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With its pastel-colored Mediterranean towns, world-famous Roman monuments and some of Europe’s most pristine beaches, Italy is one of this year’s most sought-after destinations, with one small caveat: much of its coastal areas will flaming is called throughout the season.
With temperatures rising dramatically from July onwards, it looks like the country’s sun-drenched south will soon be off-limits to heat-intolerant visitors – thankfully not. all of Italy will record record temperatures this summer, and certainly not in the Alpine north…
South Tyrol is a typically overlooked region, bordered by the European Alps and with a distinctly Germanic culture a far more temperate climate:
The Italian ‘mini-Germany’
Italy is best associated with seaside villages where there are narrow buildings in varied muted colors (and classic green shutters), open-air restaurants spilling out onto cobbled streets and winding roads lined with cypress trees.
However accurate the representation is, and indeed representative of most of Italy, we must not forget that there are parts of the country where dolce vita way of life and the southern European aesthetic feels just as foreign as in Austria, Switzerland and the like.
If you’re eager to experience Italian culture, but want a different flavor of it, you might want to skip overtoured, overpriced Amalfi altogether and instead head north to South Tyrol, which, despite its misleading name, is in fact the northernmost point of Italy. .
Unlike Tuscany, Umbria and the like, which were traditionally part of Italian kingdoms and republics, South Tyrol was part of Austria until World War II: annexed by Italy after the conflict, it is perhaps the most culturally distinctive region of the country.
1948 wasn’t that long ago, and while italics were effective to a certain extent, and South Tyrol today is indisputably (partly) Italian in character, it has stayed true to its roots: of the region’s 520,000 inhabitants, almost 70% still speak German as their native language.
South Tyroleans may have an Italian passport, but in general they feel more strongly connected to their Germanic heritage, and if the tricolor flag did not denounce its status, you could easily say that they are still somewhere in Austria located.
An elegant capital
The capital is Bolzano (or Bozen), and it is where the majority of South Tyrolean institutions are centered, including the Free University of Bolzano, the historic Palais Widmann, where the government meets, and the Alpine Division of the Italian Army.
a important cultural and financial centerBolzano is a prosperous medium-sized city home to over 106,000 people, with a rich medieval heritage and an impressive number of historical monuments, from the quintessential Austrian glass-roofed cathedral to the 13th-century Mareccio Castle.
Furthermore, Bolzano is known for its surprising range of Italian and German restaurants, including Wirtshaus Vögele, where you can find both homemade pasta and Tyrolean dumplings, and Franziskanerstuben, an upscale Austrian-style restaurant serving traditional dishes arrosto tiroles.
Delicious Germanic food
Italy’s culinary delights are well documented, but if you come to South Tyrol don’t expect to find the usual selection of spaghetti alla carbonara, Margherita pizza and crispy arancini – well, there are still plenty of them around. but you should know that southern European delicacies are not original.
The South Tyrolean cuisine is best represented by cheese and bacon dumplingsgoulash, barley soup, funnel cakes (locally known as strauben), apple strudel and fine pieces of meat with sour sauerkraut as a side dish (you know, the usual German diet).
As mentioned above, you shall find an abundance of Italian trattoriaespecially in Bolzano – ultimately this is an integral part of Italy – but choose a country from Lazio cacio and pepe about locally composed bacon ham, in the staunch German South Tyrol, it feels inappropriate at least.
Charming Alpine castles and towns
South Tyrol’s cultural gems are among Italy’s most underrated, with countless historic towns and imposing fortresses yet to be discovered by the masses: one of these is Ritten, a picture-postcard area with a storybook atmosphere. Runkelstein Castle located on top of a rugged hill.
The charming Meranoalso called ‘City of Gardens’ due to the lush nature that surrounds it, will surely make your heart beat, with its majestic Belle époque buildings and narrow streets lined with Tyrolean eateries, and let’s not forget Bressanone:
This picturesque local authority Set amid green hills, it is easily recognized by its baroque architecture and the picturesque Stufels district, an ancient town crossed by two crystal-clear rivers (it is also one of the oldest settlements in all of South Tyrol).
Exceptional natural beauty
Aside from the Italian-German dualities and gastronomy, South Tyrol is widely known for its… breathtaking nature: Since it is bordered by the Alps, the natural border between Italy and its Austrian and Swiss neighbors, you can expect impressive mountain peaks and crystal clear mountain lakes.
The most beautiful mountain range in South Tyrol is undoubtedly the Dolomites that are on the UNESCO World Heritage Lista rural highland dotted with sleepy German-speaking villages, and dominated by a range of jagged mountain peaks that it shares with six other Italian provinces.
As impressive as they may be, the Dolomites are not the highest point in South Tyrol: that title is claimed by the snow-capped, aptly named King Ortler, in the Öztal Alps, where epic vistas awaitand where the perfectly preserved body of Ötzi, a mummified man from the Copper Age, was found.
South Tyrol is primarily a mountain holiday resort, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a refreshing dip in Lago di Carezza, a sparkling blue lake bordered by rustic cabin retreatsor the natural pools that form around the Parcines waterfall.
The perfect chill outdoor destination
If you enjoy hiking, camping or just being outdoors, but the oppressive Italian heat keeps you from visiting the ancient Roman heartland, South Tyrol is a great alternative:
The summers here are wonderfully warm, with long, sunny days reaching highs of 86°F daytime and limited rainfall, but its higher elevation, dense forest cover and proximity to the snow-capped Alps ensure that it does not overheat like other arid zones in the Mediterranean.
If you’ve ever been to Switzerland this time of year, you know exactly what to bring; for the newcomers, you can bring plenty of shorts and your usual July clothes, while saving on packing a light jacket or long-sleeved shirt for the cooler evenings, when temperatures drop to 57.2°F.
At the same time, you can rest assured that the dangerous heat waves that plague large parts of Tuscany and Campania are unlikely to make their way here.
How to get to South Tyrol?
There are no direct flights between the United States and South Tyrol flight options are limited if you arrive by air.
The only major international airport in the region is Bolzano Airport, where only a handful of airlines are licensed to operate; most flights will be operated by SkyAlps, which serves secondary hubs in Croatia, Denmark, Germany and England during the high season.
For Americans coming directly from the United States, the best option is to fly to Milan first Take a train north to Bolzano or Bressanone, from where they can explore other destinations in South Tyrol, both by car and on local buses.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
