Roland Gruber, famous under his artist name "Ak", is a South Tyrolean original.
Not only because of his now-grey beard and his very own style – it is above all his authentic and welcoming character which makes him what he is.
A good host, through and through.
Originally from Naturns, he went out into the world at a relatively young age, as he had the feeling that South Tyrol could not contain him. But he always enjoyed returning to his homeland. "We South Tyroleans know where our roots are", he says with a grin.
So it came that, after spending time in various parts of South Tyrol, he packed his bags and moved to Munich, and from there went onwards to Switzerland, where he worked seasonally in Klosters, Grindelwald, Gstaad, and even in St. Moritz. But in between he always returned to his home in Vinschgau.
In 2005, Gruber opened his own wine and cocktail bar, the Sanzeno, in his native town of Naturns. This had been his dream ever since he could remember. The bar quickly became a popular hang-out, and Ak seemed to have arrived. That same summer Ak struck gold, as he puts it, because it was at no other bar than the Sanzeno that what is now the cult drink "Hugo" was served for the very first time.
"Hugo" was born, and Ak was its inventor!
But Ak still had not arrived... He closed his bar and moved back to Switzerland. Here Gruber met his future fiancée, Gabriella, who managed to "tame" him. And so the eternal rover has settled down and become a father.
After this family unit spent the four years living on the Riederalp in Valais, the couple have now been drawn to the Val Bever Valley, near Ak's home town.
With warm South Tyrolean hospitality, he and his team welcome families, nature lovers, bon vivants, and sports enthusiasts.
Viva
"AK" & team