The valley, moving to its own rhythm
Eighteen kilometres, four hamlets, no through traffic: Pichl, St Martin, Durnwald, St Magdalena. The Gsies Valley isn’t the sort of place you can just tick off your list in a hurry. You simply let yourself drift: along meadow paths, beside the streams of Gsies, from hamlet to hamlet. The valley embodies many eras — the timelessness of the mountains, the centuries-old farmsteads, and the present-day lives of the people who work here. If you really want to experience the valley, take time to savour the little moments in between: a coffee on the terrace, a chat by the wayside, the view of a hillside that changes as the day goes on.
Early in the day, the valley belongs to the people who live here. The air is cool, dew still lies on the meadows, and a cockerel is crowing somewhere. It is the loveliest time of day to explore the valley at your leisure, before the sun rises above the ridge and bathes the slopes in bright gold.
The Gsieser Valley has this rare sense of lightness: In the morning, you can take a stroll along the stream; at midday, sit in an alpine hut; and in the afternoon, look out over the whole of the valley head. The elevation changes are close together, without any of it feeling particularly strenuous. It’s up to you to decide how far you go. That’s exactly what makes it so magical.
The best spots here are at the end of a driveway, behind a stable or along a path that you were really just using as a shortcut. Farm shops selling home-made cheese and bacon, distilleries and bakeries in St Martin and St Magdalena. Opening hours are rarely specified. There’s a knock at the door.
If you take your time, you’ll see more: the light on weathered wood, the shadows beneath the larch trees, the way a hillside changes over the course of an afternoon. The best way to explore the valley is on foot. Brando is designed to give you exactly that feeling: arriving, staying, finding your own rhythm.
As the light softens, the atmosphere in the valley changes. The hillsides become silhouettes, the lights come on in the courtyards, and the cold sets in quickly. Not a grand spectacle, more of a quiet change of scene. And then the sky. As there are no streetlights between the hamlets, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye. That alone is a reason to head out again in the evening.
Always wear several layers of clothing. Shoes that can get wet. Something lovely for the evening – because understatement doesn’t mean doing without. In winter, wear gloves and a hat as well, even when the sun is shining. Wichtig: Leave some space in your suitcase for cheese and bacon, which you’ll be taking home on the last day.
The valley tells its story through many small episodes: Centuries-old farmsteads, alpine farming that still thrives today, and modern architecture that takes a back seat. To the south, the view opens out onto the Pragser and Sextner Dolomites, whilst to the north lies the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park. Anyone travelling through this area is moving through a cultural landscape of enchanting beauty.
Why people come back
Most guests come back a second time, and very few can say exactly why. Perhaps because of the silence, perhaps because of the light, perhaps because of that blend of vastness and familiarity. Big enough for discoveries, small enough for rituals.
