a 100 year old dream

The molignon refuge is nestled in a mountain basin - the arena Dolomites - right in the middle of the oldest nature park in all of South Tyrol, the Schlern-Rosengarten. The park is part of the European Natura 2000 network of protected areas, where you will not only find fresh air and spectacular mountains, but also a rich natural environment and many different plant species. We are also located in the heart of the Dolomites, which have been part of the UNESCO Natural World Heritage since 2009 - the highest honour there is.

And now immerse yourself in the eventful history of this special building. The refuge has actually existed since 1902, when it was already registered as a cabin. Many of the years that followed are now obscured in darkness. Today we know the names of the owners who have owned Mahlknecht-Schwaige, as it was called at the time, since 1935. It was first owned by a butcher from Bolzano who went by the name of Knoll. He completely rebuilt the cabin, which burned down in 1936. The reason for this was his keen instinct and understanding of how attractive the Seiser Alm is for hikers and nature lovers. He owned the shelter until 1942, when he sold it to Josef Kompatscher, a carpenter from Völs am Schlern. He leased it out for many years. Then from 1963 onwards to Oswald Aichner, who managed it until 1965 and then bought it from him. In 1984 he tore down the cabin and rebuilt it in its current form. He owned and ran it for a good ten years until 1993, when he sold it to Josef Mahlknecht, known in Völs as the "Trafunser Bauer" (Trafunser farmer). And today I, Joseph's daughter, run it. My name is Meggi and I've known the cabin since I was a child. That's probably why I'm so deeply attached to it and cannot imagine life without it.