Alto Adige boasts an annual average of 300 days of sunshine, so there’s always an excuse to get outside. In winter, skiers and snowboarders have their pick of 750 miles of slopes across 30 ski areas, including the country’s top-rated Seiser Alm Snow Park. The most famed sections are the Dolomiti Superski, Ortler Skiarena, Wipptal ski network, and Ahrntal ski world, while the Sellaronda ski circuit is recognized as one of the world’s best, connecting four Dolomite passes over 25 miles. There’s also high-altitude cross-country skiing in the Antholzertal valley and snowshoe hikes along high plateaus.
If your trip falls in the summer season, you’ll want to spend as much time outside as possible, whether you’re soaking in the local lake culture around Kalterer See, the warmest lake in the Alps, or shopping in the capital city of Bolzano. Its daily market, Obstplatz, offers a peek into local life as residents pick up fresh flowers, spices, and fresh pasta; for tourists, they present vacuum-sealed speck and Alpine cheese. (For a fashion fix, visit Vanity and Rili Atelier for Milano-designed clothing and leather accessories.) Warm weather activities include biking through Tyrolean villages and blankets of brilliant green indigenous grape vines or trekking from one mountain hut to another along the 10,000-mile network of trails.
The Messner Mountain Museums are also worth the trek: a series of six museums created by mountaineer Reinhold Messner, they present an education on mountain culture but are architectural wonders in their own right. Abbazia di Novacella is another multi-set attraction—a working monastery since 1142, currently in its 58th generation of abbots. There, you’ll discover a library hosting 97,000 handwritten books, a local osteria, seasonal events like their jazz festival, and one of the oldest active wineries in the world.
No matter the season, wellness and wine call. Follow the Wine Road or stop by individual wineries to swirl, sip, and savor the bounty of Alto Adige wines. Cantina Kurtatsch combines activity and viticulture with their Wine Expedition; a day-long opportunity to hike through their vineyards and try around 12 varieties at their site. If you think white wines can’t age, plan a visit to Cantina Terlano, which specializes in long-aging white wines. The tasting terrace at Elena Walch overlooks their fairytale vineyards and Lake Caldaro, while Tenuta Kornell offers private tours through their historical cellar set under the picturesque hillside.
