Practical info for your holiday
When you arrive in Dolomiti Paganella, you find yourself in a place utterly defined by the mountains. The steep, vertical surfaces and rugged nature are part and parcel of life here, and have made it both difficult and exhilarating at times.
You see it immediately in the towns built by our forebears. The swirling slanted main streets and crooked, sloping house foundations reveal that you’re in a place where man can never truly bend nature to his will, try as he might. And you need only gaze up at the Brenta Dolomites cutting through the skies like gray, jagged spearheads, at the majestic peak of Cima Paganella, or at the shimmer of the Lago di Molveno - a mirror of the mountains - to see why he wouldn’t want to.
And, perhaps most of all, you see it in how people have built their lives here in the mountains, where there is never a straight line from point A to B.
Our closeness to the mountains – truly immovable, uncompromising fixtures – and the isolation of those who lived here in pre-modern times knit our community closer together. Our ancestors transformed a modest rural economy into a vibrant and resourceful community with its eyes firmly fixed on the future. Instead of going the straightforward route, and expanding the agricultural economy, many of them became alpinists, mountain guides and entrepreneurs. They dreamt up new ideas, collaborated and innovated so others could experience nature first-hand, while still keeping one foot firmly planted in our traditions and humble beginnings, and taking care to leave as few footprints as possible. This perpetual dance between innovation and tradition still inspires and guides us to this day.
Therefore, we have a sense of gratitude and respect for the place we call home, and the heritage that shaped it. It’s also why the word community has a stronger, more literal meaning here: So much of what goes on here is driven by families who built their livelihoods and businesses from scratch. In fact, you’ll meet many of them today, four or even five generations down the road. Many of the people who grow, cook and serve our food, run our hotels, or guide visitors into the mountains do it not just to earn a living wage, but because, quite straightforwardly, it’s a way of life for them.
To us, the mountains are equal parts lifeblood and lifestyle. The mountains can even be life threatening if you don’t respect them, or forget where you are. That’s true for us, and it’s true for the other species we share this space with. Above all, they can be transformative, fostering an appreciation and sense of stewardship for the nature we humans are fortunate to inhabit - not just here, but everywhere.
