In June this year we spent a weekend in northern Italy in the province of South Tyrol. It was our first trip abroad since the beginning of the pandemic, and, therefore, we had to do some research regarding traveling regulations. All turned out to be rather simple: we just needed to do the fast antigen test and fill out a couple of forms. Since we were traveling by car, the PCR test was not required.
We haven’t booked any hotel in advance, and after receiving our negative test results, we just picked one. Luckily, we did not have any particular place in mind and it was still possible to get unoccupied rooms.
We chose the hotel Napura near the town of Bolzano, and it turned out to be great (it’s not an advertisement). We enjoyed our modern spacious room with a comfortable bed and a cozy balcony, delicious breakfast and the nice restaurant with great service, but the absolute highlight was its rooftop terrace with hot tubs. My favourite memory of that trip is enjoying the whirlpool bath under the starry sky, surrounded by incredibly beautiful mountains, olive trees and lavender bushes.
We also enjoyed dining out in the towns Bolzano and Merano. Alpine cuisine is typical for the region, however, we were looking for the restaurants with Italian influence. In Bolzano, we especially enjoyed our meals at the Trattoria Filo d’Olio and in the restaurant Italia & Amore.
We also did some food shopping in a local hypermarket and returned back home with our trunk full with Italian delicacies, including fresh pastas, cheese, different varieties of pesto, good olive oils, balsamico vinegar and some sweets. Italy is always about food!
Dorf Tirol
On Saturday, which was the only full day we were staying there, we decided to go hiking. There are so many hiking options in the region! We picked one of the routes staring in Dorf Tirol near the town of Merano. I had my camera with me, and I guess my photos should give you a good impression of how it was.
The heritage trail
We chose the heritage trail and enjoyed walking the path surrounded by wines and apple groves, looking at medieval castles and pretty hotels on the slopes. It was a pleasant experience and I’m sure we’ll come back some day to explore the other trails as well.
Photos taken in June 2021
