JOURNAL
The Amalfi Coast’s ‘Path of the Gods’
Amalfi and the Path of the Gods -Sentiero degli Dei is magical, an easy, two-hour amble for mortals like us, spy the Amalfi Coast’s breath-taking UNESCO World Heritage site in all its glory from a lofty, God-like height, tracking the path from Agerola’s Bomerano near Amalfi to Positano’s pause-worthy Nocelle.
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Road trip Cilento Southern Italy
Paestum Temples in Southern Italy is one of those ancient antiquities that you have to visit – this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cilento Campania is a treasure trove of ancient Greece including three of the world’s best-preserved temples.
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With love from Catullus, Lord Tennyson to Callas
An absolute charm ball landmarked by pillars, arcaded colonnades from the Roman archaeological ruins of "Grotte di Catullo" to the 13th-century fortress, Scaligero Castle.
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Terre di Canossa – the classic car challenge
The sight of newly polished vintage cars winding their way through the quintessential Italian highlights: mountains, coast, ancient castles and medieval villages as they complete the famous ‘Terre di Canossa’ classic car race is an unforgettable vision.
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Bolzano: The Gateway to South Tyrol
Bolzano: The Gateway to South Tyrol
From its cultural heart to the altitudinous pleasures it offers, we put Bolzano in the headlights to explore its heritage core, architectural merit, stylish stays, foodie forays and more.
Bolzano’s Beating Heart
The capital of South Tyrol, and for many the starting point to adventures in the region, Bolzano is a small scenic town cradled by the dramatic peaks of the UNESCO-protected Dolomites and undulating valleys with unmistakable vineyards snaking around the verdant landscapes. The city itself has an energetic vibe thanks to annual cultural festivals and the university students, set against a backdrop of heritage haunts: the medieval castles, Gothic churches and wide piazzas.
Although very much living in present with a lively café culture, wine and restaurant scene, to get under the skin of Bolzano is to understand the unique setting, close to Austria yet within its own micro-culture of South Tyrol, with a trilingual influence of Italian, German and Ladin. Once an important stop as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was also supressed during fascist rule in the Twenties. Today its fusion culture is very much its calling card, along with the irresistible draw of nature, framed by the drama of the Dolomites.
Hello Hotels
Cradled by the jagged Dolomite region are some of The Aficionados’ most notable, striking and characterful hotels, many of them built with love, handed down through families or starting afresh with a vision for the future. In Bolzano itself enjoy the proximity of greenery at Parkhotel Mondschein; the suburbs of Bolzano give us Magdalener Hof, a playful bolthole of style.
Further afield Gloriette and Schgaguler are our architectural beacons, inspirational abodes that are sculpted by clever design, whereas Schloss Freudenstein in Appiano harks back to regal splendour in a 12th century castle.
North of Bolzano is Lana where Mira Monti Boutique hotel greets us with captivating style and a rooftop pool. Villa Arnica is a place of chic repose wrapped in nostalgic acclaim and 1477 Reichhalter’s salvaged charm adorns this chilled guesthouse.
Cultural Markers
To know a region well is to explore through its foodie customs and traditions. In Bolzano, the gateway to South Tyrol, produce is bountiful sourced from the meadows, mountains and verdant forests. Get to know the epicureans of South Tyrol and the hybrid cuisine that draws from Italy and Austria creating a micro gastronomy that focus on fresh and seasonal alongside the mainstays of dairy, cured meats, schnitzel and thick soups.
Moving with the times, South Tyrolean architects have made their mark too, framing Dolomite landscapes with innovative design that’s rooted in nature to create sustainable solutions that just feel good. We’re inspired by our friend Peter Pichler who with his architectural design studio always take their cue from the surrounding panoramas to create a pure, natural design that sings with splendour such as Schgaguler Hotel and Milla Montis. Elsewhere in the region you can admire modern beacons of design to be, like that on Virgl Mountain where a new cultural hub and cable car system is in the planning, designed by Snøhetta, an international architecture and interior design studio. Not to be missed is Museion Bolzano, designed by Berlin-based architects KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike, a striking, cubic structure that houses contemporary art and photography from local and international artists.
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Ski Guide to Alta Badia, Italy
As The New York Times, The Guardian, and international travel sections begin to fill up with articles about winter getaways, we’re going to throw our recommendation into the mix. Tried and true, Alta Badia, on the border of Austria and Italy, offers unparalleled winter sports, relaxation, and cuisine.
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Botanical Brilliance at Vienna’s Belvedere Palace
Founded in 1754 by Empress Maria Theresa, the oldest area, the medicinal garden, is replete with poisonous plants and the sultry tropical house is home to orchids, cacti and carnivorous plants.
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Pienza – A Mini Renaissance City
Amid Tuscany’s picture-perfect rolling hills and under its forget-me-not blue skies lies Italy’s UNESCO Heritage Pienza, a mini utopia, considered by many to be the “ideal city of the Renaissance”.
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Lisbon’s Fairy-tale Sintra
Travel to Portugal's fairy-tale den of Sintra, just outside Lisbon, for a world full of rolling hills and castles, once referred to by Byron as "glorious Eden".
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Masterpieces + Architecture in Italy’s MART
MART is Italy's bastion of art and architecture, designed by Mario Botta and filled to the brim with the most important pieces ever created, from Warhol to Picasso.
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A triumvirate of art, heritage and design: Serralves Foundation.
Porto for culture seekers - we explore the Serralves Foundation comprising of a dusty pink 1930-40s’s Art Deco villa designed by Porto architect José Marques da Silva, a landscape-specific contemporary museum designed by Álvaro Siza.
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A bird’s eye view on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s natural history
For centuries, amber has washed ashore on the Fischland-Darß peninsula, originating from the evergreen pine tree family known as the Japanese umbrella pine that used to live in Northern Europe.
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