Linked by geography and climate, yet shaped by varying cultural influences, the adjoining
provinces of Trentino and Alto Adige are often referred to as “the fraternal twins of north
Italy.” Together they form the northernmost region of the country. With Alto Adige to the
north and Trentino to the south, the region spans a long, narrow valley, extending south
from Italy's Alpine border with Austria to the northern shores of Lake Garda and flanked
to the east by the magnificent Dolomite Alps.
While Trentino is fundamentally Italian in character and heritage, Alto Adige was for
centuries part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the end of WWI the two provinces
were united under the single banner of Italy and have remained as one ever since.
Nearly three quarters of Trentino–Alto Adige's wine production is DOC-designated, a level unmatched by any other Italian wine region. Over 35% of its wines are exported abroad and it is emerging as one of Italy's most exciting, progressive and diverse wine-producing regions.
As with its wines, Trentino–Alto Adige offers something for everyone. With its breathtaking scenery of mountains, lakes and meadows, thermal spa towns, over 200 medieval castles and rustic Tyrolean farms, this is a region of vibrant contrasts and a vacationer's paradise. And for the sportingly inclined, it offers a year-round playground.
During the winter months, there are ski resorts offering cross-country and downhill skiing, as well as skating and tobogganing. After an action-packed day on the slopes, holidaymakers can unwind in the region's pretty Tyrolean resort villages, where shopping opportunities abound, ranging from designer label luxury goods to traditional folk art, wood carvings, and embroidered linens produced by local craftsmen.
Throughout the rest of the year, visitors can avail themselves of a wide variety of activities, including hiking and horseback rides along mountain trails, rock climbing and mountaineering, especially in the Dolomites, or windsurfing, canoeing and fishing in the region's
300 lakes and rivers. To rest those weary limbs, a stay at one of the area's celebrated thermal spas is highly recommended.
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