My Food Focused Guide to South Tyrol

I recently had the exciting chance to go to the Olympics (!!) near Milan, which meant I also spent a week floating between Bolzano, Italy and Lienz, Austria. The trip was with a brand, but none of this post is branded. I just loved everything we did and ate and wanted to share the best moments here.

It’s not typical for brand trips to include things that anyone can slot into their itinierary, but luckily this one did. From the restaurants to curling, each activity was truly special and let me take a peek in the best South Tyrol offers.

While we did a few usual South Tyrol hits, we did a few things you don’t normally see on an itinerary, and went to places that I didn’t even know existed, so of course, I took notes.

Like all of my travel guides, I know that traveling to multiple cities over the span of one week means you can’t see everything but I think we did some unique things that are definitely worth putting on your radar. There are tons of special restaurants to dine at, landscapes to explore and overall a ton of things to do in that are far from being overly touristy.

If you’re planning a trip to the Dolomites and are looking for a guide on where to stay and what to eat, see and do, I hope a few of these make your list! And of course feel free to comment any questions, it’s a huge area so I’d love chat more about it!

Where we stayed

In Bolzano, we stayed at the Stadt Hotel Città, which is right off the square. It’s modern and bright, very much a city-hotel. A great option if you are in the area for a few days, but not as rustic or mountain-forward as I personally would like in the Dolomites.

We then moved to Austria, and stayed at the Grand Hotel Lienz. Swanky swankyyyy, and I would stay here again if I was in the area. The rooms are older but incredibly nice, and an indoor/outdoor heated pool where I can swim while it snows? That was pretty idyllic.

If it were me planning the trip, I’d opt to stay at some of the joint restaurant/inns (some that I’ll mention below) for a more integrated feel. It won’t be as luxe and will have a heavier lift in terms of travel, but the views will be fantastic.

Where to eat

Aside from the views, it’s what we’re all really here for, right?

Dürrensteinhütte – which had to be my favorite stop on the trip. This is nestled up near a peak that we had to hike to. It was fun to snowshoe for hours and then feel like you earned your meal. We hiked a little bit past Landro e Pratto Piazza and saw many people doing the trip unguided. The path is pretty clear!

Jora Mountain Dining – this restaurant is up another snow-covered road, but wow it was a phenomenal experience. The inn feels like stepping into a movie, and even in the freezing cold they were very adamant about serving aperitvo spritzes. It was a coursed dinner, but not overly stuffy and incredibly true to South Tyrolean roots. Plus, it’s a full family operation, and we got to meet all three generations.

Things to do

Explore Walther Square in Bolzano – it was literally three steps outside of my hotel, Stadt Hotel Città and the Olympics were being played. I wish I had more than a night in Bolzano, the city is quaint but beautiful in a way where I was shocked I was still in Italy. If you have more time to walk around, the square is filled with cafes and restaurants, and hosts traditional Christmas Markets in the winter and flower markets in the spring.

Visit Gostner Schwaige – it’s both an inn, farm, cheese dairy, apres-ski spot, and generally stunning destination in upper Bolzano. I got to meet and cook with Giada De Laurentiis (!!) but Stanley Tucci has filmed there too, so you know it’s worth a visit. Some exceptional things I tasted were their dumplings, sweet knödel (in my video with Giada), and their cultured yogurt butter, which was tangy, rich and delicious.

Hiking – One of the main things to do in the Dolomites all year round is hiking. And I completely get why, it’s truly the best way to see the gorgeous landscape. We hiked to Picco di Vallandro via snowshoeing, which is incredibly fun and I can’t wait to book another snowshoe tour.

Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee Lake – Another great spot for hiking and snowshoeing! We got to see and walk across the frozen version of Lago di Braies and now all I can think about is going back to see it in the summer. The water looks earth-shatteringly blue.

Curling! Yes we have curling in America but if you’re ever driving through the Dolomites, you could also curl at Curling Südtirol.

Stop by the Loacker Headquarters -You can make your own giant wafer, and it makes for a unique stop for kids during a vacation otherwise filled with hiking. I know I’m one of their partners for the year but I am not mandated to say this. I thought it was really fun, and if I had a group with me, it would make a great travel day pit stop.

So that’s my short and sweet round-up of where to stay and what to eat, do and see in South Tyrol! If you’re planning a trip, I hope this is helpful, and please comment any questions, or if you love any of these places!