History & Culture

Franz Happacher founded the first generation of hoteliers at the Hotel St. Veit in Sesto. He was born in the village in 1927 as one of 9 children. Between the two world wars, in common with the inhabitants of many other mountain villages, he and his family experienced difficult times that were marked by misfortune and hardships.
The worst of these was without doubt the destruction of the wood shaving factory that the family had built up, which fell victim to a fire. And when Franz’s brothers were called up he was put to a severe test, running the family’s farm alone under extremely tough conditions. However Franz also found time to attend the secret school in the catacombs where he was able to continue his education in German. At that time no-one imagined that the farmer's son would turn into such a modern hotelier!

During the Second World War the Happacher family scraped by by killing game.
Sesto was chosen for bombardment by the Americans, as the German General Kessler was in hiding in the village. Two air raid shelters were built to protect the people. As if by a miracle, a thick covering of fog, the like of which had never been seen before, prevented the attack for three days and saved the village and its inhabitants from a terrible fate.
After the war Franz continued to run the farm with his brother Michael and tended the cattle in summer at the Zsigmondy Hut near the Three Peaks.
Sheepskins were very valuable in those days, and so the brothers also raised sheep.
In 1951 the sheep shelter was rebuilt and opened as today’s Carducci Hut refuge. Franz recognised early on that the unique scenery of the Sesto Dolomites was a magical draw for mountaineers and holidaymakers from all around the world, and so, in 1960, he decided to convert the Zsigmondy Hut and provide food for the mountaineers. It is still owned by the Riega family today, with Klaus Happacher as the current landlord.

In 1961 the first of the next generation entered the world.
Franz enjoyed accompanying his guests in the mountains and made his passion into a second career as a mountain guide and mountain rescuer. Thanks to his many years of experience and surefootedness in the mountains he was often called upon as an adviser to the military.
Once, 100 soldiers found themselves in a life-threatening situation at -25ºC in the mountains and only managed to make it safe and sound to the Auronzo Hut in the early hours of the morning thanks to Franz Happacher.
It was at this time that he met his wife, Emma, who worked with his brother Michael at the Hotel Kreuzbergpass. In 1960 they sealed their love with marriage.
5 years later they decided to build a 25-bed hotel in Sesto. Unfortunately things didn’t run as smoothly as they had planned, as in this year there were severe rainstorms lasting for many days, which completely destroyed the foundations. The nearby Golsbach brook burst its banks and flooded the entire neighbourhood. The masses of debris took all of the materials and earth out of the recently dug excavations with them and the area was declared a danger zone. However, Franz did not allow his plans to be delayed for long and as early as 1967 the construction of a 40-bed hotel began on the current site. The first project met with differences of opinion because of its unusual and innovative design, and was rejected. Nevertheless, with plenty of initiative and energy, the Happacher family was able to realise its dreams and by Christmas of 1969, the 3-star Hotel St. Veit was finally opened.

They were golden years with plenty of guests, predominantly from Germany. As before, Franz continued to pursue his passion for mountaineering as a mountain guide and also continued to be a hut landlord. He enjoyed accompanying his guests in the Dolomites and showing them the best places. However he also recognised that holidaymakers were looking for relaxation, and so in 1977 the hotel was extended to accommodate a spa area. Even then the St. Veit was a trailblazer when it came to the wellbeing of its guests, becoming one of the first spa hotels in South Tyrol. The aim was for the guests, and the hotelier’s family too, to feel a sense of all-round wellbeing.

In 1985, daughter Gertraud and her husband Peter turned the family business into a partnership. In 1987 the family responded to the guest’s need for entertainment with a bowling alley and the “Herzalm” bar & disco. Locals and guests often got together for a friendly drink here until 2004.
In 1987 the restaurant and dining room were extended. In 1990 the guest rooms on the second floor underwent an upgrade, followed in 1994 by the south-facing rooms on the second floor and the north-facing rooms on the same floor in 1998.

Early on, the guests’ desire for relaxation and wellbeing was recognised, and here too we aimed to offer them a special service. And so in 2002 a conservatory with an open fireplace, reading room and non-smoking room was built. In 2004 the swimming pool underwent improvements and beauty treatment rooms were added.
The hotel had exceeded by far the criteria for an Alpine Wellness and Panorama Hotel. In 2006 it was extended to 66 guest beds and the family seized the opportunity to specialise the hotel in the Vitalpina philosophy of Alpine Wellness. Thanks to this leap forward in quality, the hotel was awarded a fourth star.
All of the decisions of recent years have been made by Franz Happacher together with his family. From the farmer’s son to hut landlord to successful hotelier and visionary - his willingness to take risks and endlessly positive attitude to the future have been passed on to the next generations, who today still pursue their passion for the hotel industry in harmony with nature and with authentic South Tyrolean hospitality.