ALTO ADIGE CHRISTMAS MARKETS
If you happen to be in Italy during the period from the last Sunday of November to January 6th you might want to enjoy the embracing atmosphere of Alto Adige Christmas markets. Forget all the stress and the ugly things affecting our planet and be a child for one day. Surrounded as they are by snow capped mountains and green hills these three historical cities of Alto Adige, Italian and Mitteleuropean at the same time sparkle as gems with all the Christmas lights. You’ll be wrapped in merry songs and heavenly scents. No cars or scooters around.

The three ‘pearls’ we propose are: Bolzano (Bozen), Bressanone (Brixen), and Merano (Meran). This full day tour can be done by train or car. The towns can be easily reached departing from Milan, Verona, Trento, or Venice. Your local expert will guide you through the Christas markets but will also tell you about each town and, if requested, will take you into further shopping.

Bolzano, main city of Alto Adige – also known as South Tyrol, boasts one of the largest Xmas markets in Europe, with eighty stalls and attractions for any age. Although the proper Xmas stalls are set in Piazza Walther, the ambiance, with lights, music, good smells of freshly baked cookies, spices, and mulled wine invade the whole enchanting center, with its tiny squares and long medieval arcades. No way of resisting this charm…Bolzano will conquer you.

Under the arcades of Bolzano, you’ll find some unique shopping opportunities: wooden sculptures, both traditional and modern, by local artists, hand made hats and shoes, design objects both from German and Italian designers; special breads, beers from local breweries.

Not far from Bolzano is Bressanone, that we can comfortably reach by train in less than 20 minutes from Bolzano. On the train your guide will tell you about the very special history of Alto Adige, also called South Tyrol, an area that became part of Itay less than a century ago.

Bressanone, a more intimate town, boasts a fairytale-like historical center. The main piazza, where the Christmas market takes place, has a splendid Duomo and elegant, colorful residences. The White Tower has a carillon that every day at 11.00 am it plays Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. A merry-go-round and a carriage with adorable ponies complete the scene.

The 27 stalls are spread around a central stage, used for concerts and other events. One of the great points of aggregation is a giant brazier, where local chefs enchant the audience with their gastronomic shows. Everyone is invited to taste the results of the cooking performance.

You can buy a variety of locally crafted objects: we greatly enjoyed the tiny ceramic homes – irresistible – and the surprising variety of gnomes – they make a perfect present. If you like cookies, ask your guide to take you to the right stalls. The German names are difficult: zelten, nuss schnitten, husarenkrapfen, strauben, and the like. But they taste like paradise!

For grown-ups, in Bressanone you can have a gin brule’ before lunch, that will warm you up! For lunch we’ll sit down in one of the many welcoming restaurants and bistros where the tasty local cuisine goes hand in hand with more Mediterranean recipes, we are in Italy after all!

It is now time to reach Merano, or Meran. Here the Christmas market develops along the elegant Art Nouveau promenade along the Passirio River. All the fir trees shining with an ocean of lights. As it starts getting dark the effect is magic! The large skating ring and the sophisticated sky bar with a spectacular view transform your evening in Merano into Winter Wonderland! As for your shopping: 80 more stalls are waiting for you with their little marvels.