Italy Guide
Trentino-Alto Adige
Sitting in the shadow of the alps, Trentino-Alto Adige is where Italy, Austria and Switzerland meet. As the region's name suggests, it is really two areas linked together. Trentino, the southern part, is 98 percent Italian-speaking while the mountainous terrain around Bolzano – known both as the South Tyrol and Alto Adige – was only incorporated into Italy at the end of the First World War. Here the, street signs are in German and Italian and the landscape is redolent of illustrations from the Brothers Grimm.
The main focus of a trip here is the landscape, dominated by the stark and jagged Dolomites. Cable cars travel from the small resorts dotted around the region enabling you to go walking at 2000–3000m without needing anything beyond average fitness or expertise, and a network of trails crosses the ranges, varying in length from a day's walk to a two-week trek.
Of the towns in the area, the regional capital Trento is a worthwhile stopover with its atmospheric old centre, mountain views and the excellent contemporary art gallery, MART, a short train ride away. Further north, Bolzano, Alto Adige's chief town, has an enviable quality of life and makes a good base for seeing the rest of the region.
The scenic Great Dolomites Road links Bolzano with Cortina d'Ampezzo, probably Italy's glitziest ski resort.
Merano is another hub, serving the Val Venosta (Vischgau) and its side valleys which take you deep into the mountains of the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio. More remote and less touristy than the Dolomites, this range has a different flavour of high alps topped by vast glaciers; by day you can be ascending snow-capped pasture, in the evening eating pizza in town.
Highlights
1 Mountain refuges Bed, board and beer in some of Europe‘s most remote and scenic locations.
2 Trento's Piazza Duomo Trento's central square, with its backdrop of mountains, is ringed by arcades, shops and cafés.
3 MART The museum of contemporary art in Rovereto is the largest of its kind in Italy, and is strong on Futurist, avant-garde and Pop art.
4 Hiking in the Pale di San Martino One of the most spectacular areas in the Dolomites with a great selection of high-altitude trails.
5 Ice Man The chief exhibit in Bolzano's Museo Archeologico is the superbly preserved "Ice Man", found in the Ötzaler Alps in 1991.
6 Wine tasting along the Strada di Vino Follow the "wine road" through the Adige valley and sample some of the region's best food and wine.
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