Travel Alert: Valle Aurina Alto Adige

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Vacation Dreams

Yes, I know, when one thinks of planning a  summer vacation in Italy, one normally (and this is not to say that they shouldn’t be visited) thinks of the following possibilities: first is the eternal triangle between Rome, Florence and Venice; another is renting a house in Tuscany or Sicily (all very film-worthy); and finally, trading one’s normal domestic beach haunt for an Italian one in Capri or the Amalfi Coast –  homes to the greatest summer salad on earth and the divine limoncello. The downside is that all those destinations are precisely as hot as wherever you’re escaping, and they are all VERY crowded, with sky-high price points to match — especially the eternal triangle choice. Not all is lost though! Perhaps plan a trip to one of those possibilities in the spring or fall, when pricing is better, the crowds are somewhat thinner, and the weather will be much more friendly. Walks and visits to things you really should see will be far more pleasant. 

An Alternative Dream

Consider instead the northeast corner of Italy for at least a few days, as we did with Nils Bertrand , whose videography has been an occasional feature of Kitchen Detail posts.  We all agreed that for a family group of nine  (including three kids and two grandparents) it was one of the happiest vacations of our lives. Days were spent in incredibly green valleys, punctuated by the Dolomites, a unique subset of the Alps mountain range that covers eight countries –  France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco,  Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany and Slovenia. Of that, the Dolomites make up actually a small slice of the whole Alpen spine.  

But what a slice it is! Whether in winter or summer, they always appear to me (and my grandsons) to be part of a Star Wars planet in a far, far away galaxy. Their formation is quite different from the other Alpen mountain ranges, which I wrote about in this earlier post. And there are countless valleys you could visit. The one that the intrepid  Italy Insider,  with the help of her secret insider agent (who is also my son-in-law) is Valle Aurina. This particular area is so beautiful, so filled with things that the whole family can enjoy, that it is popular with other Alto Adige citizens who frequently make it a day trip or weekend destination. 

Salve, Hallo, Bun Dé

You will also have entered into a land where German, Italian and in some places Ladin (a registered minority dialect) are spoken. The architecture changes, the furnishings are different, and the plenitude of  good wines and beers (Alto Adige produces an abundance of both) is phenomenal. The population is about 74% German/Austrian and 25% Italian and 1% Ladin. The Ladin population are descendants of Iron Age tribes which, over centuries of invasions, took refuge in the mountains and valleys of this area. Their language is a mix of Latin and the “native” Rhaeto language,  which is spoken both in this area of Alto Adige and and in some areas of southeastern Switzerland. You will find that most people here in the hospitality industry will also speak English.

To say that the landscape in this mountainous valley that borders Austria is breathtaking would be an understatement.  The  lush green pastures in a beautiful patchwork of verdant forests of pines and deciduous trees are eye candy, indeed. Fields of wild flowers, more picturesque in real life than in film.  You can expect lakes and waterfalls, many of which can be visited with a mild hike and a reward of a delightful aperitivo and snack after (almost all hikes have a small restaurant or bar at one end or the other.) 

We stayed in Arntal in a truly amazing house (which I will write about in the next post), near a terrific castle that makes for a great rainy day visit. Castel di Tures, while built as a defensive fortress, really saw very little in terms of battles throughout the centuries. So it is quite intact, with even its furnishings, library and gruesome torture chamber — that for some reason little boys have loved  forever.  The table that was used as the judiciary bench was also the dinner table m, and the Justice was the lord of the castle whose bedroom was conveniently located beside it. If you were an ordinary citizen condemned to death, your beheading would be in the very public courtyard. If you had money, you could be beheaded privately in this particular chamber. A fascinating look at a real castle (sorry Disney) built in the 12th century with additions made through the next few centuries. About 40-plus rooms and the tower are open to the public. Armor, weapons, beds, letters and incredible views of the Dolomites make up furnished interiors that will make you feel like you are part of the life that existed several centuries ago.

Earning Your Fun

One of the unusual aspects that we noticed when we spent a few days at family parks, was that all the rides and games that children were immersed in required them to work for the fun.  There were zip lines that you hiked up to, huge mountain slides,  ponds in which you could paddle around and fall into if you didn’t get your balance right, ingenious tightropes and trampolines. No junk food franchises, no hideous merchandise stands filled with plush animals and plastic souvenirs. You could have a glass of wine or a beer in the park, and the foods offered reflected the area as well as some incursions from the West. The scenery that surrounds you is, well, simply breathtaking. 

Alto Adige is filled with beautifully designed and maintained public pools. We went to one that was an outdoor natural pool. There are others that offer a variety of slides and balancing planks for children and wellness pools for exhausted adults. It’s easy to visit the grocery stores and get the makings of a substantial picnic lunch, which you are allowed to bring into the premises. 

The people in this valley are very proud of their culture, their affinity to water, wood and stone. We walked into a town fair where there was set up a space with piles of small wood boards, nails and hammers. Children were busily creating swords, abstract sculptures, and tables. If they couldn’t find a hammer, they used another piece of wood to build something. Not far away, we watched over a period of three days a competition in wood sculpture – large trunks being shaped at first by electric buzz saws and the finishing done by tiny chisels. Amazing, indeed. 

Travel Advice

I have looked at travel websites that would be helpful to KD readers in planning a trip in either winter (the next Winter Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is in this area) and while I have not used the site, Throne And Vine  seems to offer in a knowledgeable way a lot for families, couples, singles or groups to get the most out of this spectacular area of Italy.  If you’re inspired to visit this heavenly region,  explore  their website and let me know what you think!

Nancy Pollard

After owning one of the best cooking stores in the US for 47 years, Nancy Pollard writes a blog about food in all its aspects – recipes, film, books, travel, superior sources and food related issues.