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Hotel zum Hirschen run by the Kofler-Mocatti Family
The people behind the historic hotel in Senale, South Tyrol

Real hospitality in the mountain village

Family hospitality has been the decades-long hallmark of the historic Gasthof zum Hirschen Hotel. Maintaining a warm and personal relationship with our guests has always been our priority. We promptly respond to their requests, assisting them with useful advice and information such as pointing them to the most interesting locations worth visiting in our region, including energy vortexes and the best mountain hiking routes. We are acutely aware of our responsibilities as hosts and are highly appreciative of the fact that so many people come to explore this wonderful region and wish to visit our historic hotel.

The Gasthof Zum Hirschen Hotel in the remote Val di Non Valley is run in the third generation by the Kofler-Mocatti family. We look forward to welcoming you to our tranquil establishment in the mountain village of Senale, in South Tyrol.

Ingrid and Mirko Mocatti

Our mum, Edith Kofler, (senior manager) was born and bred at the Gasthof zum Hirschen Hotel and has been closely associated with the establishment all her life. It was young Edith who, with her grandfather, gathered stones from the mountains and brought them down to help build the old stone wall of the Gasthof zum Hirschen.

Hospitality runs deep in Edith's veins – and for decades, the zum Hirschen hotel has hosted hikers as well as pilgrims coming to visit the holy sanctuary nearby. When taking over from her parents in 1994, Edith realized that she had to bring the guesthouse into a new era. As senior manager, Edith is in charge of the reception desk, administration and a lot more behind the scenes. She wryly refers to her job as hotel accountant as her “personal form of yoga”.

"When I was a child, our family was the first to have a telephone line in the village, and my task was to go to every single farm and deliver the news. Nowadays, we are connected via fibre optic cable but at night we prefer to switch off the WIFI.”

An expert gourmet and qualified sommelier, Ingrid Mocatti is the undisputed queen of the hotel kitchen and beverage services. For each ‘vital’ platter, she advises an optimal wine pairing, drawn from a wine list that includes fine South Tyrol vintages, as well as neighbouring Trentino and other regions in Italy.

At the Gasthof zum Hirschen inhouse Cervo Restaurant, the focus is on healthy eating – without foregoing the needs of the palate. The Cervo cuisine is influenced by the teachings of expert herbalist, Father Weidinger, as well as those of renowned medieval saint and polymath, Hildegard von Bingen. But it’s up to Ingrid to make everything come together; from choosing suppliers to checking the quality of the produce delivered. It’s safe to say that buying local/regional is certainly a priority for her and Ingrid is highly knowledgeable about the products used in the Cervo kitchen. She is also quite happy to share her knowledge of the regional cuisine with interested guests.

"I’m always pleased when, after their holiday, guests send me pictures of the CERVO herb pesto or homemade jams. These mementos I think are meaningful”.

Both in the in third generation of the family, Mirko Mocatti and his sister, Ingrid, took over the running of the historic Gasthof zum Hirschen Hotel. Mirko is the hotel’s front man and manager, who first studied mechanical engineering before entering the family business. It was he who came up with a new design and unique architectural concept for the hotel, based on an innovative vision. Instead of creating just another contemporary SPA with all the mod cons, Mirko opted for a wellness establishment based around contemplative appreciation of nature, tranquil seclusion, with an emphasis on outdoor activities such as hiking and forest bathing. Hospitality has deep roots in the Val di Non Valley going back centuries. Perhaps it’s due to the special aura of this holy sanctuary with its former pilgrims' hostel, that invites travellers to stick around.

Mirko’s vision for the new hotel concept was in fact inspired by its history. The reconceptualised establishment reflects elements of its legacy as a pilgrim’s hostel, encouraging calmness and introspection, as well as outdoor holiday activities such as forest bathing and hiking – all in the pristine mountains.

"Knowing the history of the Gasthof zum Hirschen as a former pilgrims' hostel, I was better able to conceptualise what it could become. The past tells me much about the future. But only living in the ‘here and now’ enables me to appreciate all that our surroundings have to offer. To share these experiences with our guests, gives me great pleasure”.

“My name is Giorgio”. What would be the point of a historical guesthouse if nobody knew its rich history? Luckily, there’s Giorgio Mocatti to help. Our freethinking father and grandfather, art-lover and poet, is familiar with the history of the building as well as the greater region, even down to the subtleties of its dialects. Not just a father but also a grandfather, Giorgio has a big heart and a profound soul. He enjoys entertaining guests with an interest in poetry or those who might be interested in receiving some background on the hotel and the Val di Non Valley in general.

In case you come across a white-haired, bearded gentleman wearing a scarf and beret at our hotel or perhaps you see him in the village square, you’ll know it’s probably Grandpa Giorgio, the creative life and soul of our family hotel.

“Each creative soul is in need of inspiration. Just as the sun’s rays penetrate the darkness of the forest shining through the leaves, inspiration illuminates the mind. Here, in the secluded Val di Non Valley, I gain true strength and inspiration".

Angebote

Special South Tyrolean weeks

winter, summer, autumn
culinary weeks

To the offer

Dandelion Weeks 2025

12.04.-11.05.2025
Culinary weeks

To the offer

Eating & Sleeping - dandelion

from 14.04.23 to 14.05.2023
Overnight incl. Gourmet dinner
and wine accompaniment from 139.- Euro

To the offer

Forest Flavour Weeks

01.06.-20.07.2025
culinary weeks

To the offer

Radicchio Days

27.09.-03.11.2025
culinary weeks

To the offer

#A new ambience within ancient walls

Rooms in an old pilgrim’s hospice

During the extensive renovations in 2017, the Zum Hirschen Hotel in Val di Non (South Tyrol), rediscovered its centuries-old origins as a medieval pilgrim’s hospice, run by the Hospitaller and Benedictine religious orders. The former took on the task of guiding pilgrims through the swamps in the valleys to safety in what was then known as a hospitium peregrinorum. Luckily, the marshes have long since ...