Although a destination’s terrain, cuisine and cultural attributes always draw travelers in, it is often the people they meet that make the trip an enduring memory rather than a box to be checked off. It’s a job responsibility that people working around the Plose and adjoining town of Brixen (in Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region) take seriously. This is even more true for five women dedicated to introducing visitors to new aspects of the time-honored ski, leisure and hiking mountain destination in the Dolomites.

© Brixen Tourismus – Manuel Kottersteger

Rosi Ellemund: Innkeeper

Serious skiers plan their trip around the Trametsch downhill run (or “piste”), which winds its way from the Plose into the valley and on to St. Andrä. Mountain lodge Trametschhütte sits at the base of the run and is equally popular because of its sunny location; panoramic views; and fresh, hearty food. She completes the welcoming experience by preparing fresh specialties daily using ingredients selected based on regionality and seasonality. She’s known for her different variations of dumplings and desserts.

Elisabeth Larcher: Keeper of Rooms with a View

In Vahrn, north of Brixen, there’s a bracing, 355-meter natural toboggan run with an altitude of 1,400 meters. At the foot of this adventure, Larcher and her husband operate the six-room Gostnerhof mountain farm. The lodging offers panoramic views of the Plose, Brixen valley basin and many of the famous Dolomite peaks beyond. It also features a small restaurant serving some of her fresh traditional farmhouse dishes such as schlutzkrapfen that changes seasonally based on what’s growing in her garden.

© Brixen Tourismus – Manuel Kottersteger

Karin Kinigadner: Nature Guide

“My guests come home with a (backpack) full of experiences, emotions and inner peace,” said Kinigadner on the interactive learning experience she offers visitors. Anyone traveling with the certified hiking guide, relaxation and forest bathing expert, and Kneipp health trainer any time of year has the opportunity to experience nature with all five of their senses. They will learn about what medicinal herbs grow by the wayside, the geological era the Plose formed, what happens on a full moon night on the Plose and how they can use Qi Gong techniques to find peace in nature.

Linda Stricker: Ski Rental Lady

When their professional ski racing careers came to an end, Stricker and husband Erwin built a rental business specializing in skis and winter sports equipment. After his death in 2010, the Netherlands native started to and continues to oversee Sportservice Erwin Stricker. The company, operating year-round, has seven rental outlets, 12 bike stations and three sports shops in South Tyrol, located at the valley station of the Plose cable car.

© Brixen Tourismus – Manuel Kottersteger

Monica Borsatto: Vacation Engineer

The Padua native notes she inherited her passion for the mountains from her family, who used to take her to Brixen in the summer from a young age. Although she toured the ski slopes of the world as a competitive skier early in her life, she embarked on an unusual degree course: civil engineering with an alpine focus. Her main job is designing cable cars and ski slopes.