Take a dip among the vines, cypresses and historic estates!
Summer dresses can come out early here. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, the weather in South Tyrol/Südtirol is wonderful early in the year. A nice place to enjoy the early sun is at Lake Kalterer See, or Lake Kaltern. One of the cleanest lakes in Italy and also one of the warmest, the temperature can reach up to 28 degrees. So throw your bathing suit in the suitcase so you can take a dip in the pleasant water, surrounded by vines, cypresses and historic estates.
The area around the lake and the surrounding nine villages exudes Mediterranean life. La dolce vita is an integral part of the culture and you can certainly ‘taste’ it in the four (holiday) areas around the lake: Kaltern, Tramin, Südtiroler Unterland (with the villages of Kurtatsch, Margreid and Kurtinig) and Castelfeder (with Auer, Montan, Neumarkt and Salorno). Here almost everything revolves around the theme of wine: vineyards dominate the landscape, each village represents a particular wine and you cannot ignore the leading wineries, which are located in beautiful traditional or modern buildings.
Celebrate the South Tyrolean spring with a good glass of wine
The villages in this region like to put their wine in the spotlight during an event. A few at a glance:
- Gewürztraminer Wineday, April 27 in Tramin
- Kaltern all in red, May 31 in Kaltern
- Pinot Noir Days, May 10 – 13 and Pinot Noir Nights April 26 – May 13 in Montan and Neumarkt. An ode to the King of red wines during these unique South Tyrolean Pinot Noir days.
- Wir lieben Wein, April 5 – July 28
4X Hiking
In a region where wine is central, there are of course plenty of wine trails. So put on walking shoes, enjoy the surroundings and then – naturally – enjoy a glass of Gewürztraminer (or one of the other delicious local wines).
GewürzTRAMINerweg (Gewürztraminer trail)
This takes you via the historic village of Bethlehem along the vineyards near Tramin.
The Pinot Noir Walkway (Castlefeder)
Learn more about the country and its wines as you walk past the famous Pinot Noir groves and through Trudner Horn Nature Park.
Wein.weg (The wine trail)
A hike from Kaltern to the lake, with lots of fun facts about wine along the way.
South Tyrolean Unterland
The oldest educational wine route in this region, which leads past beautiful nature and historic architecture.
The must do’s at the Kalterer See lake
- Enjoy the spring sun by the lake, while enjoying a good glass of wine or – yum! – Italian icecream.
- Visit the village of Kurtatsch, where another local product is made: olive oil.
- Get on your bike for the Wine Cycle Route, which leads through the most beautiful historic wine villages in the region.
Good to know: South Tyrolean guest card
Want to explore South Tyrol/Südtirol by public transport? With the South Tyrolean Guest Pass, a discount card that cannot be purchased but is included in the room rate at many accommodations, you can use the train, bus and cable car for free and unlimited. Depending on the holiday region, the pass also offers additional benefits, such as free admission to museums.
Would you also like a trip like this with a delicious dose of wine? You will find more information on this page! In any case, we toast to a return trip to Lake Kalterer See.
