Holiday in South Tyrol

What makes South Tyrol special as a destination?

South Tyrol is the fascinating melting pot where alpine mountain scenery meets Mediterranean ease — a region where dumplings sit alongside pasta on menus, where apple orchards stretch up to the feet of snow-capped three-thousand-meter peaks, and where one can have breakfast in a mountain hut in the morning and drink cappuccino under palm trees in Merano in the afternoon. The Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, are the scenic crown jewel: The Three Peaks rise like stone cathedrals above green high pastures, the Pragser Wildsee shimmers emerald green between rocky walls, and the Seceda plateau offers one of the most photographed mountain panoramas in the world with its bizarre rock pinnacles. Via ferratas, hiking trails, and in winter ski areas like Kronplatz, Alta Badia, and Gröden make the Dolomites a year-round mountain sports paradise. Bolzano, the capital, combines southern-style arcades with the Archaeological Museum, where Ötzi — the 5,300-year-old ice mummy — rests. Merano enchants with its Mediterranean promenade along the Passer, the Trauttmansdorff Gardens, and a spa with mountain views. Brixen delights as the oldest city in Tyrol with its cathedral, cloister, and bishop's palace. South Tyrol's wine culture is among the most exciting in Europe: Gewürztraminer from Tramin, Lagrein from Bolzano, and Vernatsch as an everyday classic thrive on steep terraced slopes between 200 and 1,000 meters in altitude. Additionally, there are farm-produced speck, Schlutzkrapfen filled with spinach, and apple strudel, which tastes better here than anywhere else — because South Tyrol is Europe's largest contiguous apple-growing region.