 Trentino-Alto
Adige is something of an anomaly: a mixed German-Italian
region, much of which has only been part of Italy since
1919.
Before then Alto Adige was known as the South Tyrol and
was part of Austria.
At the end of World War I, Austria ceded South Tyrol to
the Italians, and, in a bid to make the new territory
instantly Italian, Mussolini turned the name on its
head, naming it after the upper reaches of the Adige
River, which bisects the region.
Many Tyroleans opted for resettlement in Germany, but
others stayed and have clung tenaciously to their
language, culture and traditions.
Even now, one of the first things you'll notice about
Alto Adige is its German character. Gothic onion-domed
churches dot the landscape of vineyards and forests,
street signs are in German, and there's sauerkraut and
strudel on the menu. By contrast Trentino , just to the
south, is 98 percent Italian-speaking, and the food and
architecture belong more to the Mediterranean world than
to the Alps. Both parts of the region enjoy
semi-autonomy from central government, along with one of
the highest standards of living in Italy, a consequence
of special grants and aid they receive from Rome -
intended to defuse the ethnic tension that has existed
ever since enforced union took place.
If some German speakers are unwilling to remain part of
Italy, there are right-wing Italian speakers who would
be equally pleased to see them go. Friction between the
two camps flared up in the Sixties, when Germanic
activists staged disturbances. Talks between the
Austrian and Italian governments brought about a package
of concessions and promises from central government,
known as the pachetto , all the provisions of which have
now been implemented. These days, the political climate
has shifted slightly: in the 1993 general elections, the
fascist MSI (Movimento Sociale Italiano), once the most
popular party among Italian-speakers, lost votes; and
German-speakers moved away from the extreme nationalist
Union Für Südtirol towards the Northern League and the
Greens.
Tourism, farming and wine production are the mainstays
of the economy, and there are plenty of good, reasonably
cheap guesthouses and agriturism places in the mountains
and vineyards. Although the region's resorts can be
lethargic, the landscape, dominated by the stark and
jagged Dolomites , is among the most beautiful in the
country. Circling the spiked towers of rock that
characterize the range, a network of trails follows the
ridges, varying in length from a day's walk to a
two-week trek; the long-distance trails, called alte vie
, can be picked up from the small resorts.
The chief towns of Trento and Bolzano are the transport
hubs for the region. Trento gives access to most of the
western Dolomites: the Pale di San Martino , a cluster
of enormous peaks encircling the high, rocky plain above
San Martino di Castrozza; the Catinaccio (or Rosengarten)
range between the Val di Fassa and Bolzano; the Gruppo
di Sella , with its vie ferrate ; and the glacier-topped
Marmolada . Still in the western Dolomites, but with
easier access from Bolzano, are the Alpe di Siusi , a
magical plateau of grass and wetland, high above the
valley. The alpe are enclosed by the peaks of Sasso
Lungo (or Langkofel) and Sciliar (or Schlern); to the
north is the quieter Odle (or Geisler Gruppe). Even
further to the west, on the other side of Trento, are
the Dolomiti di Brenta , a collection of wild peaks
above the meadows of Valle Rendena.
The eastern Dolomites start on the opposite side of the
Adige Valley, past Passo di Campolongo and Corvara, with
activity focusing on Cortina d'Ampezzo , self-styled
"Queen of the Dolomite resorts" - though actually just
across the regional border in the Veneto. In summer,
avoid the overpopulated peaks like the Tre Cime di
Lavaredo and head for Sorapiss or Monte Pelmo to the
south, or Le Tofane and the mountains of the
Fánes-Sénnes-Bráies group to the west. In winter,
Cortina comes into its own as an upmarket ski resort
with excellent, if expensive, facilities.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
www.italiamia.com
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