Hotel Alpenjuwel
The last hamlet of Langtaufers, with the high Nordic trail on the doorstep
About this hotel
Alpenjuwel sits ten kilometres outside Curon Venosta, far enough from the lake to feel like its own quiet valley base, with a ski shuttle covering the 13 km run to the Schöneben ski area so the distance never becomes a problem. The indoor pool, hot tub, Turkish bath and Finnish sauna handle the wellness side across a proper rotation rather than a single small sauna. Rooms mix modern and traditional design, many with a furnished balcony, and the restaurant is exclusive to hotel guests, running a weekly Italian evening and a South Tyrol evening for variety. The terrace with its swing and outdoor seating gives somewhere to unwind before dinner, and the nearest bus stop is a hundred metres from the door.
- About 1,915 m, at the end of the Langtaufers road
- 20.9 km high cross-country trail from the Melag car park
- Ski shuttle to Schöneben-Haideralm (65 km of pistes)
- Indoor pool, hot tub, Turkish bath and Finnish sauna
- Evening restaurant reserved for hotel guests
- 9.3 average from 90 reviews
Our take
Melag sits at about 1,915 m where the Langtaufers road ends, and the 20.9 km Langtaufers high-altitude cross-country trail starts from the large car park in the hamlet itself. That is the real reason to sleep at Alpenjuwel. For downhill days you rely on the ski shuttle to Schöneben-Haideralm (65 km of pistes); nothing here is ski-in. I would book it for cross-country skiers, ski tourers and couples who want an indoor pool, hot tub, Turkish bath and Finnish sauna after the cold. I would not book it for a week of pure piste skiing or for après-ski: evenings here mean the guest-only dinner and the spa.
- Plan your last run of the day back to the valley station the shuttle serves: since the 2018 gondola from San Valentino to Schöneben, Schöneben and Haideralm form one area with two bases.
- For a first Nordic outing, take the small loop of the high trail that follows the Karlinbach back to Melag; the big loop crosses the valley to Grub and returns over sunny meadows.
- Experienced ski tourers can start straight from Melag towards Rotebenkopf (3,157 m) or Falbanairspitze (3,199 m), with full avalanche kit and the day's South Tyrol bulletin.
- Count on the hotel for dinner: in the evening the restaurant serves hotel guests only, and each week it runs an Italian evening and a South Tyrol evening.
Why we love it
- A ski shuttle straight to Schöneben
- Indoor pool, hot tub and Turkish bath
- A guest-exclusive restaurant
- A quiet valley setting
Why guests love itAlpenjuwel suits families whose winter is not only about the pistes. Older children who ski with an instructor at Schöneben-Haideralm ride the shuttle down the valley each morning, and the indoor pool takes over in the late afternoon. The ski area has an easy snowpark on Schöneben, which is where teenagers can try their first boxes. The weak point is distance: every piste day starts with a road transfer, and a forgotten glove cannot be fetched at lunchtime. Parents who cross-country ski can set off on the high trail from the Melag car park while the children rest. Rooms mix modern and traditional styles, many with a furnished balcony, and the 9.3 average comes from 90 reviews. With toddlers who need a nap back in the room, I would rather sleep in San Valentino, where the gondola up to Schöneben leaves.