Castel Badia: First In

Character and identity

A former convent of well-connected cloistered nuns set high in Val Pusteria, Castel Badia opens 28 rooms inside a landmark whose oldest stones date to the year 1000, including a frescoed crypt dedicated to San Lorenzo. The South Tyrolean studio Niull 17, the Droulers twins and interior designer Marta Ferri have given it a warm contemporary register: loden curtains, fragrant woods, wool blankets, art books on tables, materials drawn from the landscape. A 10,000 square foot spa, two pools, the wood-panelled Stube and an incoming gourmet restaurant in the abbess's room anchor a young, attentive Borgo Egnazia-trained team.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the combination of Alberto Toè's cooking (trained under Caminada and Niederkofler) with a serious spa and a genuinely characterful 1,000-year-old building, delivered by a team that already feels settled. Book a suite with a Turkish bath or soaking tub for the full effect; the chalet at the entrance suits families. Aim for the February gourmet restaurant opening or shoulder-season ski weeks.