suncreen makes me prick up my ears. I’ve much preferred using mineral sunscreen for a few years now, as it is immediately effective and healthier for the skin (more about that later). The last few years I tested myself eagerly through a few products, but so really happy I was not yet with…
A little reminiscence from my tanning career…. Who of you used to lie in the blazing sun all day long? Especially on vacation as a young girl I was always tanning all day. From early in the morning until evening. In between a cool down in the pool, quick fresh-up with sun screen (but sometimes even without, because otherwise you wouldn’t not get a tan) and then it went on with sizzling in the sun. A nice tan was very important back then. I still find my self laughing when seeing photos of how we always wore our bikinis slightly shifted in order you could see how tanned we were. Between us – I never really got a tan though. In the course of the years of study, however, I came to terms with my “noble pallor”. In the meantime, I am aware of the damage and try to protect at least my face always with 50 SPF.
In winter, I only use a day cream with sun protection factor (preferably the one from Paulas Choice, about which I have already written). In spring and summer, however, the light sun protection of SPF30 is no longer enough for me. Here comes again my beloved organic sunscreen to use. The sunscreen from Arc Suncare is currently daily in use.
MINERAL SUN CREAMS really that effective and harmless?
I am always amazed that the majority around me don’t know the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens have been controversial for years because their ingredients not only settle on the skin as a film, but also penetrate the skin.
One important point that immediately convinced me of mineral sunscreens was the effectiveness factor. Mineral sunscreens do not act chemically, but physically. The nanoparticles of titanium and/or zinc oxides contained in them form a protective layer and act like little mirrors that reflect the sun. Thus, they protect immediately from the sun, while chemical sunscreens require a reaction time for the first time.
Chemical filters are currently being closely scrutinized not only for environmental reasons, but also for health reasons. In the USA in particular, excessive concentrations are increasingly appearing in the bloodstream.
Why zinc? Zinc oxides are UV stable and therefore offer very long-lasting protection.
NON-NANO ZINC OXIDE by Arc Suncare
Arc Suncare uses a special market leading certified non-nano zinc oxide developed over the last 20 years by their Australian technology partners. Patented processes and extensive research have created a type of zinc oxide that provides a high level of broad spectrum protection and is transparent once rubbed in.
Also, Arc Suncare’s sunscreen also consists of moisturizing coconut, jojoba oil and white beeswax, protecting and hydrating the skin.
I am really very positively surprised by the Arc Suncare sun cream. The sun cream is absorbed very quickly and the, with other mineral sun creams present, white film disappears immediately also again (* you see below in the GIF). My friend says at this point also “Thank” to Arc Suncare, that he came back just as white as before from our México trip in March 😅. MEN. The men have always been covered by me with my great SOFORT effective sunscreen and at the same time taught better.
