Located between grape vines, medieval castles and modern vineyard architecture
Spring begins earlier here. And the autumn lasts longer. Wine is produced here in abundance. Lemons, figs and olives thrive here. Today, as in the past, exceptional architecture designs were realised in the name of making and tasting wine. This is where people live.
Autumn Experience and WineSounds
When the vines are tinged in yellow, red and gold and the harvest of grapes begins in the rolling landscape stretching from Nals/Nalles to Salurn/Salorno, you know autumn is moving in for sure. A Mediterrean climate favors a wide range of grapevines, among whose the native Schiava, Lagrein and the aromatic Gewürztraminer are the most widely produced across the region.
What's the best way to enjoy the Alto Adige Wine Road in autum? On a bike or on foot. And if you combine these outdoor activities with a glass of the finest local Alto Adige wine and South Tyrolean delicacies, it would be even better. On the Wine Road, autumn takes you on a discovery journey of cultural habits and tastes. It replenishes your emotional energy and fills your stomach.
Between 1 September and 12 November 2023, the South Tyrolean Wine Route will bring you special wine moments with the Autumn Experience series of events. Because the focus is on enjoyment and knowledge of high-quality local wines.
From 20 October to 5 November 2023, the first edition of the WineSounds concert series will take place along the South Tyrolean Wine Route. The protagonists are, of course, wine and its history, but also first-class music within the historic walls of the villages from Nalles to Salorno.
Visit mediaeval fortresses and castles or Neumarkt/Egna, one of the most beautiful towns in Italy. Explore the winegrowing area on foot or by bike.
The homeland of international and indigenous grape varieties. Genuine hospitality Living winegrowing tradition. Southern zest for life.
A cycle route made just for you
Cycling through the unique vineyard landscape of Alto Adige is an incomparable experience – and one that is yet more enjoyable and enriching when you set off with one of the region’s Bike Wine Ambassadors. As specially trained wine connoisseurs, they'll take you on individually planned bike tours to explore the wonderful world of wine in all of Alto Adige’s winegrowing regions.
The Alto Adige Wine Road runs across a gently rolling hilly landscape and through 16 villages past vineyards, fortresses, historic residences and the state capital of Bolzano/Bozen. Vineyards have long dominated in the area between Nals/Nalles through to Salorno/Salurn: even 2,500 years ago, the Rhaetians were growing grapes here. In the Mediterranean climate, numerous international grape varieties thrive and are processed to make wines of global standing. The indigenous varieties of Vernatsch and Lagrein and the local Gewürztraminer are particularly at home here. The mild temperatures start in March - and the warm season extends until late autumn. So you have plenty of time to explore the surroundings in more details along the hiking trails or by bike. If it gets too hot for you in summer, you can cool down by jumping into the Kalterer See lake or the Montiggler Seen lakes. This includes a refreshing aperitif with tasty nibbles. You don’t have to look far to find an opportunity to do this because enjoyment is part of life’s goal - whether at ease in the village square, in style in the wine cellar or relaxed by the lake.
Award-winning restaurants or trendy wine bars
Pleasure is a priority along the South Tyrolean Wine Road. Whether at a historic winery or a traditional inn, at a modern bistrot or at the castle: the wide range of restaurants in the wine villages pamper you with some specially selected dishes. Alpine and Mediterranean cuisine are blended into a delicious mix, with particular speciality weeks that focus on local asparagus, wild garlic, Pinot Noir wine, seasonal vegetables or chestnuts. These tasty creations are of course accompanied by local wines, often produced in-house. To savour these moments of joy, thanks to the mild temperatures you can even sit outside on a sun terrace in March! Or in a wine tavern on one of the winding alleyways of the picturesque wine villages where you can simply enjoy life over an aperitif .
A good drop of Lagrein or St. Magdalener? That’s Bolzano/Bozen in a wine glass
Bolzano and the vineyards belong together: grapes have thrived in the Bolzano/Bozen valley basin since primeval times thanks to the optimal conditions for producing this exquisite wine. On the gravel soils of the Eisack, Etsch and Talfer rivers, which meet in the capital, the indigenous velvety Lagrein thrives particularly well. And on the sunny slopes of St. Magdalena, Justina and Leitach, the delicately fruity St. Magdalener flourishes. The saying “Venice swims on water, Bolzano swims on wine” may seem strange at first. However Bolzano is more than just one of South Tyrol’s largest winegrowing communities and part of the Alto Adige Wine Road; it is also one of Europe’s biggest wine-producing towns. Each March, South Tyrol’s wine scene gather at the Schloss Maretsch castle for the Bolzano Wine Tasting. Bolzano’s wine culture can be experienced at the many wineries and vineyards and the newly designed Cantina Bolzano winery is a must for architecture fans.
How about a glass of ruby-red Pinot Noir? Noodles made with the eggs from the farm? Honey with the South Tyrolean seal of quality? Or a hand-made wine barrel? In the region of the Alto Adige Wine Road, as in the rest of South Tyrol, you will find a wide range of local, high-quality foods and hand-made everyday objects and art objects. Lots of producers sell straight from the farm where you can sample the treats and get to know the producers. In this way, you will experience moments of delicious flavour as well as exciting insider knowledge about cultivation and processing. With a bit of luck, you can even look over the shoulders of craftsmen at work as they create jewellery, wooden sculptures and baskets while strolling through the village or town. Hand craftsmanship has a long-standing tradition in South Tyrol. High quality and durability are the primary factors, which are achieved through the use of proprietary manufacturing techniques and high-quality raw materials. This allows us to create products that are only available here.
For those phenomenal views into the distance, we have selected the most rewarding destinations in the region for you: from the deepest valley to wide-ranging views from the mountain plateau and a secret tip-off on the mountain.
Enjoy our mountains, forests, meadows and towns at any time of the day and year. Our webcams connect you to special places all over South Tyrol in real time. You can glance at South Tyrol in bits, any time and any place you want and find out the current weather conditions with just a few clicks.
Are you keen to do your part for the environment and keep your carbon footprint as low as possible, even on holiday? We recommend travelling to our region by public transport. The bus and train will transport you here directly, with no detours.
Whether you use the cable cars to ascend from the valley to the mountain or take the train or bus to explore the area, your local transport is guaranteed.
If you are travelling to South Tyrol without a car, you can rest assured that you will be transported in comfort direct to your destination by bus, train or cable car. All timetables are carefully coordinated so that there is always a connection from the train stations in the province to the surrounding towns and villages. Simply hop on board and enjoy the journey through the vineyards, villages and idyllic countryside.
You can take the train to Bolzano/Bozen and Laives/Leifers. From here you can reach your accomodation in Terlan-Andrian/Terlano-Andriano, Vilpian-Nals/Vilpiano-Nalles and Leifers/Laives by train or bus. If you want to head to the Alto Adige Wine Road, many villages are along the rail route. These stops include Bronzolo/Branzoll, Auer/Ora, Neumarkt-Tramin/Egna-Termeno, Margreid-Kurtatsch/Magrè-Cortaccia and Salurn/Salorno.
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