If you wish to use any images or texts appearing on this website please contact John Heseltine for more information.
All text and pictures
© John Heseltine 2006.
All rights reserved.
|
|
|
Driving into Italy through
the Brenner Pass, you would be forgiven for thinking you had missed
the border ... signs are all still in German, blond people all seem
to look and speak German and the scenery and architecture are not
at all Italian. Stop for some pasta or pizza and you are more than
likely going to have to settle for wurst with sauerkraut or a soup
with dumplings. What you are experiencing is the confusing world
we encounter when a quirk of history places a border where it doesn't
really belong. The Alto Adige... Ladin, which was an independent development of ancient Latin. Once part of the Austro Hungarian Empire... clean air, the superb hiking, the breathtaking unspoilt landscape and, of course, the skiing... Vipiteno or Sterzing, if your allegiance lies with the old geographical boundaries. ...The Palazzo has an attractive courtyard and a collection of sculpture and paintings. The tower you will see at the end of the Via Citta Nuova is another landmark... Brunico or Bruneck , dominated by a fine medieval castle and full of attractive buildings and shops, many sporting intricate iron or brass signs and nearly all having German sounding names. The church of St ... Bressanone or Brixen, a little further south as you follow the course of the Adige river. ...strudels and cakes as well as delicious marrons glaces and Brixner Nugge, marzipan covered ...Ortisei, or, Sankt Ulrich in old money, is the prosperous centre of Ladin culture and has long been associated with wood ... Bolzano or Bozen , the regional capital which seems to mark the point where German and Italian cultures merge. At the centre lies the expansive Piazza Walter....Piazza dell'Erbe, where a colourful fruit and vegetable ...Merano (Meran), set in a beautiful mountain scenery criss-crossed with vineyards and row after row of fruit trees. Historically, this sedate spa town ... Époque cafes and tea rooms on Corso Liberta, the organised promenades and the Art Nouveau facade of the Kurhaus, once a Spa Hall but now a concert hall... Castel Tyrolo and on to through some dramatic passes, in particular the Sant Leonard's Pass and the Passo di Monte Giovo passing some of the regions most popular skiing resorts... © John Heseltine |
 |
||
This article originally appeared in Italy Magazine but has been deliberately truncated to preserve my copyright. If you wish to read the full text, please request it by email (john@heseltine.co.uk). |
||
 |
    |