The Epicureans of South Tyrol

South Tyrol - Alto Adige/Südtirol packs the romance of the soaring Dolomites, carpets of apple orchards, vineyards and a fabulous restaurant scene; this is where the charismatic Austrian snugs up to sensual Italy in one bed of natural beauty.

Food is high on this region's agenda, also known as the Garden of the Alps - the cuisine is a menagerie of hearty Laden Alpine dishes, Italian classics and lightness from the Mediterranean. It is not Italian nor Austrian; it is an epicurean marriage that occasionally dips into Hungary. 

With such rich pastures on the doorstep - wild spinach, bear's garlic, and forest chestnuts rub shoulders with pasta, polenta, and pizza, alongside Sauerkraut, Gulasch, Schnitzel, Heublütensuppe a delicious soup made of hay and Kaiserschmarrn. Speck headlines here as do Knödel dumplings, and not forgetting, the famous Schüttelbrot. Slow food has long been here, with the concept of mountain-to-table and centuries-old preserving methods being common ground. Farmers here are naturally organic, ethical and regard themselves as the custodians of the lands. Deep forests, wild meadows, lakes and micro-climates ensure a rich bounty: vineyards, apple plantations (producing 300 million kilos per annum) are cultivated on sun-blessed hillside terraces; cows, goats and sheep raised in mountain pastures; trout from streams fed by ice-cold glaciers; game and mushrooms from the forests.    

Boasting more Michelin-starred restaurants in one place than anywhere else in Italy, South Tyrolians officially trademarked South Tyrol food in 1976 — making the region the first in Europe to receive such a designation. South Tyrol is arguably a serious foodie capital, and the hotel restaurants are certainly at the forefront of both fine and comfort dining, most being stand-out addresses for serious foodies. 

Whether you gravitate towards a Schnapps or a Grappa, South Tyrol is a mecca for the heroes of slow-food bound with ancient Ladin's food culture, empirical Austro-Hungarian and, of course, Italy. 

Meet the Chefs of South Tyrol from the Mountains to lakeside. 

Chef Albin Widmann - Orchestrated Plates

Albin Widmann is Chef at the Seehotel Ambach, the cult lakeside refuge on Caldaro Lake's shores in South Tyrol. Dramatic nature, funky interiors, and an architectural landmark are also a famed bolthole for good food connoisseurs.

Chef Massimo Geromel – Reframing Simplicity

A slow-food philosophy that Chef Massimo Geromel describes as 'keeping things simple, pure and rooted', he presides over the culinary realms of the MIRAMONTI, a style hotel and spa destination in Avelengo/Hafling, South Tyrol/Alto Adige.

Chef Marc Bernhart - The Taste Blender

Marc Bernhart is the chef at the Weißes Kreuz Hotel in Burgeis, South Tyrol - a hip maverick who casts his flavour nets both close to home as well as wide.

Discover South Tyrol with our 25 fabulous hotels - From its perch in northern Italy, South Tyrol, or Alto Adige as it is also known, is a jewel of ancient cultures set in the mighty crown of the Alps. Nestled among the Dolomite mountains (a UNESCO World Heritage site) a marriage of languages and cultures comes together in the area’s healing spa towns, medieval hamlets, fairytale castles, wine trails and foodie destinations.

Known primarily for skiing, South Tyrol is also a year-round home to hiking, mountain biking and strolling through the botanical gardens at the base of its snow-capped mountains. At the end of the day, cap it all off with a signature hay bath or a dip in the healing thermal waters. This hidden Alpine part of Italy is well worth travelling to.

This is the South Tyrol where Austria snugs up to Italy.