Welcome to the Alpine Adventure Agency

Hi! My name is Daniela Anderson, and I want to welcome you to a magical adventure of a lifetime! Our philosophy at the Alpine Adventure Agency is that a really satisfying visit to another culture should encompass more than just taking in the sights. Each of our signature, themed vacations and educational workshops are created with the goal of immersing our guests in the culture completely - to leave you breathless with emotion at the rugged beauty of the mountains and feel the warmth and charm of the towns and the people in your hearts. I want my guests to have singular experiences they will remember the rest of their lives, and go home with Italy in their souls.

Because of my lifelong friendships with the townspeople of San Martino di Castrozza and the nearby valleys, my guests get to bypass the only resources available if they were to travel to this area on their own. By choosing a dream vacation with the Alpine Adventure Agency, you get to go to special places, meet incredible people, and participate in unique activities created specifically for our groups that go far beyond the activities available to the public.

JavaScript is disabled! To display this content, you need a JavaScript capable browser. Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115! VIDEO: WELCOME TO THE ALPINE ADVENTURE AGENCY Video copyright: 2010 Daniela Anderson and The Alpine Adventure Agency. All footage shot, edited, and produced by Daniela Anderson. All rights reserved.  This video may not be used in any fashion without documented consent from Daniela Anderson and the Alpine Adventure Agency.

• If you are participating in one of our all-inclusive, scenic tours:  your mornings, lunches and early afternoons are full of wonderful, exciting and action-packed group adventures, custom, gourmet lunches, and unique events such as our exclusive cooking demonstrations and private concert by the most renown folk/ yodeling trio in the Trentino region.

• Your mid-afternoons (starting around 2-3pm) and evenings are free time for you to explore and relax. Dinner is served at the hotel, but you are free to dine on your own at a different location if you wish.

• If you are participating in a workshop in conjunction with the all-inclusive vacation, your classes take place in the hotel during the afternoon hours after the group returns from its daily outing.

• If you are participating in an outdoor, adventure package (rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing, etc), the structure of your vacation will be organized differently from our strictly scenic tours.  Each alpine adventure is unique, so please read the description for each package offered for details.  We excel at providing and custom-creating the most complete and diverse agency-organized dossier of outdoor, alpine adventures available in the Dolomites.

• We organize most of our tours to take advantage of a traditional, Italian daily custom:  Italians take time off from 12-3pm to enjoy a large mid-day meal called Pranzo, followed by time to relax with their families before heading back to work. The stores close around noon and open up again about 3pm and remain open the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. It is customary to stroll leisurely through town in the afternoon, taking in shop windows and enjoying espresso and pastries or gelato at the many cafes. Italians eat their dinners late, usually around 8pm, so many of the activities on the town's social calendar take place in the late afternoon when everyone can enjoy the wonderful events planned.

• If you want to add more active activities to our scenic tours, are looking for additional activities if you have accompanied someone participating in one of our many workshops, or want to "touch" the majestic wildnerness of the Dolomites in a lmore exciting way, we can help you choose from many activities for all levels of participants in outdoor excursions.

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This video visually is very descriptive of a nice several-day trek through the Pale di San Martino mountain chain with stops at a few of the well-known rifugi (mountain shelters) that host climbers overnight. Photos of the Baita Segantini (a destination in all of our scenic Alpine vacations) are seen at the beginning of the video.

Our guests are treated to a tour of the town on the first day of their vacation in San Martino di Castrozza. Photo: Daniela Anderson.

• This 10-day, all-inclusive vacation really does have it all, and is well-rounded, putting smiles on the faces of the most discriminating world-travelers.

• " I Want It All" is the core package in our dossier. It has many wonderful and unexpected activities and excursions that appeal to everyone, from families with young children to couples just starting out, retirees and everyone in between! This package also is highly customizable, making it the perfect choice for private groups that choose to travel in a private tour environment or as the base structure for educational conferences and workshops seeking an exotic setting for their students.

• We consciously have chosen destinations and activities in our various scenic vacations that are accessible by bus, cable car or boat, requiring a minimum of walking and making these unique adventures a reality for people of all ages and physical ability levels. There are ample opportunities in each location for people who enjoy being active to enrich their experiences even more.

• "I Want It All" is a winner for individuals and families on the go. All of the excursions are very kid-friendly, but include special events specifically for the adults, such as the degustations of wines and regional foods presented by top enologists and sommeliers in the region.
  

• Click here to view our most popular, detailed, 10-day itinerary with pictures and videos.
  

Students enjoy an Orenburg Russian Knitted Lace Workshop with world-renown instructor, Galina Khmeleva. Photo: Daniela Anderson.

WE ORGANIZE AND HOST THE FIBER SUMMIT SERIES ABROAD (FSSA):

• Daniela Anderson, owner of the Alpine Adventure Agency, created the Fiber Summit Series Abroad (FSSA) to enable fiber artists and enthusiasts to convene for educational events several times a year in exotic and beautiful settings.
  

• Knitters, crocheters, hand spinners, weavers, quilters, dyers, students of Kumihimo, and enthusiasts of Temari, embroidery and other needle arts all belong to an extended fiber community that enjoy educational workshops taught by internationally recognized authorities in their fields.
  

• We are extremely happy to provide unique educational environments where students pursue their interests while visiting some of the most beautiful and breath-taking locations in the world.

The Grand Hotel Des Alpes and La Canisela Restaurant in San Martino di Castrozza, Italy, are renown for their award-winning chefs.  Students in our Tyrolean Cooking Vacation enjoy six 3-hour lessons in the kitchen with Master Executive Chef Giuseppe Cavallari and his team.  Photo: Gianluca Rimondi.

Sommelier Gianluca Rimondi, owner of La Canisela restaurant.  Photo courtesy of Gianluca Rimondi.

Master Executive Chef Giuseppe Cavallari works in the kitchen of the Grand Hotel Des Alpes.  Photo courtesy of the Grand Hotel Des Alpes.

Guests in our Tyrolean Alps vacations enjoy traveling by cable car to legendary Malga Pala, a high mountain dairy where we make fresh Tosela cheese in the farmhouse kitchen.  Photo: Daniela Anderson.

• The Alpine Adventure Agency is unique in providing pay-as-you-go Italian cell phones to each guest for use during your vacation. You will not need to worry that your own phone will not work in Italy.
  

• You can buy more minutes for your phone easily in most stores.

• We have made instant concierge service and translation assistance possible with important phone numbers already programmed into the phones, including mine, the hotel, local transportation companies, medical assistance, and the visitor's center in town.

• I am just a phone call away to assist you with any needs or requests.

WE TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN!

• We want to make traveling easier for families with young children. Appropriate car seats are available and can be rented from the Alpine Adventure Agency as long as you tell us your child's age, weight, and height at the time of booking. The seats will be waiting for you upon arrival at the transfer location to pick up our guests. Of course, you are welcome to travel with your own seats if you choose.

• We have compiled a list of private babysitters who are available for private contracting so parents can go out in the evening and enjoy the local nightlife.

• Daniela is assisted by Alessandro Simon, whose family has been in the area since the mid-1800's. Alessandro's passion is outdoor nature photography, and his gallery shows are fantastic. He is present for all group activities, taking the group to the best locations to take pictures, giving advice on using your equipment, and showing you where to stand to get those amazing shots of your dream vacation.

WE HELP YOU PACK LIGHTLY BY PROVIDING HIKING SUPPLIES WHEN YOU GET HERE!

• We provide the basics for you so you don't have to fill your suitcase with extra gear. Hiking poles are provided to each guest for use during your stay, so all you need to pack are your hiking boots!

WE MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO TRAVEL WITHOUT HUGE SUMS OF CASH!

• Alpine Adventure Agency vacations are all-inclusive of your lodging, most meals and beverages, and all expenses and transportation incurred in direct relation to the specified group activities included in your vacation package. Transfer to and from the Marco Polo Airport in Venice and San Martino di Castrozza is included in your package. Expenses incurred during your free, non-scheduled time are not covered. Airfare is not included.
  

WE CREATED THE ALPINE ADVENTURE AGENCY EVENING EDUCATION SERIES JUST FOR YOU

• The Alpine Adventure Agency offers 2-3 short, educational programs at the hotel after dinner on topics of regional and local interest including geology, archeology, legends, history, art and architecture, local folklore and culture, and wine and cuisine.

• Some of these custom programs were created specifically for the Alpine Adventure Agency by Luca Brunet and the Time Laboratory, a group of local historians and curators of local art and culture in Primiero. Luca's family has been in Primiero for 400 years, and he teaches at the high school in the valley. His articles are published in literary journals, Wikipedia pages, and in the brochures distributed by the local tourism agencies.
  

• Luca and the Time Laboratory also created the guided walking tours of fine art and architecture in the towns of the Primiero Valley.

• One very interesting program on the history of San Martino di Castrozza viewed through a very rare collection of postcards dating over 100 years was researched and developed and currently presented by Marco Toffol, whose family is considered to be one of the region's most influential and historically important pioneering families in the hotel and tourism culture. Marco offers his very popular presentation to each of our groups vacationing with us in San Martino di Castrozza and the Primiero valley.

A glimpse of San Martino di Castrozza in the late 1800's. Photo courtesy of the Azienda per il Turismo San Martino, Primiero e Vanoi.

WE GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND KNOWING THAT OUR LEAD GUIDES FOR ALL ORGANZIED GROUP ACTIVITIES ARE AMERICAN RED CROSS CERTIFIED.

• Our lead guides are certified to provide first responder care and be the first link to help until professional emergency personnel can arrive in case of an emergency. They are not EMT's, paramedics, doctors or nurses. The Alpine Adventure Agency lead guides who accompany all organized group activities are certified in American Red Cross Standard First Aid and CPR/ AED for the Professional Rescuer.

• This certification focuses in recognizing and caring for choking, breathing emergencies, and cardiac emergencies for adults, children, and infants, as well as advanced aspects of CPR that includes two-rescuer CPR, airway management, use of a resuscitation mask, use of a bag-valve-mask and use of an automated external defibrillator. We are pleased to provide our guests with guides trained to american standards who can initiate the emergency response process while you are away from home.

• In almost all of our 10-day vacations in the alps, our last day is spent in beautiful Venice.

• We have several activities and places that are included in our packages thanks to our close relationships with many business owners and personal friends.

• Free time to explore is incorporated into the day.

• We take time during your vacation to help each guest plan out individual priorities for the day we visit this legendary city.

• If you are interested in staying a few extra days, we would be happy to help you make arrangements. The Alpine Adventure Agency has an excellent relationship with a wonderful hotel that offers special rates exclusively to our guests and who can arrange 24/7 shuttle service to and from the Marco Polo airport.

• The train station's platform for the 20 minute train ride into Venice is connected to the hotel's parking lot by an underground gallery making your visit to this spectacular city safe and easy.

• If you would rather stay in the heart of Venice, we would be happy to arrange accommodations that fit your needs.

I look forward to helping you achieve your dream vacation...my family is looking forward to meeting you!

See you soon! A presto!

-Daniela

"...it is early morning in the magnificent alpine playground known as the Italian Dolomites. As the sun begins to replace the dark of night, the jagged alpine peaks known as the Pale di San Martino erupt from the earth and seem frozen in mid-explosion among lush meadows, thick conifer forests, waterfalls, and mountain streams...

...The intense beauty and power of this mountain chain has been known to produce tears of pure emotion in those who have had the privilege to experience them in person. Their magical, glowing, ever-changing hues of coral and rose are mesmerizing, and the sheer majesty of their existence will remain in your soul for a lifetime..."