South Tyrol is the northernmost province of
Italy, borders on Austria
and together with the province of Trentino forms the Autonomous Region
Trentino
Alto Adige. The Province of Alto Adige (
South Tyrol or Bolzano)
is different from the other provinces, because here three languages
are spoken.
There are also cultural
differences compared to the rest of Italy due
to the fact that South Tyrol was part of Austria for centuries. Since
the autonomy came into force, South Tyrol has enjoyed many rights of
self-government administered from the provincial capital of Bolzano.
South Tyrol is famous for its idyllic landscapes
with different
climatic conditions, for its mountains and slightly Mediterranean air
and for its graceful valleys as far as Merano. South Tyrol has also
been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its beauty and
is considered one of the most popular holiday destinations.
Val Gardena is part of
South Tyrol, with some of the most distinctive
mountains of the South Tyrolean
Dolomites, where rare
woodcarvings and
crib figures are created and offered by companies such as
Comploj Albert in Ortisei.