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Historic: What makes the historic atmosphere of the Oberraindlhof so enjoyable for guests?

It’s true; this hunter’s parlour is really cosy.

Benjamin: It was built between 1860 and 1870. The farm has been in our family’s possession since 1880, but it’s actually much older. The main building is about 300 years old, and the earliest records date back to 1581. Some of the parlours were panelled by the previous owner towards the end of the 19^th century; they still exist.

And the Swiss pine wood still gives a wonderful scent.

Benjamin: It has a soothing effect, slows down the heartbeat. The Swiss pine is a noble wood they used mainly for interiors. When you are here all the time, you don’t notice the scent anymore.

Andrea: I notice it. But then again, I’ve only been here for 5 years. (Laughs.)

How many rooms and parlours do you have?

Benjamin: Here in the original building, there are eight: five guest rooms and three parlours. The biggest room is the ‘Antonius’, named after my great-grandfather. Upstairs, on the second floor, in the former granaries, we have the ‘Sterngugger’, or star-gazer room. The flour used to be stored under the roof, where it remained dry thanks to the draught. Our ‘Glanen’ room used to be the farmer’s daughters’ realm, and the ‘Stuben’ room Anton’s office. Of course, we also accommodated the post house here in the building…

How come?

Benjamin: My great-grandfather was very dedicated to community work. He organised the first bus service to the valley and went on to take on distributing the post. This happened in the first half of the 20^th century. My great-grandfather had learned Italian before everybody else. Ever since South Tyrol had joined Italy, all official business had to be conducted in Italian. So, people came here with their writs and letters, and he translated them.

When did the summer holiday crowd start coming here?

Benjamin: When my family took over the farm. Many tourists came from Merano or Silandro and stayed all summer. Often, the fathers would go back to work while the women and children would stay here. Sometimes they would go hiking a bit, but most of the time they would just dwell. My father told us about bathing day only recently. Once a week, a big wood tub would be filled with warm water. And then everybody on the farm would bathe in there, one after the other: the guests, the family; it was considered completely normal, nobody found it disgusting.

Andrea: He also told us how, when he was a child, he joined some of the tourists in climbing the Palla Blanca and also went to Lake Garda the first time. Oh, and you forgot the transhumance room. (Laughs.)

That’s a good segue: What is it with ‘transhumance’?

Benjamin: Transhumance is the seasonal droving of sheep from Val Senales, South Tyrol, to Ötztal, Austria. It’s a tradition of more than a thousand years. The term basically describes pastoral farming with a migratory element. Our farmers still own ages-old grazing rights in the upper Ötztal. Each year, they drive their sheep over there in June and back in September. This was even more impressive 50 years ago, because they had to pass the glacier. Those glaciers are much smaller now, which, of course, makes life a lot easier for the sheep.

How long does the crossing take?

Benjamin: One day. It’s about 20 kilometres. Many sheep walk the day before from Val Venosta to Corteraso or Vernago, the two starting points for transhumance. There are 4,000 sheep altogether.

Do you get guests who visit just to see this?

Benjamin: Yes. It is not particularly spectacular to see them drive up, though. You can hike along for a while, but the herders prefer the animals to be left in peace. The big parties happen when they return. It is pretty impressive when all the sheep are gathered together in the valley. Incidentally, my wife’s parents are among the farmers who still drive their sheep to Ötztal today.

Andrea: They own only about 40 sheep; but it’s something special every year. It’s something you are born with. The whole family is there, young and old. The fact that transhumance has been immaterial UNESCO World Heritage since 2019, really strengthens the valley. We have international reporters coming, and many guests want to book a year ahead. Transhumance has made us what we are; in the room we named after it, guests will find pillows and tablecloths made out of our sheep’s wool.

But it’s also the cobbler’s craft that informs this place, right?

Andrea: The cobbler’s shop used to be in the parlour to the right of the entrance. The room has windows on multiple sides, it got plenty of light and was a good place to work. My great-grandfather’s tradesman’s certificate is hanging on the wall. He and his nine apprentices would ship¾and most importantly, repair¾shoes all over Upper Italy.

What kind of shoes did he make?

Mainly shoes for every-day use. They looked a bit like today’s climbing boots. People would own only one pair of shoes back then¾if necessary, they would have them repaired. The craftsmen would go from farm to farm and spend one day everywhere to repair all the shoes in one place.

Resources were rare, so good craftsmanship had to endure over many years

Exactly. You can also see that when you look at our building with its traditionally crafted tinder beams made of larch wood from Val Senales. They were hand-chopped at the right moon constellation¾that’s an art in itself. Buildings like ours were made to last long and endure a lot. Plenty of thought went into the materials used. A house like this was a one-time thing.