Hiking and Wine in the Italian Alps

We flew into Venice and spent a couple of days there to get accustomed to the time change. I had never been to Venice and loved the canals and no cars!

Our hotel was right across from the train station, so we easily picked up a train going north to Trento - a two hour ride. Our hosts, Pat and Claudio, met us at the train station in Trento with their van and from there we drove about one hour north to Caldaro, our base for the next three days.

After three days of hiking in Caldaro, we headed north again, stopping in the city of Bolzano for a few hours. Another hour in the van brought us to Merano, our base for three more days. On the last day, we returned to the Trento train station on our way back to Venice and home.

After pickup at the train station in Trento, we made our way to Caldaro/Kaltern (about a one hour drive) and checked in to our hotel - Goldener Stern - which advertises "Medical wellness in a historical wine ambience." It was a lovely hotel located right in the center of the small town of Caldaro, where church bells seem to be constantly ringing!

We then gathered for a short hike (about two hours!) around Lake Caldaro, with lunch at Keller am Keil (and our first taste of speck), and ending at the Kellerei Kaltern or Cooperative of Caldaro., a cooperative of wineries. It was a very warm day so we were more than ready for a beverage.

Dinner was at Seehofkeller, overlooking Lake Caldaro - ravioli with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes - veal with white asparagus and turnip puree.

On Day 2 we were ready for our first mountain hike. From Caldaro we took a funicular, or cable car, up to the Mendola Pass (4,500').

It was a challenging hike, and thankfully, about half way through we had a stop at a refugio (cafe) for a cafe macchiato and some delicious apple strudel.

Lunch was also on the mountain at a restaurant along the trail. The air at that height was incredible, much cooler and very fresh! It was a long day and about 4:30, we tired and hot hikers arrived at Tieffenbrunner Winery for a tasting.

This winery estate is in a castle dating back to the 12th century. The estate owners, Herbert Tiefenbrunner and his son Christof, produce about 700,000 bottles per year, of which 70% are white wines. Christof was our very gracious host, and introduced us to his fabulous wines.

Dinner was at Kalterer hof in the town of Caldaro, ending with a wonderful tiramisu!

The third day was hardest on my feet. We did a point to point hike from Caldaro to Kurtatsch, along the Adige Valley. By the fourth hour, my knees and feet were screaming at me to stop. But I made it all the way!

The van picked us up and took us back to Tramin for lunch and wine tasting at J.Hofstatter Winery, where we were treated to an extensive tour with the winemaker who works closely with owner and winemaker Martin Foradori. Another excellent tasting!

Dinner was at a small neighborhood restaurant, Siegi's Essen Und Trinken, where we had beef cheek with bruschetta, salad with a bread and prosciutto dumpling, and a huge pork shank with potatoes. We were all so full that no one ordered dessert, but the owner provided homemade vanilla ice cream with warm raspberries as a surprise! Everyone ate it up.

Day 4 was transition day to our hotel in Merano. We were supposed to do a mountain hike, but our guides correctly guessed that we needed a rest day. First stop was Franz Haas Winery, a small, family winery, for a tasting. They were very busy getting ready for a big festival.

Next stop was the city of Bolzano, on the way to Merano, where we were spending the next three days. On the outskirts of Bolzano we stopped at Castel Roncolo/Schloss Runkelstein, the illustrated castle. This castle was erected in 1237, and is known for its mural paintings - medieval frescoes - that are very well preserved.

We then went into town for lunch and a two hour break. Some just wandered around the shops, while others went to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology where the ice mummy "Ötzi" is kept. Otzi was found in 1991 in the mountains of the Otz Valley. He was so well mummified that scientists have been able to put together crucial information about the everyday life of this Neolithic man.

After checking into the Hotel Europa Splendid in Merano, we went for a short walk along the river, with its raging rapids, that runs through the town. What a beautiful river walk they have created there. Later, we had a small tasting of wines at our hotel before going to dinner at Leiter am Waal, in the hills outside of Merano - three homemade pastas as a first course - beef with onions and tomatoes, and a delicious apricot dessert.

On Day 5, we enjoyed another point to point hike, beginning in Lana and following an old irrigation canal built in the 1700s by monks, to Toll and the Adige River dam.

Due to a German holiday, there were lots of hikers this day. It was my favorite hike (probably the easiest!) and there was a lot to see. We walked through vineyards and apple orchards and saw castle estates, horses, and even a snake. It was a warm and sunny day and at the end we were treated to a fabulous lunch at the Forst Brewery. Brats, potatoes, the best sauerkraut ever, and Forst beer! It was heavenly.

We had another evening tasting at our hotel, and then dinner on our own - pizza and gelato.

Our last day of hiking took us back into the mountains and the clear, cool, Alpine air. I felt like I was in better shape than I was five days earlier.

We took a funicular from Lana to our first stop at 1,400 meters on Mt. Vigiljoch. Our loop hike took us to a height of 1,750 meters so the first part was a challenging climb. The views on this hike were spectacular - thick pine forests, snow-covered mountain tops, alpine meadows and even an old church. It was a clear day so we were able to see the Dolomites in the distance.

At one point, we came to a clearing and could see the entire valley floor surrounded by mountains. We all stood or sat for about ten minutes in total awe.

Lunch was at a mountain restaurant, where we had a beer and food break part way through our hike. Our waiter decided to treat us all to a shot of pine herb liqueur after lunch, just the thing we needed to finish our hike.

Our final tasting and tour was at one of Alto Adige's oldest cooperatives, Cantina Terlano. They have a cellar of very old, dusty bottles, some over 100 years old.

Dinner was at a fine restaurant in Merano, Andrea Fenoglio. The chef was a real presence in the dining area, constantly checking on the guests. They treated us to an appetizer that was a deconstructed pizza -- tomato water in a small glass, topped with bread crumbs and with a piece of mozzarella on a toothpick on top. I liked it, but not everyone did. The rest of the meal was fantastic - gnocchi with an herb sauce and guinea fowl with fruity mustard.