ON THE ROAD EXPERIENCES
www.ontheroadexperiences.com
The Story
ISSUE: 02 - MAR.16,2017
Italian,
but with a
twist…
Have you ever dreamed of designing your
own country? Mine would have Sydney’s
warm, dry climate; the mountains, forests
and meadows of Austria; the cuisine and
wines of Italy, and Hong Kong’s low taxes.
As far as I know, nowhere has all of these
qualities, but I think I’ve found somewhere
that comes close. The Italian region of
South Tyrol, known as Alto Adige in Italian
and Südtirol in German, matches most of
my criteria – although I would need to do
some work on the tax regime.
Sandwiched between the southern flanks
of the Alps and the Adriatic, South Tyrol is
likewise sandwiched between the cultures
of Central Europe and the Mediterranean,
and – happily –manages to combine the
best of both.
As with many other aspects of life here, South
Tyrol’s produce is at once recognizably Italian,
but with a twist. For example, despite producing
some of Italy’s finest wines, most of the vari-
etals grown here are actually Germanic – one of
the most well-known of which, Gewurztraminer,
takes its name from the South Tyrolean village
of Tramin.
Likewise, rather than growing the citrus
fruits found further down Italy’s “boot”, South
Tyrol is one of Europe’s largest apple growing
regions. The apples grown in thousands of
small orchards here have been awarded the
“Protected Geographical Indication” (PGI) seal
by the EU and are recognized as a regional
specialty.
During a recent trip through the region, I
visited several beautiful vineyards (all with
both Italian and German names; Col-
terenzio/Schreckbichl, San Michele Appi-
ano/St. Michel Eppan and so on). When I
asked each winemaker how much of their
wine was for export, almost all replied
with another question: “You mean, includ-
ing Italy?” Although most meant this as
a joke, I soon came to realize that South
Tyroleans see themselves as distinct and
separate from the rest of Italy.
This touch of schizophrenia goes well
beyond the political. In Italian, South Tyrol
is called “Alto Adige” (Upper Adige), after
the Adige River. Italy’s second longest
river, the Adige flows from the Alps to the
Mediterranean, watering the vineyards
and apple orchards that bask on South
Tyrol’s sunny south-facing Alpine slopes.
Even the lovely climate here sounds oxy-
moronic – “Alpine Mediterranean” – with
its warm, dry summers and short, snowy
winters.
As you would expect, given all the above, South
Tyrolean cuisine is a mouth-watering blend
of Italian and Austrian influences. Superb
pasta dishes can be found on menus along-
side Schlutzkrapfen (an Austrian type of filled
pasta) stuffed with cheese and mushrooms.
Home-grown specialties such as Schüttel-
brot (a relative of Swedish knäckebröd), roast
chestnuts and fragrant Alpine mushrooms all
feature in the region’s excellent restaurants.
Interestingly, the sarcodon mushrooms found
here have close relatives in Yunnan, where one
species is called Black Tiger Paw (黑虎掌菌).
South Tyrol’s Alpine side is, to my mind, best
experienced in its road network, with at least 23
well-known mountain passes. The most famous
among these is the Stelvio Pass which tops out at
2,747m. Climbing it requires navigating through
48 hairpin turns, making it a delight for drivers,
nirvana for motor-bikers and a monumental
pain in the thighs for cyclists.
Most of these passes wind through South Tyrol’s crowning geographic landmark, the
sawtooth Dolomites. The mountains’ name derives from that of eighteenth century
French geologist Déodat de Dolomieu, the man who discovered just how geologically
special this area is. Starting life as a primordial coral reef, violent and varied geo-
logical processes have turned them upside down, as it were, and transformed the
coral into the ivory-colored peaks that today rise above the clouds and stand in stark
contrast to the deep green meadows below.
This otherworldly landscape attracts legions of climbers and walkers each year, keen
to test their fingers and feet in the mountains. South Tyrol was where Reinhold Mess-
ner, one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, first learned to climb as a child.
Once ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Em-
pire, today’s South Tyrol was formerly part
of the larger state of Tyrol, which had its
capital in Innsbruck. The fertile south-
ern half, home of the dramatic Dolomite
Mountains, was annexed by Italy at the
end of World War I. South Tyrol’s separa-
tion from Austria saw emotions run high
on both sides for many years, but today
the region has been given a great deal of
autonomy within Italy, and ways have been
found to balance both cultures.
As for myself, I recently rediscovered this long-forgotten story from my family history:
one of my forbears married a countess of Sarentino (“die Gräfin von Sarnthein”). The
Sarentino is one of South Tyrol’s many high-alpine valleys. The count and the count-
ess were, in effect, the overlords of the Sarentino. Had I lived then, I would have had
my own country.