If you’re an explorer at heart you’ll find no better place to heed the call than South Tyrol. The land was born to lift the wandering spirit to new heights. With its medley of Alpine and Mediterranean climates, your wanderlusting ways will be amplified by a vastly diverse playground unlike anywhere else on Earth. Every step. Every sight. Lures you into a new discovery.
Here, you can embark on a serious high-mountain trek using South Tyrol’s world-class lift systems, take a leisurely stroll in ancient valleys and hills nestled between the snow-capped peaks, hop on a mountain bike and break a sweat in the Dolomites, or pedal and sip your way through 16 wine villages dotted along the South Tyrolean Wine Road.
But that’s just the tip of the mountain peak so to speak. Below are a few of our favorite South Tyrolean wanderings worth exploring when you visit.
We Be Waalwegging
South Tyrol provides a one-of-a-kind hiking experience along ancient irrigation channels called Waalwegs. Waalweg what? Don’t let the name scare you off. These casual hiking paths ascend easily and wind through miles of meadows, forests, vineyards and orchards. Along the way you can enjoy stunning castles, villages, churches and alpine wayside shrines up close and from afar. The paths ramble along next to flowing Alpine water offering the soothing gurgle of a stream with each step.
Regardless of age or hiking skill level you can walk or even jog along these gently sloping trails. The strikingly diverse landscapes they cover will leave you awe struck. Cafes and mountain huts well placed along the paths serve as resting spots to grab a crisp refreshment and a traditional South Tyrolean dish or two. The views from these wayside haunts is enough to keep your feet and gaze firmly planted.
A couple of the most scenic and popular Waalwegs to add to your trip plans are the Lagundo/Algunder and the Marlinger/Marlengo near Merano. The Marlengo follows the longest irrigation channel in the area and gives you ample views of the Etschtal valley and Lebenberg Castle.
The Algunder route is exceptionally suited for families with young children or older adults, but no matter your age you’ll find it fascinating. Along this Waalweg you’ll encounter the Tirol Castle, Thurnstein Castle and Brunnenberg Castle from many photo-worthy angles. Walking here you may just wonder if you wandered into Westeros. That’s Game of Thrones speak for the uninformed.
A Palm-Drenched Promenade
The Tappeiner Promenade (Tappeinerweg) above Merano is a meanders dream. Mediterranean beauty abounds all around this delightful trail. Countless palm trees, eucalyptus, cacti, agave, olive trees and other flora follow the promenade from beginning to end. It is one of Italy’s best walks.
As you stroll along ever more breathtaking panoramas of Merano come into view. You also get an an opportunity to dazzle your nose by exploring a fragrant herb garden featuring over 230 plants, as well as climb the Powder Tower (Pulverturm) where you can imagine what it was like centuries ago to defend this corner of paradise.
The promenade connects with several other walks and eventually winds its way into the village of Dorf Tirol. But you can also take a side trail down to the old town center of Merano where you can relax along the Passer river. Several cafes dot the river making it an ideal place to sit back and enjoy gelato or a cool beverage. Our favorite to sip is the Veneziano, a fusion of prosecco wine, Campari liqueur and sparkling water.
Explore the Heart of the Dolomites
Bursting with hiking, biking, skiing and snowshoe trails of various levels of difficulty, the Seiser Alm is located in the Gardena valley (Val Gardena). From this Alpine prairie you’ll admire jutting Dolomite mountain peaks, ancient pastures and farms, cozy mountain huts and around 790 species of plants in the spring and summer. Spring is an especially memorable time to visit as the meadowland blossoms into a radiant sea of wild flowers.
Getting to this Alpine wonderland is easy thanks to South Tyrol’s swift lift system. Once at the top, all ages and skill levels can enjoy the prairie no matter the season you to choose visit.
There is perhaps no better way to explore the heart of the Dolomites than by mountain bike. And the Seiser Alm is as bike-friendly as they come. You can pedal through more than 600 miles of bike trails at various altitudes — spanning from easy to technically challenging. Several tour packages are available from outfitters where you can choose from short rides of a couple of hours to rides over several days.
Feed Your Adventure
The one thing South Tyrol will never run short of is adventure. Well it likely won’t run short of wine, apples, speck, pasta or beer either. Whether you embark on any of these outings or pursue any of the million other hikes and bike rides available, your experience will build an enduring bond with this land born for the wandering kind. Like you. Like us.
Been to Austria but limited myself to Salzburg and Vienna. Looking at your pics of Tyrol I feel it was a big miss for me. The vies from tops are mind blowing. I also liked the variety of activity possible there.
A) your photos are stunning, and B) waalegs sound really cool! We like hiking, but sometimes a gentler path is more fun. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve spent the last 7 years living in Switzerland, so my travels to the Austrian and Italian alpine spots have been sorely lacking, but reading your post has made me realise I need to change this! The photos from the Seiser Alm look breathtakingly beautiful. And as a foodie, I could seriously get down with the Italian-style pasta and wine inclusion to mountain food. I will definitely put South Tyrol on the bucket list – a mountain bike tour here would be a fabulous holiday. Thanks for sharing your tips!
So glad to hear it and that you’re so close you can easily enjoy the region! Hope you do make it to South Tyrol. As a fellow foodie, you will not be disappointed by the unique flavors and blend of cuisines.
Love these pictures! Really want to hike the Dolomites! Thanks for sharing.
“Game of thrones speak for the uninformed” hahah. Tyrol sure does look GOT-y. Your pictures are incredible. The Dolomites looks like a tough hike – right up my alley!
Your photos are gorgeous! I am in love with them! I’ve bookmarked this for future reference – you have convinced me to see this for myself. I had a teacher in uni that was from New Zealand, and she always spoke about the beauty of her homeland and how nothing compares to it. I can now see that she’s right 🙂
Great post! This definitely seems like a place that you could just endlessly wander and always have something new, cool, or beautiful to look at. Biking through the Dolomites looks particularly enjoyable!
Tyrol sounds gorgeous! Your photos are gorgeous! We love to hike so it would be a great place to visit.
I have to see this for myself! For years I’ve longed to visit the Dolomites but thought the hikes would be too strenuous (I’m prone to altitude sickness,) but this sounds doable and those Waaleg’s charming.
Your photos are amazing I was instantly captured by the beauty 😀 and as a fellow adventurer I would love to explore the Dolomites it looks breathtaking. I lived in New Zealand for a year and the views and hikes there were pretty amazing but I think they might pale in comparison to here 😀
Nice place to visit. Your photos look great! Are you a professional photographer beside a travel blogger?
Love your writing! The place is wonderful!! Would love to visit. 🙂
Wine, hiking and stunning views? Sign me up!
The lift system you mentioned when trekking up the mountains sounds cool. Till where can be reach using lift?
How beautiful is South Tyrol. I did not know you could do a wine route there, so lovely. Also, I always though South Tyrol was only in Austria, but what I understand is that in fact it is the northern part of Italy? Interesting.
This looks absolutely amazing! Loving all the pictures! 🙂
Your photographs are absolutely beautiful!!! I’d love to spend some time there one day!
Wow seems like such an understatement response after reading your post and seeing your phenomenal pictures, but that’s the word that came out of my mouth. I was truly captivated by the photographs shared, and I would love to visit one day. I wouldn’t even consider myself a hiker, but I think I need to visit Tyrol one day. It seems like [as cheesy as it sounds] a magical place!
Wow! This looks like an amazingly breath-taking adventure. I would love to have the opportunity to visit someday.
Ashlee | ashleemoyo.com
awesome pictures, makes me want to visit!
Beautiful pics, especially of the mountains. It would be great to live there! 🙂
When I was a teenager my grandfather told me that I should travel while I was young and before I settled down. I didn’t travel her but oh my, it looks like an amazing place.
This looks so breath taking. I love finding new places I can go so I can go and have an adventure.
excellent blog
I wish u can travel to all this place
I love hiking and wine so South Tyrol sounds like a perfect getaway for me. It’s amazing that you can walk freely on the Waalwegs, through the wineyards! I’ve always wanted to explore the Dolomites and I think I will actually do it very soon, as I am moving to North Italy for a month in October and they are on the top of my list of places to visit.
These sound like awesome adventures! Thanks for sharing.
Oh wow, your photos are fantastic. I really need to get away, guess where I want to go now?
Such an informative post with exceptional photos! I would live to check out all of those trails – I can’t even choose one because they all sound and look beautiful. Those photos of the Dolomites are also absolutely impressive.
This is just beautiful… my brother and I have the plan to visit South Tirol too…
This is really beautiful plave thanks for sharing
All these photos make me want to get to Tyrol this weekend! I love the idea of hiking the Waalweg, especially through a vineyard!
Looks like I’ve found my next destination!
Wonderful! You’ll love it! Let us know if you have any questions. We’re more than happy to help.
What a beautiful place! I would love to visit.
You guys have officially convinced me that this place should be on my bucket list! I am in love with all of your pictures, they are absolutely breathtaking!
The views of this place are just awesome. I am very fond of going on treks and would certainly want to visit here as well someday, now that your post has convinced me enough. I loved the path along the irrigation channel, covered with fence above. The mountain views and valley look so gorgeous in the pics. Great Read. 🙂
Omg. These views are truly breathtaking. And I love the assortment of acitivites you can do, as well as the mystery that this place is shrouded in. Great post!
Austria has been HIGH on my list of countries to see since The Sound of Music is my favorite movie. Tyrol looks absolutely gorgeous, and I’d love to be out on a boat on Pragser Wildsee.
I love all your beautiful pictures! After reading your article about hundreds of castles in South Tyrol and now this one, I’m convinced that I must explore this area soon. The landscapes are just too gorgeous it doesn’t look real. Thanks for sharing the information. Looking forward to another post about South Tyrol. Cheers 🙂
Your photos are absolutely stunning! I fell in love with Pragser Wildsee just from these pictures. It looks like it would be paradise to hike and bike through with all the multifaceted terrain that there is to see.