The rediscovery of the summer retreat
An almost forgotten way of life
For many, it’s the happiest time of the entire year: the holidays.
For weeks we’ve been looking forward to it, dreaming of a break full of peace and lightness. But as soon as the holiday begins, the big rush starts. Airports and motorways fill up, suitcases are packed in a hurry, checklists are meticulously worked through. We head straight for the usual picture-perfect destinations, aiming for the best snapshots and the trendiest cafés. The hunt for hotspots has long become part of our travel culture – and yet, all too often, it’s merely a new version of everyday life: loud, crowded, scheduled.
Constantly being on the move becomes a duty. Instead of relaxation, we’re overwhelmed; instead of letting go, we feel pressured to tick off as much as possible in the shortest time. We rush through life: scrolling, booking, packing, chasing. In the end, we land – exhausted – somewhere between rooftop bar and sun lounger. And we forget what a holiday is really about: pausing, breathing deeply, arriving in the moment. Because rest is not a place – it’s a state of being. True time-out doesn’t require superlatives.
Between travel tips and photo spots, we race through cities, countries, continents – always chasing the next highlight, the best shot, the perfect memory. But what often remains is a strange sense of emptiness. We experience a lot – but feel very little. We’re constantly going – but rarely truly present. And so, the time-out has become another project, no less stressful than everyday life itself. Often, we return with full memory cards but empty batteries – and a quiet wish for a “holiday from the holiday”.
The summer retreat once stood for a cultivated escape and was an expression of a conscious way of living. A deliberate pause from everyday life, where the aim was not to experience more -but less. No schedule, no obligations, no chasing -just quiet days in clear air, aimless walks, unhurried conversations, and afternoon light that felt like a warm blanket on your thoughts.
Today, the term is regaining significance. A summer retreat is not an escape, but a shift: from functioning to feeling, from reacting to perceiving, from “I must” to “I may”. A break in the mountains is more than a change of scenery -it’s a change of perspective. In simplicity lies abundance, in silence insight, and in apparent ease a new depth of experience. The mountains demand nothing -they give everything: space, calm, authenticity, and a quiet invitation to reconnect with yourself.
Those who immerse themselves in alpine nature quickly realise: nothing spectacular has to happen to be moved. It is the simple things that truly resonate.
Those who seek a summer retreat aren’t looking for effect -but for the real.
And that is not found at overcrowded viewpoints or staged holiday settings, but in genuine encounters. In closeness to people who call this place home -grounded, warm, with a clear view of what matters. It’s the brief, honest chat with the herdswoman on the mountain pasture. The home-made herb salt, carefully prepared in a modest kitchen. The moment when you realise: here, you don’t need to play a role, follow a plan, or fulfil an expectation. Just permission. A quiet presence.
Hardly any season is more suited to this kind of retreat than autumn.
When the large crowds fade, a soothing calm returns. The mountain landscape then shows its most tender side. The colours deepen, the light softens, the days become more mindful. Voices lower, listening better. And with every step through dew-covered grass, every glance across the open land, it becomes clear: nature is slowing down -and invites us to do the same.
It’s the time when you fall in love with the mountains (again).
Quietly, profoundly. Not a whirlwind of emotion, not a fleeting high, but a gentle, steady embrace that lingers.
Those looking for a place where the spirit of the summer retreat is lived will find it at the Mirabell.
It’s a house that listens. A host of alpine culture, where traditions are not staged but carefully carried forward. From the architecture to the wellness offering, from the personal welcome to the fine selection of local products – at the Mirabell you sense: it’s not about impression, but expression. About authenticity, attentiveness – and a deep understanding of what a true break can mean.
The summer retreat is a way of life. Not a trend. Not a backdrop. But a conscious decision – for calm, depth, and authenticity.
And once you’ve found it, you’ll never look for it anywhere else.
but the moment of lingering.”
advice:
Tel. +39 0474 49 61 91hotel@mirabell.it
Via Hans-von-Perthaler 11,
39030 Valdaora, South Tyrol, Italy
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