From the Dolomites to the Italian Lakes

The Brenner Pass is located at an altitude of 1370 meters on the border between Austria and Italy. In the town of Sterzing, you can see the 46-meter-high Zwölferturm from 1472, which forms the division between the new and old town. On the Rosskopf, a mountain 2189 meters high, you will find various hiking trails with views over the Alps and the Eisacktal.

Meran is a spa town where alpine and Mediterranean atmospheres meet. Schloss Trauttmansdorff features twelve hectares of botanical gardens, where Empress Elisabeth once stayed. In the city center, you'll find the Therme Meran with 25 pools for relaxation. Along the Passer river, promenades are lined with elegant Belle Époque buildings. The Tappeinerweg offers panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Meran's relaxed grandeur is palpable in its stately buildings and expansive mountain panoramas.

Bolzano is the capital of South Tyrol, where Italian and German-speaking cultures converge. At the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, you can see the ice mummy Ötzi, who is over 5,000 years old. The medieval Laubengasse is characterized by arcades with specialty shops, while the Gothic cathedral stands on Piazza Walther. The Funivia del Renon takes you to a plateau at an altitude of 1,222 meters for views over the surrounding vineyards and the Dolomites.

Val Gardena surprises with its vast alpine meadows and impressive mountain peaks. On the Seiser Alm, Europe's largest alpine meadow, you can walk through flower-filled fields. From Ortisei, a cable car takes you to the Seceda ridge at an altitude of 2519 meters. From there, you look out over the green Villnöß Valley and the striking Sassolungo. The high plateau has paths along mountain huts, where you will find the serene tranquility of the Dolomites.

Sella Ronda is an imposing limestone plateau that separates the Val di Fassa, Val Gardena, and Val Badia valleys, forming a natural border in the Dolomites. From Passo Pordoi at 2239 meters, a cable car takes you to Sass Pordoi at 2950 meters, the Terrazza delle Dolomiti. Here you enjoy panoramic views and walk along paths around the Gruppo del Sella. At sunset, the rock faces turn deep red, a picturesque contrast with the surrounding mountain peaks.

A vibrant mix of alpine elegance and rugged nature can be found in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The car-free Corso Italia invites you for a relaxed stroll past chic shops. A cable car takes you to the 3244-meter-high Tofana di Mezzo, offering expansive views of the Dolomites. At Passo Falzarego, at 2105 meters, you'll discover hiking trails and historical sites from the First World War. In the atmospheric mountain huts, you can sample local gastronomy amidst the surrounding rock faces.

Verona is a city on the Adige River with the Arena di Verona as its central point, a first-century Roman amphitheater where operas are performed for 15,000 spectators. Here you will find the Casa di Giulietta with its thirteenth-century balcony and the Piazza delle Erbe with its historic facades. For a view over the city, climb the hill to Castel San Pietro, a fortress that rises above the red roofs of the city center.

Sirmione is located on a narrow peninsula in Lake Garda and is accessible via a drawbridge at the fourteenth-century Castello Scaligero. In the historic center, you will find the Grotte di Catullo, the ruins of a Roman villa from the first century AD, situated among olive trees at the very tip of the headland. Directly below this archaeological site are the light rock slabs of Jamaica Beach in the shallow water.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and is bordered to the north by Monte Baldo, a mountain range 2218 meters high. You can visit a neo-Gothic palace from the early twentieth century on Isola del Garda or walk to the remains of a medieval castle on a cliff at Rocca di Manerba. The shores are dotted with lemon groves and medieval fortified towns situated directly on the water.

Lago d'Iseo surprises with its rugged mountain slopes and extensive olive groves, a strong contrast to its calm waters. In the middle lies Monte Isola, Europe's largest inhabited lake island, which you reach by ferry. On the northern side, you'll discover the charming Lovere, a village that belongs to the 'Borghi più belli d'Italia'. To the south, the rolling vineyards of the Franciacorta region stretch out. The pleasant atmosphere around the lake offers beautiful views of the water and the green surroundings everywhere.

Lake Como, with a depth of 410 meters, is the deepest lake in Italy and stands out for its Y-shape. In Bellagio, you can stroll through stepped streets where the water splits into two branches. You can visit the eighteenth-century Villa del Balbianello on the Lavedo peninsula or the 70,000 square meters of botanical gardens at Villa Carlotta. The forested slopes of the Alps surround the lake and offer hiking trails with views over the lakeside villages.

Lago Maggiore is located on the border of Piedmont and Lombardy and with an area of 212 square kilometres, it is Italy's second-largest lake. On Isola Bella, you can visit the seventeenth-century Palazzo Borromeo with its baroque gardens spread over ten terraces. On the south side, the thirteenth-century fortress Rocca di Angera stands on a rock face. In Stresa, you can stroll past historic facades and parks with palm trees.