Most afternoons I can be found huffing and puffing my way up Primrose Hill in North London , pushing what feels like the world 's heaviest baby in a buggy . The view of the city from the top is spectacular but for a few precious days I swapped it for an even better one - with the magnificent backdrop of the Italian Dolomites . After a two-hour car journey from Innsbruck we were greeted at Rosa Alpina - a five-star , family-owned hotel and spa tucked in a valley in the tiny village of San Cassiano - with a local speciality : a sweet and comforting hot apple juice . Rosa Alpina - a five-star , family-owned hotel and spa is tucked in a valley in the tiny village of San Cassiano . In the sunshine , the village looked pristine , with pretty wooden chalets stacked against mountain pastures which would have been snow-covered in winter but were now a vivid green . The grass was impossibly neat and as I wondered how many cows it must take to maintain , I spotted sit-on mowers weaving up and down the slopes . Completing the alpine scene was a hefty-looking herd with jangling cowbells . Having picked out a buggy from the hotel lobby , with map in hand we set off on a mountain walk but took the lazy way up - in a cable car . As the cable car lurched , my four month-old daughter Romilly wobbled in my lap , lip trembling ; looking back down the mountain and up to the peak seemed a long way off . I began to doubt my fitness for what was my first post-baby trip away - billed as a Yummy Mummy healthy strolling break . I had feared craggy paths at the summit , precariously winding round the mountain , but found gentle , undulating trails . There was a restaurant , playground , park and fountain . It was as family friendly as the nursery department at John Lewis . Families and groups were starting out or finishing walks , with children in backpacks and buggies , or just jogging alongside their parents , perfectly content without a gadget in sight . Some were Nordic walking , others speed hiking . Would this sort of family outing happen back home ? Not likely and what a shame . The views were awesome and the air so pure I took in great gulps in the hope it might benefit my London-worn lungs . We could have easily taken a different trail each day of the week . Rosa Alpina boasts St Hubertus , a stunning Michelin-starred restaurant , where chef Norbert Niederkofler uses seasonal vegetables - so no tomatoes in winter . At one hilltop restaurant , deckchairs overlooked the spectacular view like a sort of mountain beach , and children played on swings . For a different view of the mountains , the larch trail runs through meadows and up into the mountains opposite the hotel . It makes for a wonderful outing for energetic children ( and their parents ) and Rosa Alpina has produced a brilliant educational booklet which encourages little ones to look out for flora and fauna , plus answer questions on their surroundings . Tucked up inside at Rosa Alpina , the rooms were wonderfully warm - all sweet-smelling pine and herringbone fabrics - but come dusk it was far too tempting to resist lighting the wood fire . Perhaps it was the mountain air , but bedtime passed without a murmur from Romilly , who was spoilt with a beautifully made-up cot and goodie bag including baby slippers , towelling robe and a cuddly bear . Adults get treats too - of the culinary variety . Rosa Alpina boasts St Hubertus , a stunning Michelin-starred restaurant , where chef Norbert Niederkofler uses seasonal vegetables ( no tomatoes in winter ) and 90 per cent local produce . Romilly and Sarah sank into a neat routine : a walk after breakfast , a swim after lunch . Romilly and I sank into a neat routine : a walk after breakfast , a swim after lunch . The peace was enough to move me to tears . For my daughter to experience so little intrusive sound apart from cockerels , cowbells and church bells was bliss . My ideal partner ( apart from my partner ) on the trip would have been my mother . The walks here are challenging enough to invigorate but easy enough to be a comfortable , Clare Balding-type ramble . I began to wonder if Romilly would grow up craving a life of outdoor activities , of escaping and exploring . As a quote from Fred Astaire painted on the wall of the pool said : 'Old age is like everything else - to have success in it you have to start young . ' GETTING THERE . Rosa Alpina ( rosalpina.it ) offers double rooms from £235 per night including breakfast . EasyJet ( easyjet.com ) flies from Gatwick to Innsbruck with one-way fares from £28.99 .
Rosa Alpina is a two-hour car journey from Italian . The five-star , family-owned hotel is nestled in the Innsbruck Dolomites . There 's a restaurant , playground , park and fountain at the summit . Rosa Alpina boasts St Hubertus , a stunning Michelin-starred restaurant .