Page 92 - DK Eyewitness: Back Roads Northern and Central Italy (Travel Guide)

90 BACK ROADS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ITALY

Right Fresco of St Christopher on the exterior
of Merano’s Duomo Right centre The Church
of San Vigilio, in a beautiful mountain setting
Far Right The quaint village of Unser Frau
in the Val Senales Below View of Merano,
beside the Passer river
WHERE TO STAY
MERANO (MERAN)
Terme Merano expensive
Stunning town-centre hotel designed
by Matteo Thun with restful interiors.
Rooms are spacious, with balconies.
Piazza Terme 1, 39012; 0473 259 259;
www.hoteltermemerano.com 1 Merano (Meran) ª Return to Lana. Follow the brown
Vigilius Mountain Resort expensive Alto Adige; 39012 road signs for Val d’Ultimo (Ultental).
This luxury eco-spa, reachable only by Tourists started flocking to Merano Pass through San Pancrazio (Sankt
cable car (15 mins from Lana), is a at the end of the 19th century, after Pankraz) to San Nicolò (Sankt Nikolaus)
wonderfully relaxing place to stay.
There’s a fabulous quartzite-lined pool. Empress Elizabeth of Austria – known and the Lahnersäge Visitor Centre.
Monte San Vigilio (Vigiljoch), 39011 as Sissi – chose the town for her winter
Lana; 0473 556 600; www.vigilius.it cure, and a resort of pastel-coloured 3 Val d’Ultimo (Ultental)
Art Nouveau palaces and riverside Alto Adige; 39016
VAL D’ULTIMO (ULTENTAL) promenades evolved. Sissi stayed at The first part of the valley is the most
Arosea Life Balance expensive Trauttmansdorff castle, now home dramatic, climbing steeply through
This modern hotel offers understated
luxury and sunny terraces. Some suites to interesting botanical gardens orchards and vineyards, past signs for
have outdoor saunas and showers. (open daily). Take time to enjoy the waalwegs (the ancient irrigation
Kuppelwies am See 355, 39016 St town’s landmark thermal baths (open channels that make farming possible
Walburg; 0473 785 051; www.arosea.it daily), designed by architect Matteo on the sunny, south-facing hillsides).
Other options inexpensive Thun, which opened in 2005. They The valley opens out into lush pastures
For farmhouse B&Bs offering spotless offer thermal pools, and treatments dotted with traditional chalets topped
rooms, breakfasts from locally grown using mud, chestnuts and apples. by wooden roof shingles weighted
products, and often a pool and free
Wi-Fi, visit www.redrooster.it ª From the centre, follow signs for with stones against stormy weather.
Bolzano (Bozen), then signs for Lana. Stop for refreshments at the village
VAL SENALES (SCHNALSTAL) Follow the brown signs for Val of San Pancrazio before heading on
Zur Goldenen Rose moderate d’Ultimo (Ultental) and the “Seilbahn” to San Nicolò and the Lahnersäge
Wood-panelled stuben and snug rooms (cable car). Turn right and park at the Visitor Centre (mid-May to Oct: open
with wooden floors make this a good cable car station in Lana. Tue–Sun) with its water-driven
bolt-hole halfway up the Val Senales.
Karthaus 29, Senales (Schnals); 0473 sawmill, just before the climb into
679 130; www.goldenerose.it 2 San Vigilio (Vigiljoch) the village of St Gertraud (1,519 m/
Alto Adige; 39011 4,984 ft), the starting point for hikes
Step into the cable car at Lana and in the Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio
travel back in time to 1912, when it (www.stelviopark.bz.it).
was built. It’s the second oldest in ª Return to Merano on SS38, skirting
Europe and climbs (May–Oct: daily) to west of town centre and turning
in stately fashion to Vigilius Mountain west into Venosta (Vinschgau) valley.
Resort – an eco-resort built from larch Soon after Naturno (Naturns) turn
that wraps around the mountain. right and take the long, winding road
From there, hop on a chairlift and into the Senales (Schnalstal) valley.
soar above the larch woods of Monte
San Vigilio (Vigiljoch), which has Matteo Thun
been a sacred place since prehistoric Born in Bolzano, architect Matteo
times. There’s a café with panoramic Thun has designed some ground-
views at the top, from where an breaking buildings in Alto Adige,
uphill hike (15 minutes on Path 4) from the Vigilius resort, which won
Wallpaper magazine’s design award
leads to the beautiful, simple in 2004, to the spa complex in
Romanesque Church of San Vigilio, Merano. In the 1980s, with Ettore
with 14th-century frescoes. Return Sottsass and others, he co-founded
on foot (1 hour; Path 3, then 34) or the Memphis Group, which injected
by chairlift to Vigilius – its restaurant colour, humour and pizzazz into
everyday design.
(Ida) is a popular stop for hikers.
Where to Stay: inexpensive, under €100; moderate, €100–€200; expensive, over €200

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