In this month’s spa column, Anna returns for another dose of the Dolomites. Well, summer in the mountains, eh? So good, we went there twice…
In Ladin, “La Majun” means, quite simply, “barn”, a reflection of its traditional shape. Ladin? In the Dolomites, you’ll find a series of valleys where they have their own unique language, recognised by the Italian government and taught in schools from nursery age upwards (along with Italian and German – we could learn a thing or two there). But what is Ladin? It’s not a dialect or version of either Italian or German. Rather, it’s a mix of Latin (that came from the south with the Romans) and Rhaetian or Celtic influences that came down from the north. The two languages blended together, no one else came here to bring any other influences – and it wouldn’t have been easy before the roads and tunnels that get you to Alta Badia now – and Ladin took root.
But back to La Majun itself. It’s a hotel that’s been owned and run by the Rinna Mellauner family for three generations and retains, despite the major building and extensions that have taken place over the years, the feeling that you are being welcomed into someone’s home. It’s a warm and intimate ambience. The staff here aren’t just good at their jobs but super-friendly and chatty and within minutes of arriving they start to feel like old friends. It also happens to be situated in one of the most stunningly beautiful areas of the Dolomites, with mountains at the jaw-droppingly magnificent end of the scale.
In the winter, the area has fantastic skiing and, in the summer when the mountain meadows are filled with flowers, everyone is up in the mountains again, this time hiking and biking. And there is something special about this clean mountain air – it revitalises the breath, lifts the spirits and even helps you sleep. It’s a region that is completely focused on nature and it’s no surprise that the hotel’s kitchen provides healthy, locally sourced food from breakfast to the nightly four course dinner.
It’s the same approach in the spa which extends over three floors. The swimming pool is made from beautiful Dolomite stone, its shape reminiscent of a mount lake and, from the water, you can look out at the mountains towering above you. The top spa floor has a sauna with even better mountain views and a terrace with a wooden (and wood-fired) hot tub with an open fire for winter, sofas and rocking chairs. It’s not the only opportunity for relaxation – there are three indoor spaces, too, including one that is out of a fairy tale.
Three antique wooden beds in the most hidden corner of the spa look like they’ve stepped straight out of Goldilocks. The mattresses would once have been made of hay (traditional South Tyrolean hay baths are available here too) but they still offer an unusually charming place to relax. There are several different saunas and steam room (including one that is designed for anyone suffering from high blood pressure or other conditions which is cooler and infused with alpine flowers) as well as a super-cold plunge pool and an authentic Kniepp foot spa where you walk over Dolomiti stones in cold, then warm, water for three circuits for a boost to your immune system.
There is a separate area for beauty treatments – located in a very quiet corner of the hotel so you have the time and space very much to yourself. Given the emphasis on well-being, the products are all from two ranges, Dermophisiologique and BABOR. It was the first of these that I experienced in my treatment with Federica, the unusually named Start Up 3 in 1. The three effects are brightness, rebalancing and a replenishing effect likened to a cosmetic filler. All the products are natural (no nasty oils, synthetic dyes or parabens) and made in Italy in the company’s laboratories. Some of these are for professional use only but there are some you can buy to take home.
My treatment was not a facial by any normal definition, albeit it began with a double cleanse. After that, it was mostly a series of masks, beginning with a biocellulose one infused with concentrates designed to stimulate collagen and prepare the skin for all that was to follow. There was a scrub emulsion that was very gentle (not at all scratchy) applied to the nose and chin area and a peeling mask but the piéce de resistance is the iron mask. Fortunately, this has little to do with unidentified prisoners during the reign of Louis XIV. Rather, it’s a triple action (cleansing, toning, anti-ageing) mask applied to the face, neck and décolleté consisting of a cream infused with iron particles that stimulates magnetically an intense tonifying and rebalancing of the skin. It is, incidentally, black.
The treatment continues, after the masks, with serums and ampoules, hyaluronic boosters and calming creams. There are numerous massages at various stages and even my hands and arms have a peel and mask as part of the treatment. After 75 minutes on my heated bed, I am relaxed and glowing. No surprise then that the next day I decided to go for the body version of Start Up 3 in 1. This had fewer stages than the face treatment but was also a blissful 75 minutes.
It began with a rather cool lotion applied before the scrub as Federica worked first on the legs, then the arms and body before turning over and repeating on the back. Along the way, she wrapped up each finished section in clingfilm and towels before I washed it all off in the shower. After that came a deliciously herbal scented massage – all very relaxing.
After that, there was time to visit the hydro spa to idly watch the snow (I was there in mid-March) covering the trees and roofs with a fresh layer. And then, and by now I couldn’t get any more relaxed, there was still time before dinner to visit La Majun’s “secret” wine bar. A favourite with locals, it’s a tiny cellar space with the best wine list in the Dolomites (plates of local ham and bread appear at your table, too, as if by magic) and there’s a genial air of bonhomie. You may not come here to lose weight but, believe me, relaxation and well-being are pretty much guaranteed.
SkyAlps fly from London Gatwick to Bolzano twice a week in summer and three times a week in winter from 184euros each way, children under 2 free of charge. www.skyalps.com.
Hotel La Majun has rooms from 390 euros per night based on two adults sharing, breakfast included. www.lamajun.it.
