Trentino Alto Adige is Italy's northernmost region, a narrow Alpine territory wedged between Austria and Switzerland that only became part of Italy after the First World War. It is effectively two distinct places sharing a border: Trentino in the south, where Italian is the dominant language and the culture is a blend of Italian and Tyrolean; and Alto Adige (South Tyrol) in the north, where German is co-official with Italian, the architecture is central European, and the food runs to dumplings and speck rather than pasta. The region contains some of the most dramatic scenery in Europe — the Dolomites rise on its eastern edge in jagged pink and grey towers, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The two main cities are Trento, where the Catholic Church's Council of Trent convened over nearly two decades in the 16th century, and Bolzano, which is home to Ötzi the Iceman — a 5,300-year-old mummified man discovered in glacial ice in 1991 and now displayed in an outstanding archaeology museum. Val di Fassa is the principal Ladin-speaking valley and a major ski destination, connected to the Dolomiti Superski circuit. Folgaria sits on a high plateau in the southern Dolomites with skiing in winter and excellent hiking in summer.
Travelling through the region is a pleasure. The Brenner rail line runs the length of it from Verona to the Austrian border, with branch lines pushing into the major valleys. In winter the ski resorts fill with Italian and German visitors; in summer the same valleys attract hikers, via ferrata climbers, and cyclists. The wine is consistently good — the steep Adige valley terraces produce some of Italy's best Pinot Grigio and Lagrein.
