FinKa: How it became what it was…

1968 – a year when everything felt within reach. Humanity was about to step onto the moon, the Beatles’ “White Album” sent fresh waves through the music scene, and hippie dresses danced in the summer breeze. And in Mals? Just a simple groundbreaking – nothing spectacular, it seemed. But what started here would, half a century later, carry the groove to stir up the world of travel.

Fifty years on – a whole generation later – we found ourselves in spring 2019 standing before the heavy, locked iron gate of the former customs barracks. The last officers had cleared out back in 2005, leaving behind nothing but a hollow giant: silent, sealed off from the world outside.

Looking back, I’d say we rode a pretty good wave through that time window. If we’d lost our nerve back then – right at the beginning of the pandemic – and pulled out of the purchase, the whole story would have unfolded in a very different way. (…). Sometimes all it takes is a bit of courage and trust to ride the wave – instead of letting it crash down on you.

Until then, our eyes were on the walls themselves – but now we stepped inside, to see what was hidden behind the barracks. For the renovation, we followed what we called the “law of grey energy conservation.” Einstein, we like to think, would have loved this spin on his theory – and maybe even dropped by to check it out himself. When it came to the interiors, though, we leaned on its natural twin: the principle of giving things a second life.

We could manage a lot ourselves – but not everything. So we turned to Basis Vinschgau/Venosta, rooted in the former Drusus barracks in Silandro, a hub for cross-disciplinary exchange in business, culture, and the social sphere. They sent us, without question, some of their brightest minds – and before long, those minds pulled off their very first stroke of genius.

They say it all began in Mals – with a friendship born in the sandbox. That bond lit the spark for an artwork which today rises like a lighthouse, catching every eye from afar.

They say people in Val Venosta are born with hospitality in their veins – and no, that’s not just a hollow slogan. It’s a belief rooted here as deeply as the apple trees that line the valley. So let’s set off and explore where this renowned hospitality truly begins.

It was clear from the start – of course it was – that we would carry the cultural heritage of Val Venosta hospitality forward in the FinKa. But we also knew we’d do it our own way: far from the usual patterns of tourism and hotel business.

Many guests are surprised to discover that the FinKa was once a barracks. Some are especially curious about what the customs officers did back then. Luckily, I’ve got a few stories to tell. Often I’ll point to a photo in the dining hall – a group of elderly gentlemen, who still drop by the FinKa now and then to relive old memories. They are former Fiamme Gialle, the men who once served within these very walls.