My experience with traveling in the South Tyrol

South Tyrol - Landscape scenery Parco Naturale Sciliar Catinaccio (author: Martin Kirschner)

If you plan to take a vacation somewhere in the spring, South Tyrol is the right choice.



If you visit South Tyrol, so you will be forever remember Mountains, dolomites, beautiful nature, good wine, home-made cheese and Tyrolean bacon.

It's almost two years since I visited South Tyrol. Now I have decided to write an article about this country.

South Tyrol is a province in northern Italy. It is a part of Tyrol, which was severed from Austria by a peace treaty from Saint-Germain in September 1919 and annexed to Italy.

That is why Austrian and Italian culture are mixed. At the high altitudes are living a typical Tyrols with their bright hair and blue eyes. In these places are people speaking mainly German. On the contrary, in the larger cities in the lowlands are living the Italian part of the population which are speaking italian. That's why a person who comes for example out of Bolzano, into some alpine village, then they feels like in another world.

In the area are people speaking a total of three oficial languages:

70 % population speaks german, 25 % italian and 5 % latin (retroromain language).

Young Tyroleans learn English in schools, so if you control this language, so you can talk to them. For elderly people, but do not expect know English.

If you want to go of the South Tyrol, you must first come to Bolzano, which is also its largest city. Bolzano is taken the gateway to South Tyrol. Afterwards, you have two options. Either west across the spa town of Merano towards to the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio. Or east through the towns of Brixen, Bruneck and then by mountain bus to the south to the mountains and visit one of the four national parks where are the Dolomites and crystal clear lakes lie.

As soon as you arrive in Bolzano, consider that this city has only one hostel. It's called Youth Hostel Bolzano, where you will be staying for minimal 22 euros. Another option at a relatively low price is to accomodate at the Catholic school for 33 euros. If they do not even accept you there, because of the full capacity, you have nothing option, then accomodate in the expensive hotel. So before arriving in this city, book your accommodation if you want to the save money.
How did my trip to South Tyrol and what I experienced there:
My way started go on foot from Bolzano on the east towards three national parks.

They were parks: Parco Naturale Sciliar Cattinaccio, Parco Naturale Puez Odle and Parco Naturale di Fanes-Sennes-Braies.

From Bolzano I  earled in the morning and went east to Tiers, where the above-mentioned national parks began. Was the beautiful spring weather. At my slow pace I went up three days, then one day decline.

After four days, I reached to the city Tiers. Then I set out for the first Parco Naturale Sciliar Catinaccio National Park, which I went over in the five days. At the end of this park I reached the Tierské Alps, where I accomoded in a chalet called Schutzhaus Tierser Alpl.


View from the Tiers Alps (author: Martin Kirschner)

I do not know how to properly describe Park Parco Naturale Sciliar Catinaccio, but I will try it. The park is located geographically on an extended area at an altitude of about 1,000 to 1,500 meters above sea level. On this area are Dolomites and beautiful blooming meadows. You will not find such a landscape anywhere in the world. It's really wonderful.


Beautiful landscape on the elevated area of the Parco Naturale Sciliar Catinaccio National Park (author: Martin Kirschner)

The next two days it took me to arrive in Ortisei, a town in South Tyrol, located in the valley of Val Gardena in the Dolomites. The peculiarity of this city is that of a total  84.19 percent inhabitants (4,663) speaks Latin, which is a Romance language spoken mainly in the provinces of Bolzano, Trento and Belluno. The estimated number of speakers in this language from all world is around 30,000.

From the town of Ortisei, I headed for Parco Naturale Puez Odle, which I passed in seven days. Even in this park are the Dolomites. In addition, here you can also meet chamois or marmot.


Landscape in the Parco Naturale Puez National Park Where you can come across muddy or camphos (author: Martin Kirschner)

The next three days it took me to get to San Martino In Badia, a renowned ski resort with a number of cable cars nearby. Here you can also lisening the Ladinian language, and even here you will find the center of the ladinian culture "Micurà de Rü" and the medieval castle complex. "Ćiastel de Tor" is also the Museum Ladin Culture.

Then I went over a bigger hill and to the one day I has gone to the st.Vigil. St.Vigil is a picturesque village lying at an altitude of 1201 meters at the foot of powerful dolomite giants right on the borders of one of the most beautiful Alpine nature parks of Fanes-Sennes-Braies. Here you will find a number of ski slopes and an annual festival of snow sculptures is held here in January. I stayed in this town for two days and then headed to the park Fanes-Sennes-Braies.


View of the city St.Vigil (author: Martin Kirschner)

Fanes-Sennes-Braies Park is registred a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park covers an area of almost 25,453 hectares. In the east, its territory is bounded by the Höhlensteintal valley; to east st. Vigil in Enneberg, south to St. Kassianu, where he further copied the southern Tyrolean border.

It is worthwhile to visit the ladin villages, the so-called Viles, known among others by their original wooden structures. These settlements of several estates were completely self-sufficient in the past. Their inhabitants shared an economic building, a furnace and other facilities together.

Also, do not miss a visit to Lake Pragser Wildsee which I also visited. This lake is set in a mountain valley and has crystal clear water with a cyan color. At the lake, there is one hotel called Lago di Braies and a pedestrian crossing for unpretentious tourists around the lake.


Landscape of Pragser Wildsee with crystal clear water. (author: Martin Kirschner)

From there I went down from the mountains to the valley of the city Welsberg-Taisten, where I was accomodate at the family hotel Gasser. This hotel surprised me with their hospitality. Hotel was governed by an older lady who served breakfast in traditional Tyrolean costume. For breakfast was all kinds of food were served and cocoa served on request.

From Welsberg-Taisten, on foot, I walked on a cycling way to Bruneck where I ended my hiking trip and from there I went by train to Bolzano.

In South Tyrol I overall walked about 250 km and it took me about 30 days.

While browsing the South Tyrolean countryside, you have the option of dining or try local wine virtually anywhere. Because this country is interwoven with a network of alpine huts, hotels and family restaurants, where is about tourists to take care of it. In addition, this country is among the culinary powers because in 2014 its 19 regional restaurants received 22 michelin stars, which means, that in the culinary industry, this region does not have competition in the whole of Italy.

Along the trails of national parks there is a large number of wells to pick up fresh spring water, so you can buy one water just to have a plastic bottle, and you can draw more water to this from the wells, saving you money (that's what I did).

One of the interest things I have experienced on my travels with Tyrol was the fact, that almost everywhere in high altitude hotels and cottages is paid after the end of your accommodation. I have never met with that before. This experience gave me a profound impression, that I guess that the Tyroleans are a trusting and honest nation, and apparently it does not happen, that someone has escaped without paying. This trust can be seen in their everyday life, which I had the chance to spend with them for some time.

 


People leave the wheels loosely leaning against the wall without fearing that someone is stealing them. (author: Martin Kirschner)

I have not seen so helpful people, just like in South Tyrol. I have a lot of experience when I was looking at the map and wondering which way to go on. I have never had to ask for advice, because always someone automaticaly came to me and asked me if I needed to advise or ride a car somewhere.

Overall rating of South Tyrol, its culture and people is very positive on my side and I would definitely like to come to this country again. Maybe I again explore South Tyrol to bicycle, because this country is interwoven with a number of cycling routes. Or I'll be back and visit in the west the spa town of Merano and then visiting the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, which I have not had the chance to go through.

 

* The Dolomites (Italian Dolomites, German Dolomites) are one of the mountain massifs of the Italian Alps. It is located in the northern part of Italy, east of the Bolzano basin. The mountain range does not have a single ridge, it consists of many smaller, often very diverse mountain groups. The area is characterized by typical dolomitic elements such as the table top of some massifs, sloping walls, tower peaks, jagged rock crests and almost bizarre shapes of some shields. In the Dolomites there are perhaps all kinds of mountain landscapes - from mountain meadows to rock massifs with glaciers. Source: Wikipedia

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