Exclusive habitué trip

A family hotel that knows how to surprise

I still haven’t quite figured it out. For years we’ve been spending our holidays in the family hotel Cavallino Bianco in Val Gardena. And still, although our kids are growing up and we know almost every angle, this hotel never fails to surprise us. No wonder, after all it’s the best family hotel in the world!
Exclusive habitué trip
Exclusive habitué trip

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.

Ashley Montagu
 
 
Not much time ago, my wife and I found an envelope with the invitation to the habitué trip. Like always, the Cavallino team had thought of something new: a guided tour to the nature park Puez-Odle with its green forests and the romantic trout pound against the backdrop of the Dolomite peaks. Personally accompanied by the hotel’s owner Ralph!

A taxi took us to the starting point in Selva. From there, we started our 40-minutes-walk through the green woods of Val Gardena. We could smell the fresh scent of moss, listen to the silence of nature and learn some interesting facts about the animals and plants around us. A rare and special occasion for us townsfolk! We were impressed by the works of art exposed, from portraits of traditional farmer tools to life-size animal sculptures. To our surprise we learned that some of them had been sculpted by art students of only 16 to 18 years! Being so close to the art, culture and nature of a country is something I’ve always appreciated about my holidays in the Dolomites.
 
My wife was just as enthusiastic as me. When we stopped for a break at a lovely trout pound, she took my hand and blinked into the sun behind the peaks. „Isn’t it amazing to have some time for ourselves while the kids are in good hands? That’s what a family vacation is supposed to be“ she sighed dreamily. I kissed her cheek and couldn’t but agree with her.

Before we went back to the Cavallino Bianco, we stopped at the traditional alpine hut “Juac” where we had a refreshment break and a good laugh with the other habitués.

Back at the hotel, Ralph thanked all the guests with a warm handshake, the traditional habitué badge and a little present that changes every year. My wife and I went to collect our kids who fell over themselves telling us about their nature camp adventures. As we were walking back to our suite, we already wondered what our next family holiday in the summer was going to be like. Well, we’ll find out soon enough and until then we’ll enjoy counting the days!
 

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

Nicolas Chamfort