Southern Tyrol, Italy, in all its Fall Glory

No other vacation was ever more relaxing than my visits to South Tyrol in late fall: Soaking up the sun before the approaching winter, hiking through colorful forests and vineyards, and enjoying the view of the beautiful surrounding mountains. In one sentence: Experiencing the golden autumn in this breathtaking landscape in Northern Italy is a special gift for me.

This year, from late October to mid-November the sky over South Tyrol was Azur-blue and the sun was shining all day long. After the “Toerggelen” tourists left at the end of October, it became easier to get a table at the many fantastic restaurants, dotting the area. "Toerggelen" means drinking (enormous amounts) of grape most (cider) and young wine. Törggelen refers to the "Torggl" (Latin torquere, to turn), i.e. the wooden wine press in the farmers’ cellars. It is one of the favorite traditions in South Tyrol and extremely popular with tourists.

My daily delight is the wonderful dishes that are served in this former Austrian province: home-made dumplings (filled with spinach, cheese, or ham), fresh mushrooms, ravioli, venison, lamb, ducks, and BBQ-roasted chestnuts. Some of these restaurants (Hof as they are called here) are five, six, or even seven hundred years old and for many generations in the families.
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From Bolzano southwards, almost to Trento, lies the “Weinstrasse”, the South-Tyrol Wine Road, inviting hikers, bikers, and slow strollers to savor the beautiful landscape, the picturesque villages, and the hospitality of the locals. More than 800+ acres of vineyards encircle Bolzano, besides around the same amount of apple orchards.
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For years, I have been renting a room with a large balcony in a cozy, hidden guesthouse on top of the Kurtasch town. The owner, a now 80-year-old lady created a beautiful garden with palm trees, lemon bushes, and thousands of roses and other flowers that are still blooming in November. Most of the people in the area speak very well German, and many additionally Italian.

So Much to See and Do

When you read the name Alto Adige, it means South Tyrol and the Bolzano area in Italian. No matter how the weather turns out - rain or shine (mostly shine as South Tyrol has an average of 300+ sun-shine days per year), there is so much to do, one just cannot get bored, even during a 6-8 weeks vacation. From Skiing in the mountains in Winter, paragliding or cycling in Spring, to hiking in summer until the end of fall. The Mediterranean climate lets millions of apple trees bloom in early April - just like the cherry blooms in Japan.

During summer and into late fall, farmers offer their (bio) products in markets and farm stands. Dozens of cable cars bring visitors up to the mountains in case they don’t hike up (like me). Several mountain pass roads allow you to drive up to the summits where almost always nice restaurants or coffee shops with lovely mountain views invite tourists and locals to relax on mountain tops.

Follow the footsteps of Empress Elisabeth “Sissy” who resided in the spa town of Meran/Merano
In the hay bath, a South Tyrolean mountain pine bath, or mineral water baths, people have been finding relaxation and relief from physical ailments for centuries. A great idea for cooler or non-sunny days!

Explore the cultural side in the many museums in South Tyrol. From a 5,000-year-old glacier mummy named Ötzi to the largest secular fresco cycle from the Middle Ages at Schloss Runkelstein castle in Bolzano/Bozen. From imposing castles and palaces on the Alto Adige Wine Road to hip architecture and contemporary masterpieces by star architects on the Kronplatz. From the Alpine Romanesque Road in the Vinschgau valley to the Nature Park, visitor centers throughout the region. South Tyrol is rich in ancient, innovative, unique, and contrasting cultural treasures to discover.

Visit Italy's Most Beautiful Villages:

Kastelruth - Castelrotto, Neumarkt - Egna, Glurns - Glorenza, Klausen - Chiusa, Sterzing - Vipiteno are by far some of the most beautiful towns in Italy. You can reach all these towns by bus. Should you visit by car, extend your trips into the mountains and lakes around Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites. Seiser Alm, Lago di Carrezo-Karer See, Ritten pyramids, the Rose Garden mountains, Ortler (3,905 m high), Canazei, Wolkenstein, and Corvara, and even a road trip to Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Nature Park “Drei Zinnen” with the magnificent mountain peaks … These tours are all showing the fascinating landscapes of South Tyrol. No matter in which direction you drive or take a bus, stunning views are galore.

Reinhold Messner’s Six Mountain Museums in the Mountains of South Tyrol

These six museums by the famous mountaineer are on my bucket list to visit one day:

The MMM Corones was designed by star architect Zaha Hadid. It can be visited at the peak of the 2,265-meter-high Kronplatz near Bruneck.

The Ripa MMM museum at Brunico Castle is dedicated to the mountain peoples of the world. It aims to connect the mountain peoples of all over the world and to invite an exchange between the cultures.

The area of King Ortler - there is no more appropriate place for a museum dedicated to the topic "ice". It is completely underground, and visitors get a wonderful view of the eternal ice and the glaciers in an exhibition area.

"The Museum in the Clouds", as the MMM Dolomites at Monte Rite, is also called, is dedicated to the magic of the "pale mountains". It is located on the 2,181 m high Monte Rite, between Pieve di Cadore and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Mask collections from five continents, an adventure library, a gallery with images of the Sacred Mountains of the World and a Tibetika collection, are just a few of the sights in the MMM Juval, the museum of Reinhold Messner, which is located in the medieval castle of Yuval.

The heart of the entire museum projects, the MMM Firmian, is located at Castle Sigmundskron near Bolzano and introduces you to the history and art of mountaineering.

Visit the Castles

In Bolzano, Castle Mareccio - Schloss Maretsch is an impressive sight. Surrounded by beautiful vineyards and framed by the mountains, it offers a stunning backdrop. The well-preserved walls and towers give a real sense of the history of the place. The peaceful setting and scenic views make it a lovely spot for a walk around the ground. The interior of the castle is for private use or public events reserved.

Half an hour from the city is the Sigmundskron Castle which houses the legendary climber’s Reinhold Messner Mountain Museum. The museum explores the relationship between man and mountain.

Climb up to the ancient ruins of Schloss Rafenstein to take in the view of Bolzano and the surrounding mountains.

Castel Roncolo - Schloss Runkelstein is accessible from the Talvera Promenade in the city center or the line 12 shuttle bus from Waltherplatz. An abundance of frescos graces its walls providing a view into medieval life.

Bolzano - Bozen

One of the busiest places in the city for locals and visitors alike - a feast to the senses - is the outdoor market on Piazza delle Erbe, next to the Laubengasse. These shade arcades allow for comfortable shopping during sunshine, rain, or snow. Another place to be is the Walter Vogelweide piazza with its gothic cathedral, enjoying to sit in one of the many inviting cafes and restaurants that frame the place. The place is also home to the largest and most beautiful Christmas markets in the middle of Europe. (Believe my opinion, I visited during my whole life all of them - from Vienna to Strassburg and from Cologne to Munich). Bolzano is the best one! A good time to visit is from Monday to Friday. On weekends are too many people showing up.

No matter where you go for coffee, sweets, or wine and tasty meals, you barely ever go wrong. My favored places are the Voegele restaurant and wine house, the Hopfen&Co, and the Cafe Thaler. For sweets, I recommend the Pasticceria Caffè Lintner or the Guglielmo's Café - just to name two of the many, many wonderful coffee houses in town. For an exceptional culinary dining experience in an art nouveau and palm setting, try the 5-star restaurant, Laurin.

The hotel in which the restaurant is placed reminds of the golden times when Empress Sissy stayed here. I remember a stay there many years ago I marveled at the half dozen writing desks in the hotel lobby from bygone times when hotel guests wrote postcards to their loved ones at home instead of sending selfies.

If you would like to stay in a medieval building in the middle of Bolzano, choose the apartment hotel Cooper. I rented one, years ago, for a week, and liked it a lot. Current online reviews are second my opinion. They offer tasteful places in Meran and Obereggen too.

Don’t miss visiting the home of Bolzano’s most famous resident in the Tyrol Museum of Archaeology: 5,300-year-old “Oetzi”. The mummy was found by two hikers on an icy mountainside in 1991. He is the oldest intact human ever found, a world sensation. The lonely death of Ötzi the Iceman on the glacier in the Ötztal Alps over 5,300 years ago still moves people today. Who ambushed him with a bow and arrow on that fateful summer day?

Botanical Garden in Meran

As the weather was so beautiful in early November, I decided to finally visit Meran’s botanical garden around Trautmannsdorff Castle. Somehow I never made it to visit in spring when millions of daffodils, tulips, and other spring bulbs come to live - even though Meran’s Botanical Garden is just thirty kilometers from Bolzano. Surprisingly, it seemed to be as colorful on this November day as it might have been in Spring. Hundreds of Chrysanthemums, Zinnias, Heide plants, and Coleus, just to name a few display their colors on the hill that is beneath the castle.

The gently meandering paths through the garden offer visitors the opportunity to explore plants from all over the world, across sunny terraces and past gurgling stream waters. South Tyrol has a tradition of fruit cultivation that dates all the way back to the Middle Ages. Old local apple and pear varieties that have largely disappeared today grow in the orchards of the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.

At the foot of the terraces is the romantic Water Lily Pond. A dense planting of irises, daylilies, and grasses encircles brightly colored water lilies. Lotus flowers rise up out of the water and a dense palm forest fringes the shore; in the spring, camellias and azaleas bloom amidst more than 200 palms. I could have spent a whole day in this marvelous place. Plan at least four hours! There are also daily garden tours in German at 11.00 a.m. or in Italian at 11.15 a.m. for only €7.00.

The Mediterranean climate and surrounding mountain landscape make the gardens a unique experience. Water, terraces, and stairs: European garden architecture at its best. The Botanical Garden of Trauttmansdorff Castle has been declared “one of the most beautiful botanic gardens of Italy” (2005) and is also considered to be one of the most amazing gardens in Europe. Furthermore, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle received the “International Garden of the Year Award” at the “Garden Tourism Conference 2013″ in Toronto, Canada.