South Tyrol – The coolest hotspot for summer

Nestled in the Italian Alps between Verona and Innsbruck, the bilingual province of South Tyrol will witness a number of new hotels and attractions this summer. Visitors can luxuriate in hay baths in contemporary surroundings, celebrate the anniversary of Reinhold Messner's oxygen tank-free ascent of Mount Everest, indulge in a five-course culinary experience or worship with the Pope in Bressanone.

Always a hotspot for stylish accommodation South Tyrol has seen an upsurge in new design hotels over the past few months, from spa hotels decked out in walnut and natural stone to architectural gems whose geometrical design sympathetically reflects the surrounding Dolomite landscape.

Accommodation news
One of the newest hotels in South Tyrol, the four-star Hotel Gartner (hotelgartner.it) opened this April and is located in the village of Tirolo / Dorf Tirol above the spa town of Merano/Meran. Thanks to the extensive use of walnut, leather, glass and steel juxtaposed by natural stone floors, also has a very contemporary and clean feel. The individually furnished rooms all boast a private terrace, balcony or garden. Guests can take a refreshing dip in the hotel's pool, which leads outside into the Mediterranean garden to take in the stunning views of Merano and the surrounding mountains. The hotel also offers an outdoor Jacuzzi, a vast wooden sunbathing terrace and a dining room with show-kitchen, as well as a bar and library. The spa features products by well-known brands such as Etro with signature treatments including the "power caviar" deluxe facial. Half-board accommodation starts from just €81 (approximately £63) per person for a double room palm terrace.

The four-star Landhotel der Küglerhof (kueglerhof.it), also in Tirolo, is located on the sunny slopes above the centre of the village and underwent a renovation and expansion in April. In the midst of a spacious park, the Panoramic Lodge offers breathtaking views of Merano, the surrounding mountains and nearby nature reserve and forest. The hotel is furnished in an elegant country-house style and the gastronomy is based on fresh, locally-sourced farm produce, with light, local and Mediterranean cuisine on the menu. Thanks to the recent expansion, the hotel now boasts 12 junior suites, all over 40 m2 in size, elegantly furnished with modern comforts. The health and fitness spa has also been completely refurbished with three saunas, one of which is an organic hay sauna, plus a Kneipp basin, sun shower and a Jacuzzi. Accommodation prices start from €85 (approx £66) per person per night (including buffet breakfast and dinner) for a north-facing double room with balcony.

Opening this month and located on a steep hillside in Sesto / Sexten, about 70 miles northeast of Bolzano, the newly-built four-star Strata Hotel (stratahotel.it) has been built as series of interweaving timber strips and free-flowing topography designed to mirror the surrounding natural environment. The design, by East London-based architects Plasma Studios, winners of the 'Pipers Award 2008 - Young Generation' maximises its rooms' exposure to the sun and comprises continuous horizontal lines with balconies blurring into the natural landscape. The Strata's main building, distinctly different from the remainder of the hotel, is divided into two parts. The guest accommodation in the right wing of the hotel has balconies directed towards the vista and the sun and large glass windows, whilst the left wing functions as the private home of the owners. The Strata's guestrooms have all been developed as family apartments, providing space for a living and dining area which is divided by a piece of furniture from the parents' sleeping area, whilst the children get their own small sleeping space. The furniture also exudes a sense of South Tyrol's nature, with an abundance of local larch wood and a series of wooden poles used throughout the interior. Stays at the Strata start from €80 per person per night on a half-board basis.

Known as "Garten" (garden), the recently opened Hofstätter (hofstatter.com) wine bar and restaurant in the South Tyrolean village of Termeno / Tramin inhabits a picturesque location in the village centre. The new Hofstätter Garden vineyard, which was the brainchild of the estate's owner Martin Foradori-Hofstätter, is designed to offer visitors and locals an idyllic spot to savour both wines and authentic local delicacies. The vineyard, wine lounge and converted wine shop officially opened late in May 2008. The wine shop seeks to introduce visitors to wines, grappa, sparkling varieties, and a number of smaller wine-related products with everything available to taste. The newly built wine lounge, situated behind the wine shop and beneath the vineyard, has been conceived as an open room offering various facilities: a bar, gourmet eatery and relaxation area all in one.

"Everest Unmasked" in Bolzano (suedtirol.info and messner-mountain-museum.it)
This summer sees the 30th anniversary of South Tyrolean Reinhold Messner's conquest of Mount Everest as the first person, together with Austrian Peter Habeler, to scale the world's highest peak without oxygen. Messner's achievement, regarded at the time as a physiological impossibility, is being celebrated until 30 November at the MMM Firmian in Bolzano / Bozen. There are paintings by the expedition's local Sherpa and extracts from Messner's diary, which he kept throughout the arduous journey. The exhibition also observes Messner's 1978 solo ascent of the Himalayan peak of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest mountain and one of the deadliest of the 8,000m climbs.

Special culinary mountain-inn trekking holiday packages (hotelturm.it)
Between 6 and 12 July 2008 South Tyrol's Romantikhotel Turm is offering the chance to hike from one mountain inn to the next throughout the Dolomites. Starting with a welcome drink on the terrace and a romantic four-course meal - including strudel and cheese buffet - and ending with the chance to luxuriate in a traditional local spa bath, the holiday package costs €930 (approx £737) per person on a half-board basis and encapsulates the essence of a stay in South Tyrol. In the evening guests can enjoy a drink in the herbal garden and a five-course dégustation menu of "wild herbs and flowers" accompanied by a number of high-quality wines.

Cycling and endurance running extravaganzas this summer (maratona-dolomites.com)
One of the most important events in the annual cycling calendar, the 110mile / 175km Maratona dles Dolomites (Marathon of the Dolomites) takes places on 29 June and is set to attract amateurs from all over the world. The event, which has seen over 7,000 competitors participating in the past two years, comprises no fewer than seven gruelling Dolomite passes and includes a 4,190m change in altitude. Other cycling highlights during the South Tyrolean summer include the Sella Ronda Bike Day on 6 July (sellarondabikeday.com), offering cyclists the chance to experience the oft-skied Sella Ronda track, and the Stelvio Bike Day (stelviopark.bz.it) on 30 August. During the Sella Ronda's third annual Bike Day all four passes around the Sella Massif will be closed to motorists with access for cyclists only. A Nirvana for mountain cyclists, the 55km Sella Ronda course will attract amateur cyclists who can seek sustenance from refuges and restaurants in the area, whilst the Stelvio Bike Day expects around 6,800 participants, with the Stelvio Pass closed to motorists for the day.

Enjoy a sanctified stay in South Tyrol! Pope Benedict XVI holidays in Bressanone this summer (brixen.org)
Between 28 July and 11 August Pope Benedict XVI will be holidaying in Bressanone / Brixen. The Pontiff will be praying the Angelus Domini at midday in the Domplatz outside the cathedral during the two Sunday services of his stay. As a large turn-out for these two masses is anticipated the cathedral will also have two large screens in the Acquarena / Parkplatz Priel to allow more followers to watch.

Getting there
British Airways (ba.com) offers daily flights to Verona from London Gatwick from just £118 return including taxes and easyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Innsbruck from London Gatwick, Liverpool and Bristol with prices from £22.99 one-way (incl. taxes) and return from £45.98 (incl. taxes). Bolzano in South Tyrol is approximately a 90 minute drive from Verona and Innsbruck. Low-fare transfers run from Innsbruck and Verona airports to Bolzano in South Tyrol from €17 each way (lowcostcoach.com / suedtirol.info/lowfare).

For more information on South Tyrol visit Suedtirol.info.