ALTO ADIGE, Italy

REGIONAL CAPITAL: Bolzano/Bozen
PROVINCIAL CAPITALS: Merano
OTHER INTERESTING PLACES: Bressanone, Vipiteno, Cortina d’Ampezzo

TERRITORY : This is a semi-indipendent province. It’s a land of two tongues: Italian and German, while a few valleys are Ladino in culture. Primarily moutanious, it includes notable Dolomitic groups. The landscape is famous : steep slopes alternate to great gentle hollows ,high meadows and pastures looming over fir woods or harsh rock slides, mirrored in calm clear little lakes. Alto Adige is a special attraction for skiers, climbers and walkers .

PLACES TO SEE :

Bolzano: the Gothic Cathedral on Piazza Parrocchia/Pfarrplatz, Piazza di Domenicani/Dominikanerplatz, Via Portici/Laubengasse, Piazza delle Erbe/Obstplatz, Museo Archeologico dell’Alto Adige, Museo di Scienze Naturali, Castel Mareccio, Castel Roncolo, Castel Firmiano.
Merano: terme di Merano/Meraner kurbad, Museo della donna/Frauenmuseum, Museo Civico/Stadtisches museum, Museo Ebraico/Judische museum, Castello Principesco.
Also visit the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio.

REGIONAL CUISINES: Taste the famous sachertorte (chocolate apricot cake), speck-knodelsuppe (bacon dumpling soup), the testina di vitello (lamb intestines), gulasch (stew) with canederli (dumplings), wurstel and crauti (sausage and sauerkraut).

TRADITIONAL FESTIVITIES : the Ritual Ploughing is a propitiatory ceremony for rye’s sprouting. In Laces/Latsch,near Bolzano, on Mardi Gras peasants, craftsmen and demoniac figures (the zusseln) follow the plough, dragged by two young men in disguise representing two white horses.
In Te’sero(Bolzano)between July and August you can find La Corte de Tiezer,a feast with typical dishes and handcraft works.

Alto Adige, Italy - map