Out and about in South Tyrol, Northern Italy

I've travelled quite a bit and talked about my travel experiences in foreign countries. But it acutally never crossed my mind to write about my beautiful home. So this one is for the place I grew up and the place I'm probably going to grow old: South Tyrol.

When crossing the boarder to South Tyrol it probably wouldn't occur to you that you are in Northern Italy. However if you take the time and have a closer look you will soon notice a few differences. South Tyrol is somewhere stuck between Austria and Italy. Not only geographically. But the lifestyle, fashion, the mentality, the language and the food, almost everything is influenced by both cultures. I awalys like to say that we took the best of both nations. We are hard working, ambitous and accurate like Germans and connoisseurs and life lovers (yes, dolce vita) like Italians. And the best of all, we don't take ourselves too serious, are always in to have some fun and almost always pretty noisy. :)

The first thing you'll probably notice when crossing the boarder is that all of a sudden everything is bilingual German/ Italian. This is because the majority of the population in South Tyrol is German speaking. However you will also notice that most of us switch from German to Italian within seconds and vice versa.

A slogan once said: South Tyrol was formed by the Alps, but it's shaped by a Mediterranean lifestyle. And that's what it is. We love our beautiful landscapes, with its stunning mountains as well as pasta, pizza and a delicious aperitivo. We are sunbathing beneath juicy palms and climb the Dolomite's mountain peaks. We shop at Armani but always have a The North Face or Jack Wolfskin jacket at our fingertips. :)

In my opinion South Tyrol is a must see destination for every traveller. It's getting hot in summer and cold (with a loads of snow) in winter. So if you like the outdoors, South Tyrol should definitely be on your list. People here will always welcome you with a friendly smile.

Some must do's for South Tyrol:

1. Visit the the tower in Lago di Resia


 2. Stroll around Europe's smallest city Glorenza (population 600)


3. Enjoy a swim on a hot day at the Terme Merano


4. Go out in the region's capital Bolzano


5. Go hiking at the Alpe di Siusi


6. Enjoy the sun at Lake Caldaro


7. Climb the Dolomites


8. Take a detour to Val di Funes


9. Go shopping in Bressanone



10. Stop at Pragser Wildsee