Where?

South Tyrol, Italy.

Why now?

South Tyrol is a jagged, Narnia-esque dreamscape in winter, and
transforms into a verdant paradise in summer. Whatever the weather,
the focus is always on the mountains here; skiers, snowboarders,
hikers and mountain-bikers traverse South Tyrol’s peaks and troughs
year-round. There are no big cities to discover – it’s too hilly
for that – but instead a healthy speckling of mountain villages
filled with wood-panelled lodges so cute you’ll wish you could wrap
them up and stash them in your carry-on. Believe us when we say
that the villages of Merano, Vipiteno and Kastelruth will charm
your hiking socks off.

Don’t miss

The transumanza – every village in South Tyrol has one of these
festivals. It’s a homecoming of sorts and signals the return of
cattle from the high-lying pastures (their home during the summer)
back down to the flatter plains of the lower valley. The
accompanying festival serves old-school mountain charm with bells
on – hulking great cowbells, that is – as the cattle parade through
the valley adorned in an array of bonkers headdresses made
alternately from crepe and tinsel offcuts. It’s a jingly calamitous
hoot which starts early in the morning and, once the cattle have
returned to their respective pastures, lasts until late in the
evening, fuelled by lashings of beer.

Who to bring with you

Bring an outdoorsy type who’s not afraid to get muddy in the
mountains and won’t think twice about diving headfirst into a
bracing (read: cold) freshwater lake.

When to go

Trekkers should visit in summer, bearing in mind that villages
at higher altitudes are generally a little cooler. Alta Badia is
South Tyrol’s most popular
ski resort: the season generally runs from mid-November
to April.

Most likely to bump into

A mountain herder. We’re talking about the real McCoy, with a
bushy beard, a staff and a stream of cattle trailing behind.

Essentials to bring with you

Pack some hiking-boot-shoe-hybrids. An audacious pair from
LOEWE’s latest collection should
do the trick.

How to get there

Fly to Innsbruck, Verona or
Venice airports and drive into the valley. Those prone to
travel sickness should buckle themselves in for a rollercoaster of
hairpin turns.