Those of you who have been reading my blog long enough may remember that O.K. and I usually take time off work together in May, and then again in September. You are by now also familiar with our hikes and walks, often in the mountains. Last Saturday, one such September Hiking Holiday began.
We had booked 10 days in a hotel in South Tyrol, the northernmost province of Italy, a region that was part of Austria for centuries before being assigned to Italy after the First World War (German: Südtirol, Italian: Alto Adige).
Nearly everyone here speaks both German and Italian, as do I, and nearly all street signs etc. come in both languages, sometimes with a third language added, the old native Ladinisch.
It is a region popular for walks and hikes, for skiing in winter, water sports on the lakes in summer and cycling all year. People come here for the mild sunny climate, beautiful and impressive scenery, delicious food and excellent wines. The inhabitants pride themselves on their hospitality and sense of tradition mixed with continuous progress. It is not the cheapest place for a holiday, but certainly a good one.
Back in May 2019, O.K. and I were in South Tyrol for a hiking holiday; now we were returning, but not to the exact same spot.
Leaving at about 9:00 in the morning from O.K.‘s cottage, we arrived at our hotel in Naturns/Naturno at around 4:00 in the afternoon. Apart from a slowdown through the very busy city of Zurich, we had a smooth drive, taking two breaks.
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| Our last break was here, high up in the Alps, shortly after entering Italy. |
We found everything at the hotel as expected, and after coffee on the sunny terrace and unpacking, set off for a first short walk to explore the immediate neighbourhood. |
| View from our balcony |
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| living room |
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| bedroom |
It was then time for dinner, which was delicious and sumptuous. We had reason to look forward to the following days.
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| View of Naturns; not exactly a beautiful town, but ideally situated. |
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| This small castle, not far from the hotel, intrigued us. |
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| We found out that its oldest parts are from the 12th century, but it has seen so many additions and changes that it has hardly anything left from that time. |
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| It is now someone‘s private home and has been closed to the public since the 1990s. |
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| A nicer view of Naturns |
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| Another old building that I found intriguing. |
Looks like a beautiful area! I hope you're having a good time. I like the church with the onion dome -- looks similar to many I saw in Germany and Austria.
ReplyDeleteThe onion domed church spires are typical for Bavaria, but not for South Tyrol. Naturns, where we are staying, has three churches, but so far I have not yet been up close to any of them - that may change over the next couple of days, with unsettled weather forecast, and a rainy Thursday.
DeleteBoy oh boy, it all looks so beautiful! I just called RIchard in from another room. "Come look at the view from this balcony!". Ah, he agreed with me, it's lovely.
ReplyDeleteWait until you see some of the views we‘ve had during our hikes from higher up!
DeleteEnjoy your hikes. It looks like a stunning place to be for walkers.
ReplyDeleteIt‘s great, and walkers are well catered for, with bus and train passes for the duration of one‘s stay, and mountain huts serving food and drink at the most popular spots.
DeleteI was going to comment on the view from the balcony also. Looks so lovely! Hope the weather holds so you can get lots of good hikes in. I didn't know you speak Italian also! You are amazing, Meike!
ReplyDeleteEllen, my first marriage was to a man from Sicily; I am fluent in the language and have spent many a summer there with the family.
DeleteSo far, the weather has been very good for walks and hikes. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, but we don‘t mind a day or two of resting, visiting places of interest such as churches and museums, and of course making use of our hotel‘s spa.
Enjoy...we are awaiting the hurricane here in Florida...love your photos...not sure of your back story...I have missed much but for now, have a great time. You have a fantastic blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda! I hope the worst of the hurricane will pass you by and you won‘t have any damage to your house.
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