South Tyrol is the most un-Italian part of Italy. It's not just the Alpine location that sets it apart but its languages, architecture and culture. This excursion mixes the best of both worlds with time in the regional capital, Bolzano, and scenery-rich train ride through the Renon plateau. Martin, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘The railway was first opened in 1907, and originally incorporated a cog section ascending 1000 metres from Bolzano, but in 1966 that section was replaced by the original cablecar.'
Bolzano, or Bozen as German-speaking locals call it, is the elegant and prosperous capital of South Tyrol. With your free time in the city you could visit the Gothic cathedral, take a walk along the Talvera Promenade for views of the mountains from the riverside, or you can stroll the handsome streets and piazzas of the city, browse the shops and try some local specialities like apple strudel.
And on the next leg of the trip, you'll hop into a cable car in Bolzano and ascend to the Renon plateau in a matter of minutes. Then it's time for the narrow-gauge train journey though pastoral landscapes and pretty villages. A 20-minute walk away through nature are the plateau's famous earth pyramids – well worth checking out, though worth noting it's around a kilometre walk slightly uphill. These bizarre pillars can reach heights of up to 30 metres, and while one pyramid vanishes, further up the same slope, nature is already forming a new one.
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