Why does the Times insist on calling this Italian province exclusively by its German name? This only gives fodder to those who wish to reclaim it for Austria. Alto Adige would be the correct Italian title. But then it turns around and calls its capital city, Bolzano by its Italian name rather than its German name, Bozen. Where is the consistency? Since it is indeed part of Italy, the Italian titles would seem to be most appropriate.
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The Dolomites are by far my favorite area to ski in Europe!
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Maybe it's the headline writer's fault but Bolzano, although a wonderful place to visit, is hardly the only city worth visiting in "the Dolomites". What about Cortina, for example? (I know, not so many Michelin-starred restaurants.).
Another must-visit place in Bolzano I'd include is the Reinhold Messner Mountain Museum in an old fortress castle nearby. Even if you don't care about mountain climbing, the rooms about various aspects of (hu)man's relation to mountains are wonderful. You an rent an electric bike and have a good time getting there.
The article gave me the impression that public transportation in Süd Tirol is poor. Quite the contrary, they have an amazing and economical bus system to all surrounding communities and to other adjacent provinces, as well. The problem is figuring out the routes - Google Transit is no help. Rome2Rio.com does better but isn't perfect. The article seems to imply the Bolzano airport is closed, although tiny, it is very much open. Onward
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I've just discovered this column and am loving it. What an amazing job Jada has (and an amazing year)! These dispatches give us a chance to live vicariously through your adventures and great writing. I hope there will be columns for you to write at the end of your trip about travel tips, what to pack, what to do when things go wrong, what you wish you had known, recommendations on standout gear, how you stayed sane on the road for so long etc... There are lots of travel advice articles out there - but you are living it! Can't wait to see where you go next!
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One day a year they close the roads around four mountain passes in the Dolomites, including Val Gardena, mentioned in this article and open it to only cyclists. The route is called Sellaronda, and in 35 miles one cycles passes four breathtaking peaks of the Dolomites. I rode it twice this summer, once on Sellaronda bike day in July and another day in September with a friend. Breathtaking.
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Reinhold Messner, admittedly a native and the greatest mountaineer in history, calls the Dolomites the most beautiful mountains on earth. And especially good area for walking for old people.
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The Dolomites are one of our favorites world wide. Try a "Via Ferrata" - with a guide, hike any of the well marked long distance trails e.g. Via Alpina 2 or any other, stay in huts high up with fantastic views, delicious food, ok you do mostly sleep in dorms but it's only about Euro 14 a night and the comradery is priceless. Easy to do on your own, no need for a high priced package tour. Infrastructure is great, fabulous buses, local and long distance trains. Easy to reach with non stop flights from the US via Munich or Milan. And ….. as Jada said, wine and food are delicious, some speck (smoked all winter in a farmhouse chimney) and a glass of wine to watch the sun set over the high alpine peaks is just great after a day of wonderful hikes.
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lovely article, beautiful region. travelled the austrian and the italian region in an energetic german rental car. what fun. wish that there were more pictures of this gorgeous landscape...
but thank you for the happy memories.
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More pictures, please!
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Jada Yuan is KILLING IT!!! What are we going to do without her in 2019? Who could possibly fill her shoes?
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As a European (Belgium), I have to say I totally agree with this article. Most beautiful region in the Alps in my view, combining moreover austrian savoir-faire and italian cuisine - that says it all. Also travelled there on a motorcycle, discovering some of the most stunningly scenic roads in Europe. Well worth the journey, wether by car, motorbike, bike or even on foot!
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