Trentino-Alto Adige - Day 1
Day 4 of our holiday was entirely spent in Trentino-Alto Adige or Trentino-Südtirol or Trentino-South Tyrol which is the northernmost region in Italy. These region became part of Italy only after WWI; in the southern part most people speak Italian as their first language, while in Alto Adige they speak German. (And there's also another language - Ladin - which is spoken in some valleys in both provinces).
We left Arco in Trentino and drove up north.
The first stop was on the shores of the small Lago di Toblino: very picturesque.
Later we visited Trento, the provincial capital.
Trento is a rather beautiful city, and is also remembered for the Council of Trent which started the Counter-Reformation.
It's quite lively with a busy university and it is ranked amongst the best cities in Italy for quality of life.
Here we visited the Duomo
and the adjacent Piazza Duomo, with frescoed buildings (there are a number in the city) and a fountain of Neptune
We walked up to the Castello del Buonconsiglio but we didn't have time to visit it.
After our walk in the centre, we went on a cable car ride for a panoramic view of the city
The castle
and the duomo
Back in the car, we drove up to Alto Adige and reached Bolzano/Bozen along the Strada del Vino/Weinstrasse
We stopped on the other side of Bolzano to visit Castel Roncolo (or Schloss Runkelstein)
a castle in a panoramic position, with one of the most important cycles of medieval non-religious frescoes.
Of course there was a steep (cobbled) path to climb!
but it was worth it
(I had a "Hugo": prosecco, soda water, elderflower cordial; Adrian a "Veneziano": prosecco, soda water, Aperol or in other words an Aperol spritz)
It was time to go to our hotel which was located in the town of Castelrotto (Kastelruth) at 1,060 m. (3,477 ft) a.s.l.
The last part of road seemed to climb and climb and the car was making some worrying noises.
The hotel is the Cavallino d'Oro on the market square. Apparently it has been there since 1326 !
It felt very Tyrolean!
Adrian
and a strange companion!
We really enjoyed our 2-night stay there. We chose the half-board option and we enjoyed two excellent 4-course (5 if you count the salad bar - much loved by the many American guests) dinners.
It was all very efficient, but personable at the same time.
I had to keep reminding myself that I was still in Italy: it felt very Austrian/German.
We left Arco in Trentino and drove up north.
The first stop was on the shores of the small Lago di Toblino: very picturesque.
Later we visited Trento, the provincial capital.
Trento is a rather beautiful city, and is also remembered for the Council of Trent which started the Counter-Reformation.
It's quite lively with a busy university and it is ranked amongst the best cities in Italy for quality of life.
Here we visited the Duomo
and the adjacent Piazza Duomo, with frescoed buildings (there are a number in the city) and a fountain of Neptune
We walked up to the Castello del Buonconsiglio but we didn't have time to visit it.
After our walk in the centre, we went on a cable car ride for a panoramic view of the city
The castle
and the duomo
Back in the car, we drove up to Alto Adige and reached Bolzano/Bozen along the Strada del Vino/Weinstrasse
We stopped on the other side of Bolzano to visit Castel Roncolo (or Schloss Runkelstein)
a castle in a panoramic position, with one of the most important cycles of medieval non-religious frescoes.
Of course there was a steep (cobbled) path to climb!
but it was worth it
(I had a "Hugo": prosecco, soda water, elderflower cordial; Adrian a "Veneziano": prosecco, soda water, Aperol or in other words an Aperol spritz)
It was time to go to our hotel which was located in the town of Castelrotto (Kastelruth) at 1,060 m. (3,477 ft) a.s.l.
The last part of road seemed to climb and climb and the car was making some worrying noises.
The hotel is the Cavallino d'Oro on the market square. Apparently it has been there since 1326 !
It felt very Tyrolean!
Adrian
and a strange companion!
We really enjoyed our 2-night stay there. We chose the half-board option and we enjoyed two excellent 4-course (5 if you count the salad bar - much loved by the many American guests) dinners.
It was all very efficient, but personable at the same time.
I had to keep reminding myself that I was still in Italy: it felt very Austrian/German.