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Anyone who drops in at the Waldruhe mountain inn high above Sexten is sure not to be disappointed. With panoramic views of the very highest quality and a building over 500 years old it is absolutely idyllic. At first glance it is a typical traditional inn – just one of many. At first glance you might expect a rosy-cheeked host who has served snacks on a wooden platter for half a century or more with the same cheeky joke. But looking again you’ll see a Slow Food sign at the entrance. This alone is a genuine rarity in South Tyrol – and a sign that the kitchen and chef have devoted themselves entirely to the principle of “good, clean and fair”. A young landlord that really doesn’t look like the traditional inn landlord at all, Stefan is a former professional snowboarder. A man who has travelled widely and made a name for himself beyond the region’s borders as a freestyle snowboarder. “Lo Speck” – a handle on the scene that Stefan Senfter probably owes to his last name and its association with the well-known South Tyrolean brand of Speck bacon. For years he’s been travelling around in the big wide world, sponsored by Burton Snowboards, at international competitions and wild parties. “An exciting, very cool time,” he says today with the grin that is so typical of him. But despite California, despite sporting successes and new friends, Stefan has remained the down-to-earth mountain farmer’s boy that he always was. Today the observant eye will spot a little of both worlds at the Waldruhe. His grandmother’s recipes, revamped and reinterpreted. Dumplings, “Schlutzkrapfen” ravioli and “Tirtlan” pastry pockets, venison fillets and trout. His Labrador, Bruno – a dog with a Facebook profile – lies in front of the door. In the old pinewood parlour, hikers sit alongside slow food gourmets and former snowboarding colleagues, and allow this ardent chef to delight them. Then there are days when the snow calls. On those days he puts down his ladle, takes out his snowboard from the cellar, and then… Stefan “lo Speck” Senfter is back!