Traveling around South Tyrol: how to plan and where to go. The charm of northern Italy. South Tyrol Which countries does South Tyrol border with?
South Tyrol (German: Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol, Italian: Provincia autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige) is one of two autonomous provinces of the picturesque Trentino-Alto Adige region in Italy. Other names for this multilingual region located in the very north of the country are Bolzano or Alto Adige and Bozen or Südtirol. Such a number of names for a fairly small territory is associated with a complex and even tragic history in which several European nations were involved. Today, the past is reflected in the presence of bilingual road signs, menus in restaurants in Italian and German, and media broadcasting in several languages.
More than half of the people living in South Tyrol speak German. This is the only province in Italy where this phenomenon occurs. For the rest of the inhabitants, the native language is Italian, and in the eastern part it is Ladin.
In addition to cultural attractions in the form of numerous castles, ancient abbeys, architecturally rich cities, cozy Alpine villages in the valleys, there is one of the most important national parks in Italy. Beautiful lakes and mountain peaks create a picturesque landscape, carefully protected by the state. The local slopes are also popular with ski resorts. The world-famous Dolomites near the Austrian border are a destination for winter sports fans.
The Dolomites are a mountain range in the Eastern Alps, named after the discoverer of the rock from which they are composed. This is a popular holiday destination in Italy with the wonderful resorts of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Ortisei, Rocca Pietore, Alleghe, Auronzo Cadore, Falcade. Also near the mountain peaks are the regional capitals of several provinces - Bolzano (province of South Tyrol), Trento (province of Trento) and Belluno (province of Belluno).
Counties and cities
South Tyrol is divided into eight districts. The first is called Bolzano or Bozen, in honor of the administrative center of Bolzano, the capital of the province and the largest settlement, located in this part. The second district - Burgraviate with its center in the resort of Merano (Meran) - is a beautiful corner of nature with a number of wonderful castles. The valley of the Isaac River, the second largest waterway in South Tyrol, is another district famous for its local vineyards and the cultural riches of the city of Brixen (Bressanone). The Pusteria Valley is a ski paradise with its administrative center in Brunico (Bruneck). Venosta is a unique valley with ski resorts in summer and the tallest church tower in Tyrol in the town of Silandro. Other districts are no less attractive areas with wonderful vineyards and picturesque valleys.
South Tyrol
How to get there
The only international airport in the province of South Tyrol is located in the capital Bolzano and serves flights from all over Europe.
Story
Archaeological excavations show that people lived in these territories back in the Stone Age. Being a strategically advantageous area, the province at different periods was part of the Roman Empire, a place of settlement for barbarian tribes, was ruled by France, was divided into separate regions, until, in the end, it fell into the hands of the Tyrolean counts, who took control of all the surrounding lands.
The next difficult stage in the history of South Tyrol was a long-lasting property conflict of sorts between the Bavarian Wittelsbachs and the Austrian Habsburgs, who claimed power in these places. The Habsburgs turned out to be stronger, and in the 19th century South Tyrol became part of Austria-Hungary. However, after the end of the First World War, in which the Austrians were defeated, the lands went to Italy. Thus, the Tyroleans turned into an ethnic minority, they were forbidden to use their language, all German names were replaced with Italian ones. Long years of suppression of any manifestations of Tyrolean culture did not stop after World War II.
Only by 2001 was the issue of the national identity of the population living in these territories resolved. Alto Adige became South Tyrol, and German became an official language like Italian.
Cuisine and restaurants
Despite belonging to Italy, local cuisine was greatly influenced by its former “owner” Austria. Almost all dishes refer to traditional Austrian gastronomy. The most popular recipes among the local population are goulash, strudel and dumplings. All kinds of soups with the addition of vegetables, smoked loin; meat dishes in the form of bacon, various kinds of sausages, sausages; a stew of potatoes with meat and onions called gröstl - a delicious highlight of South Tyrol.
Various types of bread are a distinctive feature of the local cuisine. Schuttelbrot is a flatbread made from rye flour, prepared only in South Tyrol and deserves the same attention as herbal cheeses made from cow's milk.
Among drinks, wine is the most popular. Numerous vineyards produce mainly red wine. You can also find the famous Italian grappa and grape vodka in restaurants and bars.
Guides in South Tyrol
Popular hotels in South Tyrol
Entertainment and attractions in South Tyrol
Stelvio National Park was founded in 1935. This is the largest nature reserve in Italy, which borders many other similar protected areas, in particular the Swiss National Park. A visit to it will be interesting for fans of wildlife.
To get acquainted with the cultural richness of the province, you should definitely visit the capital Bolzano, as well as the cities of Brixen and Brunico. Numerous monasteries are located both within cities and outside. So, in Bolzano, for example, you can see the Abbey of Muri-Gris and the Church of St. Augustine. Marienberg Abbey, founded in the 12th century, is located near the administrative center. The Novacella Abbey near Bressanone has served as an educational institution for centuries. For thousands of years, monks have been passing on their knowledge to the younger generation. The abbey now houses a secondary school. The Zeben Monastery is located on a rock and is an active convent.
Locks
Other cultural sites that deserve attention are castles. Sigmundskron Castle is one of the symbols of the entire province of South Tyrol. It is located on the banks of the Adige River, towering above the surrounding lands. Fontana or Brunnenburg Castle was built in the 13th century and is also of interest. Klebenstein Castle is located inside the city of Bolzano, as are the castles Marec, Rafenstein and Runkelstein. In addition, it is worth seeing Kurburg, next to the Marienberg Abbey, Prösels, located in the Dolomites, Salorno and Tyrol.
Benvenuti! Wilkommen! Benuni!
South Tyrol - aka Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol, aka Provincia autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige, aka Provincia Autonoma de Balsan - Südtirol.
Strictly speaking, South Tyrol is not quite Italy yet. Everything here brings to mind Austria. And no wonder. After all, until 1919, this part of Italy was part of the Austrian Empire. This left its mark on many things: language (two thirds of the population of South Tyrol speak German, an Austro-Bavarian dialect), architectural style and gastronomic preferences. The Tyrolean hospitality, regularity, national clothing, cleanliness and order inherited by this province have the same roots.
Currently, this region has broad autonomy and is responsible for many socio-economic issues. The president of the autonomy is a representative of the South Tyrol People's Party. All local officials are required to speak two languages. In the local parliament, meetings are also held in two languages. In schools, German is taught as the main language, Italian only as a second language. There are bilingual road signs on the roads, menus in restaurants are in Italian and German.
In fairness, I must say that in addition to residents who speak German or Italian, there are a small number of speakers of the Romansh group of languages - the Ladin language. This is a very small group in terms of numbers – it makes up only about 4% of the region’s residents.
Many South Tyroleans dream of reunification with Austria. Here, from time to time, a statement is heard and read in German: “Südtirol ist nicht Italien!” And the provincial authorities offered Rome to buy their region for 15 billion euros. There has been no response from Rome yet.
But let's not get into politics...
The intention to go to this part of Italy had been brewing for a long time, and two factors contributed to this.
The first one was that my friend got married “there” and kept inviting us to visit her.
And secondly, my husband had a dream to climb in the Dolomites on the so-called “Via Ferrata”.
Therefore, we decided to combine pleasant and very pleasant things (the first - for my husband with his rock climbing, the second - for me with my meeting with my friend). Of all the methods of transportation, the long, but most interesting one was chosen - a car.
What awaits travelers in South Tyrol? Well, first of all, these are mountains - beautiful mountains, passes and gorges. Half of Italy's ski resorts are located in South Tyrol.
Scientists have proven that 250 million years ago the Dolomites located here were a coral reef. This is probably why they take on a pink tint at dusk.
There is a legend associated with this phenomenon. It says that in the old days wonderful rose gardens grew here, and amazingly beautiful people lived in this region. But evil neighbors decided to destroy their world and conquer its inhabitants. However, the inhabitants of the region resorted to the powers of magical spirits and made their world invisible, turning the blooming garden into impregnable rocks. And only twice a day, when the sun touches the mountain peaks, the curtain is lifted and all people can see the unusually beautiful flowering of the gardens in the Dolomites.
I read an interesting fact. It turns out that the Dolomites owe their name to a French scientist, who in 1789 first described these mountains and sent a soil sample to Switzerland. He soon received an answer that such a composition was not listed in the library of the Institute of Rocks, and therefore Mr. Dolomier was given the right to give the mountains his name.
One day, my friend Tanyushka suggested that we go to the Passo Sella pass (2240 m). This is one of the most famous passes in the Dolomites. It connects the Val di Fassa in the province of Trentino with the Val Gardena in the province of Bolzano. There are many routes of any difficulty for walking in the summer and fantastic ski slopes in the winter.
There is a rather steep serpentine road leading there, and with each turn my breath was taken away from fear. And while we were climbing, she asked several times to drop me off.
“I’ll wait here for you,” I whined.
“You will regret it later if you don’t come with us,” my husband persuaded me. “You know about it yourself.”
And at that moment, when I already wanted to swear that I would never regret anything, we went upstairs.
“Yes... I would regret it...” was all I could exhale, shocked by what I saw.
An unforgettable view opened before us! The peak of Mount Marmolada, the highest point in the Dolomites, covered with eternal snow, fascinated with its grandeur.
The amazingly beautiful valleys, of some amazing green color, lie at its foot.
Near the pass of the Sassolungo mountain range, there is a stunningly beautiful labyrinth of boulders.
This picture evoked a whole bunch of emotions and impressions. There is a feeling of unreality of what is happening - as if we were inside an advertising brochure or a postcard. The shock of what we saw was so strong that we simply fell into a state of some kind of euphoria. We laughed, happy and delighted. We reveled in the transparent air, ringing like crystal. We kissed in front of everyone, without thinking at all about what others would think of us. In general, we behaved like sixteen-year-old teenagers, and not respectable adults.
This condition probably has some scientific name, but I don’t want to know it...
It was with regret that we left this amazing place...
In addition to the mountains, in South Tyrol you will find national and regional nature parks, magical lakes, emerald valleys, cute fairy-tale Alpine towns and villages, and medieval castles.
The region is indeed dotted with castles and fortresses. Different sources indicate different numbers, but according to some sources there are about 400! Some of them are well preserved, others not so much. Some of them have now turned into museums, others into private residences, or into hotels and restaurants in medieval style. We also visited some castles...
In 2009, the region was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Separately, I would like to dwell on the local cuisine. I have already written that the Austrian past was reflected in the gastronomic preferences of the residents of South Tyrol. We were able to try Schlutzkrapfen - it's something like our dumplings, but with Ricotta cheese and the addition of spinach. Served with melted butter and grated Parmesan. Tasty!
It was interesting to try Canederli (Dumplings) - flour balls. They are prepared from finely crumbled bread crumbs with the addition of either spinach or speck. There are also sweet dumplings with plums or apricots.
And, of course, Weißwurst - white sausages. We sometimes call them Bavarian.
But Italian cuisine is also held in high esteem here – pizza, pasta, lasagna and much more. Polenta is an amazing baked corn porridge. It’s impossible to try everything, so we, supporting another of our traditions, bought ourselves a cookbook there with recipes for South Tyrol dishes. Now we cook at home, enjoy it ourselves and treat our friends.
A separate song needs to be sung about cheeses. I never thought I would like sheep's cheese! And Parmesan!?
And wine... Red, white, rose... Dry, semi-dry, sparkling... Light, tart, with a fruity aroma...
The so-called South Tyrol Wine Road is very popular among tourists. Its length is about 70 km and it passes through the territories of 15 communes. Here you can taste and buy the wine you like. But, unfortunately, we didn’t get to the Wine Road... We had our own “road”, and the procedure “on it” was somewhat different - we first bought wine, and then tasted it... However, from the change of place the sum of the terms does not change.
Province of South Tyrol - information about hotels, cities, main attractions of the region. Photos and reviews from tourists who visited South Tyrol.
Province of South Tyrol is an autonomous province in the region of northern Italy in the Alps. In each language, the region has its own name, the Germans and Austrians call it Bozen or Südtirol, and the Italians call it Trentino-Alto Adige. In these places, the stories of several European peoples intersected at once - German, Italian and Austrian, each of which at one time fought for dominance. As a result, a Solomonic decision was made - the region is endowed with autonomous rights and is part of the Italian state, but the overwhelming majority of the population speaks German - 70%. Both languages are considered official, so all inscriptions, road signs and street names are duplicated here. South Tyrol and are the only provinces where this phenomenon can be observed. The indigenous people of these lands are considered to be Ladins - descendants of the Rhets, Romanized by the Romans in the first centuries of our era, who prefer to speak their native language - Ladin. The total number of Ladins is 30-35 thousand people.
In addition to cultural attractions represented by numerous castles, abbeys and monasteries, this region is among the top tourist attractions. The country's largest national landscape park, Stelvio, occupies a special place. Picturesque lakes and meadows, bordered by a mountain range, create a most picturesque landscape. The slopes here are dotted with ski resorts. The world-famous Dolomites, on the very border with Austria, are a favorite destination for ski and snowboard fans from all over the world.
The Dolomites are a mountain range in northern Italy. This is a world-famous and popular holiday destination; there are numerous ski resorts here, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Ortisei, Rocca Pietore, Alleghe, Auronzo Cadore, Falcade. In the vicinity of the Alpine peaks, the regional administrative centers of several provinces at once - (South Tyrol) and Belluno - spread out their streets.
Administrative division
South Tyrol is administratively divided into 8 districts. Among them are Bolzano, Burgraviate, the Isaac River Valley - a district famous for its untouched nature, the Pusteria Valley - a paradise for skiers and Venosta - a high mountain valley, ideal for a summer ski holiday.
How to get there
What to do in South Tyrol?
Stelvio, the largest landscape park in Italy, was founded here back in 1935. The park attracts with its richness of flora and fauna, as well as its pristine virginity. The closest major city to the park is Trento.
In order to get acquainted with the cultural and architectural diversity of the province, you should not avoid Bolzano itself, here are the Abbey of Muri-Gris and the famous Church of St. Augustine - Bolzano's oldest attractions. To get acquainted with the architecture, visit the city and Brunico. South Tyrol's monasteries and abbeys are scattered throughout its territory. The medieval Abbey of Marienberg, also known as Monte Maria, is located in the town of Mals. Within the walls of the Novacella Abbey near Bressanone, various educational institutions have been located for many years. Today it houses the local high school.
Bolzano and nearby cities host magnificent events.
Medieval castles
Castles deserve special attention from tourists. One of the oldest castles, Sigmundskron, is located 6 kilometers from Bolzano and is considered a symbol of South Tyrol (Alto Adige). Its location gives it a special charm - the castle stands on a hill on the banks of a mountain river. Another medieval beauty - Fontana Castle or Brunnenburg - is located a little further, 35 kilometers from the capital. It was erected in 1241. In 1889, the mayor of Tyrol received Archduke Franz Ferdinand here, whose assassination 25 years later became the reason for the outbreak of the First World War. Another Klebenstein castle is located in Bolzano itself, along with the castles Marec, Rafenstein and Runkelstein.
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Books
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- The Essence of Evil, D "Andrea L.. After an accident that occurred on the set, documentarian Jeremy Salinger suffers severely from depression. To be away from everything and everyone, he and his family travel to his wife’s homeland, in Southern...