For body and soul: Alpine Mediterranean moments of pleasure
In South Tyrol Alpine tradition meets Mediterranean joie de vivre. Quaint farmhouses coexist with trendy designer studios, historical castles with modern wine centres, substantial speck-knödel with the finest carpaccio. How should one best capture this unique atmosphere? It begins with taking an aperitif in Bolzano/Bozen’s main square. The mountains behind, sipping an aperitif, savouring the exciting body language, taking in the dialectal sing-song and Italian lightness of being from the neighbouring table: South Tyrol’s local colour is unique.
News
Top wines from South Tyrol achieve top accolades
Once again this year South Tyrol has re-confirmed its status as a top wine-growing region. Although South Tyrol only accounts for 1% of Italy’s total wine production, almost 8 % of the awards went to South Tyrol. A success unrivalled by any other Italian wine producing region. This year the widely ... more...
Culturonda® Wine
The new cultural guide Culturonda® Wine opens up twelve routes to wine culture and the enjoyment of wine in South Tyrol. more...
Regional specialities
Quality food products
With fresh morning air, 300 sunny days and cool nights, traditional South Tyrolean food products each with its unique characteristics are grown or matured slowly. You can taste the landscape in speck, milk and cheese, in apple juice and bread. Add to this the knowledge and skills involved in processing foods which have been handed down from generation to generation. Here we serve South Tyrol’s quality food products enriched with interesting titbits and tips on their use. more...
Did you know...
...that Schüttelbrot derives its name from the process of shaking by hand the rye flour dough on a round board until it is flat? Once baked, the ‘discs’ are staked in a rack to dry them.
Culinary coexistence
It comes down to the right mixture
Knödel and spaghetti
In South Tyrol the typical, rather substantial bread dumplings found north of the Alps have become lighter under the influence of the Italian cuisine. At lunch time and in the evenings traditional eateries and wine estate restaurants serve pasta and risotto specialities alongside Alpine fare such as hand-formed knödel filled with speck, cheese, spinach or even sweet dumplings encasing apricots, served with South Tyrolean wines. Most dishes are made using local, seasonal ingredients. Tempted? more...
Knödel and art
A religious wall painting in the chapel of Hocheppan Castle near Missiano/Missian depicts a secular scene - a maid cooking knödel. The wall paintings originate from the first decade of the 13th century and show famous illustrations of the dumpling eater. Heavenly!
Delicacies in Hocheppan CastleA good spread
Events rund ums Törggelen
Farmhouse platters
In autumn South Tyroleans enjoy walking to wine farmsteads to take their leave of the warm season in congenial company and surroundings while tasting the new wine together with roast chestnuts. A typical meal includes a substantial snack with speck, smoked sausages, ‘schlutzkrapfen’ ravioli and the new wine. Sweet pastries and roast chestnuts round off the meal. The adventure is called ‘Törggelen’. more...
Queen of the autumn: chestnuts
It is called the “Keschtnweg”, or Sweet Chestnut Trail. It leads across the sunny side of the Valle Isarco/Eisacktal valley up and down into the Bolzano valley basin as far as the picturesque and legendary Castle Roncolo / Runkelstein.
"Keschtnweg" trailPeak of perfection
Indulgence par excellence
The culinary melding of Alpine tradition and Mediterranean finesse has turned out to be a love match. The restaurant guide Gault Millau 2011 has bestowed its top award on South Tyrolean establishments 94 times. In addition, 15 restaurants have at least one Michelin star for their successful fusing of Alpine fare with the Mediterranean cuisine. Italy’s highest Michelin star restaurant is located at 5,322 ft/1,622 m, the Auener Hof. In Alta Badia gourmet chefs create dishes in Alpine huts for mountain hikers and skiers. more...
Gourmet experiences to take away
Pur Südtirol - market of delights - is first farmers’ markets in South-Tyrol. It offers a selection of over 1,400 regional high quality products which mainly come from local farms - appetising.
Tangy
Wine
South Tyrol’s strengths in winegrowing lie not the quantities produced but in the wines’ excellence: good soils, just the right amount of sunshine and an unerring strive for quality form the basis for the first rate reputation of South Tyrol’s wines. Although the area planted with vines – 5,100 hectares – is rather small, the region has produced world-beating white wines. The 2011 edition of Italy’s most trusted wine guide, Gambero Rosso, bestowed its coveted ‘Three Glasses’ on a total of 27 wines from South Tyrol. more...
Wine knowledge
Lifestyle all over
Traditon and modern
South Tyrol has long been in step with the times. The question becomes: typical or modern? South Tyrol’s restaurants and accommodation establishments combine the two. Romance of the mountains and lifestyle are on offer at the 13th century Grottnerhof in Fiè/Völs. The speck smoking chamber contrasts superbly with the designer kitchen next door. The traditional restaurant Zum Löwe breaks new ground both in interior design and the role of the woman: the woman at the stove, Anna Matscher, is South Tyrol’s only female chef to boast a Michelin star. more...
Tips for cognoscenti
A relaxing primary rock stone massage which stimulates all the senses, or simply relax and prepare for the evening at the ‘Fischbänke’ wine bar for an aperitif in Bolzano/Bozen. Southern dolce vita and savoir vivre await guests on a journey of indulgence in South Tyrol.
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News & articles
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Book recommendation
33 x South Tyrolean Classics
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News & articles
Vineyard holidays
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