Holiday home Val Mira

To this day, the Ritten remains a tranquil retreat, not just for summer holidays – a tra­dition it helped to establish back in the 16th century. Up here, between Bolzano and Bress­anone, where nature and tra­dition meet, Val Mira lies on a hillside – with views across the Eisack Valley as far as Königs­anger and Schlern, the Dolo­mites almost on the doorstep. All around are vineyards, old paths, woodland and fresh air. The complex, com­prising two detached tower suites, forms part of a vineyard where grapes for Sau­vignon, Riesling and Gewürz­tra­miner ripen on the slopes. Tog­ether with architect Andreas Gruber, the wine­making couple Sophia Brunner and Stefan Lang have set two resi­dential towers amidst the mountain land­scape; they stand out yet feel sur­pri­singly familiar.

Their archi­tecture is a radical, con­tem­porary abs­traction of arche­typal house forms: two mono­lithic con­crete struc­tures with clean geo­metry, whilst the façade eschews any­thing super­fluous. The compact floor plan is orga­nised ver­ti­cally across three levels, each with its own cha­racter and view. The range of mate­rials is deli­berately limited: mineral sur­faces, unt­reated timber, coarse gravel. As a result, the towers with their slate roofs appear like man-made rocks amidst the green sur­roun­dings, striking yet under­stated at the same time.

Both towers accom­modate up to four people and follow the same layout: the ground floor, which is open-plan and directly con­nected to the terrace, is where guests live and cook. On the first floor, there is a shower room with a free­standing bath, and on the top floor, the bedroom opens out onto the Eisack Valley – in Tower II, the view even extends as far as the Schlern. Thus, throughout the day, one moves through the house as if through one’s own little land­scape. Whilst the towers appear compact and austere from the outside, inside visitors are greeted by warm wood, can­ti­le­vered stair­cases, spa­ciousness and light. Mini­malism is also the guiding prin­ciple in the interior design, empha­sising the purist cha­racter of the rooms.

Whilst Tower II faces the cour­tyard and vineyard, Tower I looks out towards the infinity pool, which echoes and extends the shape of the buil­dings – as if one of the towers were reflected in the water. This is the perfect place to start the day in a relaxed manner before setting off for one of the sur­rounding alpine pas­tures or heading towards the Dolo­mites.

What to do

Hiking straight from the farm, e.g. to the Ritten Earth Pyramids, along the Chestnut Trail, to Dreikirchen or to the Barbian Waterfalls; gravel cycling and mountain biking, e.g. on the Brenner–Lake Garda cycle route starting directly from the farm; in summer, swimming in the infinity pool; in winter, skiing in Val Gardena and on the Plose; tobogganing, cross-country skiing and ice skating on the Ritten, a ride on the Ritten narrow-gauge railway or the cable car to Bolzano, culture, dining and shopping in Bolzano and Brixen, as well as day trips to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites – from the Seiser Alm via Val Gardena with the Seceda to Villnöss with the Geisler Peaks.

Why we like this house

An exciting balance between the archaic and precision, weightiness and lightness, nature and architecture.

This house is great for

Anyone who likes to keep sight of the big picture, fans of minimalist, modern architecture, keen mountaineers, wine lovers and families with children from 14 years of age;

Sustainability

KlimaHaus Gold Standard; 
Public transport: Travel by train to Waidbruck, then take the shuttle to Val Mira; alternatively, travel to Brixen or Bolzano and continue by public bus (the bus stop is approx. 1.7 km away).

Details

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