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Traditions of South Tyrol

Hospitality & harmony in the Alps
 
Enjoy exhilarating mountain walking and stay in a top-notch Alpine hotel serving excellent cuisine and wines on this self-guided, single-centre holiday. With an included travel pass plus one day’s cycle hire, this trip is a great way to gain an insight into Tyrolean life.
Traditions of South Tyrol. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Traditions of South Tyrol. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Val Senales

In northernmost Italy, towering peaks over 3,000 metres high stand sentinel along the border with Austria, while icy glaciers spill down into the valleys below. The Senales is one such idyllic, German-speaking valley in which lush meadows and dense pine woods surround picturesque villages with their pretty wooden churches.
This area contains much of cultural interest, too, from the elegant spa town of Merano to Ötzi, the Copper Age ice man who was discovered in the Senales Valley and who now lies in Bolzano’s Ice Man Museum; and the 14th-century Carthusian cloisters in the 'silent' village of Certosa (Karthaus).
It is in Certosa, nestling in the tranquil Senales Valley, that you will be warmly welcomed to the Hotel Goldene Rose Karthaus. Besides the restaurant serving delicious Tyrolean cuisine, what makes this hotel memorable is the hospitality of owners Paul and Steffi Grüner, who are happy to share with you their passion for and knowledge of this most scenic of valleys.
 

What our expert says

This holiday offers a very similar experience to a holiday in the Dolomites, without the crowds. You can enjoy beautiful mountains, rewarding walking, the unique Austrian-Italian culture of South Tyrol, and very special hospitality – Paul and Steffi are effusive hosts, and the hotel earns consistently high praise from guests.
Alison Temple, Regional Manager
 
Gallery

 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights. There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of our suggested walking routes as the mood takes you. We include a travel pass for use on local buses and cable cars (please note that some of the cable cars do not open until late June or early July, and may close at the start of October).
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 1 3 6 10 15 19 21 21 18 13 6 2
    mm 28 30 39 47 81 91 101 103 76 64 65 29
  • Choice of routes: 8km to 16.5km

    Unser Frau & Vernagt Stausee: 16.5km, 6.5hrs; ascent 1050m / descent 680m
    From the hotel, this route is a good introductory leg-stretcher, heading up the valley to the village of Unser Frau, home to a delightful Baroque-style pilgrimage church and the interactive ArcheoParc Museum, dedicated to the life of Ötzi the Ice-man. From here, continue up to the blue waters of Vernagt Stausee, behind which looms the mighty chain of the Ötztal Alps. Follow a quiet, undisturbed forest path above the lake's southern shore then ascend lofty, panoramic slopes on its opposite side (complete with characteristic huts for refreshments) to complete your loop around the lake before catching the bus back to Certosa.

    Meraner Höhenweg from Katharinaberg: 12km, 5hrs; ascent 620m / descent 1350m
    From nearby Katharinaberg on the other side of the valley (5 minutes away by bus), you join the panoramic Meraner Höhenweg and follow it right across the southern slopes of the Texelgruppe Nature Park, enjoying magnificent views into the valleys and across to the snow-capped mountain peaks. The trail leads to Unterstell where you can either descend by cable car or continue down the path into Naturno, from where you catch the bus back to Certosa. All along the route are a number of farms and mountain cafés where you can stop for refreshments or lunch.

    Meraner Höhenweg from Vorderkaser: 10.5km, 4hrs; ascent / descent 450m
    To follow this thrilling section of the Meraner Höhenweg, take a taxi to Vorderkaser and then walk into the picturesque and wild Pfossental. Set in the heart of the Texelgruppe Nature Park, this region is home to a vast variety of Alpine fauna such as chamois, ibex and roe deer. The there-and-back route winds past a string of traditional farmsteads, where you can enjoy lunch or refreshments and marvel at the high Alpine landscapes. Return by bus.

    Maso Corto & Berglalm: 11km, 4hrs; ascent 500m / descent 800m
    A short bus journey from the hotel will bring you to the head of the Senales Valley and the start of this lovely route through larch forests to the Berglalm – an idyllically situated restaurant which makes the perfect lunch stop. You then continue across panoramic uplands before ascending steeply through forest to Vernagt. Return by bus.

    Bella Vista: 8km, 2.5hrs; ascent 100m / descent 1275m
    Take the bus to Maso Corto, then use the cable car (ordinarily runs from late June / early July) to reach Hotel Grawand (3,212 metres). From here, you descend over 1,200 metres through thrilling, high-mountain scenery back to the valley.
    Maso Corto and Berglalm route
    Unser Frau and Vernagt Stausee: 16.5km
    Meraner Höhenweg from Katharinaberg: 12km
    Meraner Höhenweg from Vorderkaser: 10.5km
    Maso Corto and Berglalm: 11km
    Bella Vista: 8km
  • Option to spend a night in the high mountains
    During your stay, you might like to take the opportunity to spend a night in your hosts’ isolated retreat, Bella Vista, set in a secluded valley high in the mountains at 2,842 metres. (Usually available from late June onwards, subject to local conditions. Please organise and pay locally.)

    This remarkably well-appointed chalet is a great base from which to explore the high mountains, where you will hopefully encounter the local marmots and enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of the fascinating landscape of snow and glacial ice.

    You can reach the retreat on foot – it's a sustained ascent, but highly rewarding. Alternatively, to have more time to explore even higher, you could arrange a transfer by jeep.
    Bella Vista Retreat
  • Vinschgau to Merano: 16km, 3hrs
    For a change from walking, you can take the bus to Naturno and hire bikes for a day (included) to cycle along a dedicated cycle track which leads gently down into the valley, through vineyards and orchards, all the way into the handsome, historic town of Merano. From Merano, take the bus back to Naturno or Certosa.

    You can also take advantage of the efficient train which runs along the valley, where bikes can be picked up at one of several stations and dropped off after cycling to another.
    Cycle through vineyards
    Vinschgau to Merano: 16km
  • Bolzano & more

    Bolzano/Bozen
    German-speaking Bolzano is the main town of Alto Adige, and has an Austrian feel to it. It boasts an attractive medieval centre, a Franciscan monastery and numerous boutiques. As well as people-watching from one of the pavement cafés in and around Piazza Walther, we recommend a visit to the Museum of Archaeology to see the famous Copper Age Iceman, known as Ötzi, who is 5,300 years old! There is an outdoor fruit market and a Saturday market. Bolzano is well known for its wines, particularly its chardonnay.

    Sopra Bolzano
    If you have time, take the Rittner-Renon cable car up to Sopra Bolzano, for some dazzling views over the Dolomites and continue by tram across the plateau to reach Klobenstein-Collalbo. The most dramatic examples of the many earth-pyramids can be found here at Lengmoos.

    Messner Mountain Museum
    Established by world-famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner, the Messner Mountain Museum is a series of six museums dedicated to mountaineering and the culture of mountain and arctic peoples. One of them, Castle Juval (closed July and August), is located on the hillside above Naturno, which you can reach by bus. (The other five are at Bolzano, Sulden, Bruneck, Monte Rite and Corones.)

    South Tyrol Route
    Follow the Wine Route to Merano, a renowned spa town which has been a popular health resort since the 19th century, where you can take a dip in one of the thermal baths; or try the famous ‘grape cure’ by imbibing a glass or two of the local Meraner Leiten (‘Meranese di Collina’) red wine. Merano is also rich in culture, staging a large number of events, ranging from opera weeks to the traditional Merano Grape Festival in October. The old town, with its shops beneath the medieval arcades, is also worth a visit, as is a stroll along the banks of the Passiria river. Visit the luxuriant gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, where plants from all over the world prosper on the sunny slope overlooking Merano. From the gardens you can walk back into the centre along ‘Sissi’s Path’ through quiet corners and old parks, passing stately mansions and noble residences.

    Lake Reschen
    It is also well worth making the trip on the panoramic railway from Naturno to Malles, and connecting with a bus from here to Lake Reschen. The 14th-century bell tower protruding from the surface of this lake is one of the most famous sights in the upper Val Venosta, and a reminder of the area's sombre history: between 1948 and 1950, the Italian electric company Montecatini constructed a large dam here which unified the two natural lakes of Reschensee and Mittersee and condemned the village of Graun (and most of its church) to a watery fate.
 

Accommodation

Certosa (Karthaus) is a picturesque village with 14th-century cloisters that nestles in the tranquil, German-speaking Senales Valley.

We recommend spending one of your nights in the hotel's Bella Vista mountain retreat (available from late June onwards; please organise and pay locally).
Hotel Goldene Rose

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 7 nights: 04 June 2024 - 09 October 2024 & 02 June 2025 - 05 October 2025

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    4 - 20 Jun 2024 £1740 £200
    21 Jun - 31 Jul 2024 £1875 £235
    1 - 31 Aug 2024 £1905 £265
    1 Sep - 2 Oct 2024 £1940 £265
    2 - 20 Jun 2025 £1810 £210
    21 Jun - 31 Jul 2025 £1950 £245
    1 - 31 Aug 2025 £1985 £280
    1 - 28 Sep 2025 £2020 £280
    3rd & 4th person discount £0
    Single traveller supplement £0

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel Goldene Rose, Karthaus/Certosa
    Deluxe with balcony: 04 Jun - 09 Oct 2024 £15
    Deluxe with balcony: 02 Jun - 05 Oct 2025 £16
    Grand deluxe with balcony: 04 Jun - 09 Oct 2024 £29
    Grand deluxe with balcony: 02 Jun - 05 Oct 2025 £30
    Junior suite with private sauna: 04 Jun - 13 Jul 2024 £40
    Junior suite with private sauna: 14 Jul - 17 Sep 2024 £55
    Junior suite with private sauna: 18 Sep - 09 Oct 2024 £40
    Junior suite with private sauna: 02 Jun - 13 Jul 2025 £42
    Junior suite with private sauna: 14 Jul - 17 Sep 2025 £57
    Junior suite with private sauna: 18 Sep - 05 Oct 2025 £42
    Penthouse suite: 04 Jun - 13 Jul 2024 £55
    Penthouse suite: 14 Jul - 17 Sep 2024 £86
    Penthouse suite: 18 Sep - 09 Oct 2024 £55
    Penthouse suite: 02 Jun - 13 Jul 2025 £57
    Penthouse suite: 14 Jul - 17 Sep 2025 £89
    Penthouse suite: 18 Sep - 05 Oct 2025 £57

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Hotel Goldene Rose, Karthaus/Certosa (with dinner) Double room Single room
    04 Jun - 15 Jun 2024 £169 £217
    16 Jun - 13 Jul 2024 £189 £237
    14 Jul - 17 Sep 2024 £213 £275
    18 Sep - 09 Oct 2024 £189 £237
    02 Jun - 15 Jun 2025 £180 £230
    16 Jun - 13 Jul 2025 £200 £250
    14 Jul - 17 Sep 2025 £225 £289
    18 Sep - 05 Oct 2025 £200 £250
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Verona or Innsbruck
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Innsbruck Charter (contact us),  jet2,  TUI 
    Birmingham - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Birmingham - Verona Charter (contact us),  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Birmingham - Verona (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Innsbruck Charter (contact us),  jet2 
    Bristol - Innsbruck (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Bristol - Verona Charter (contact us),  jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Verona Charter (contact us),  jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Edinburgh - Innsbruck (via Gatwick) British Airways 
    Edinburgh - Verona Charter (contact us),  easyJet,  jet2 
    Edinburgh - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Edinburgh - Verona (via Paris CDG) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Innsbruck (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Glasgow - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Glasgow - Verona TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Innsbruck (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Leeds Bradford - Verona Charter (contact us),  jet2 
    Leeds Bradford - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Innsbruck easyJet 
    Gatwick - Verona British Airways,  Charter (contact us),  easyJet,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Verona Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Innsbruck British Airways 
    Heathrow - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Austrian Airlines,  Lufthansa 
    Heathrow - Innsbruck (via Vienna) Austrian Airlines 
    Heathrow - Verona British Airways 
    Heathrow - Verona (via Rome Fiumicino) Alitalia 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Innsbruck TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Innsbruck TUI 
    Stansted - Verona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Innsbruck Charter (contact us),  jet2 
    Manchester - Innsbruck (via Frankfurt) Austrian Airlines,  Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Verona Charter (contact us),  easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Manchester - Verona (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Verona (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Verona (via Zurich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Innsbruck (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Newcastle - Verona Charter (contact us),  TUI 
    Newcastle - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Teesside International - Innsbruck (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Unless otherwise stated, connecting travel by rail or bus tends to be from the city centre station, rather than from its airport, and connections between the two should be paid for locally.

    Where a price range is given, the price you pay depends on your date of travel.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Innsbruck

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Innsbruck to Merano (3h), transfer Merano to hotel (0h30) £86-£89 1400
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    transfer hotel to Merano (0h30), rail Merano to Innsbruck (3h) £86-£89 1400

    Connecting travel options - flying via Verona

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Verona to Bolzano (1h40), transfer Bolzano to hotel (1h) £101-£105 1600
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    transfer hotel to Bolzano (1h), rail Bolzano to Verona (1h40) £101-£105 1300
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 7 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • travel pass
  • 1 day's cycle hire
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 13 reviews
  • B & G Halstead
    06 October 2023

    We absolutely loved this holiday and the incredibly beautiful region of South Tyrol. Hotel Goldene Rose was as close to perfect as you could find and the staff were wonderful. We made good use of the seven day bus pass enabling us to travel to Naturno (which we loved) and other areas for walking. The buses travel up and down the valley and arrive in the village at almost the same time. It's worth checking before getting on, that you're going in the right direction. We very much enjoyed the bike hire and cycle ride from Naturno to Merano but would have appreciated guidance in the notes as to the exact location to return the bikes in Merano. Having dropped the bikes off we caught a bus to the botanical gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle which completely blew us away and warrant at least a half day visit. Innsbruck was beautiful and a very walkable city and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring and embracing as much as we could during our two day stay. We would definitely recommend this whole area. 

  • anon
    19 September 2023

    The hotel is excellent, the food outstanding and its spa a great place to relieve any aches and pains from some strenuous walking. Be prepared to find some of your own walks from the information provided as the walks suggested are limited to a minimum.

  • Mr A Ploszajski
    Bedford
    18 September 2023

    HIGHLIGHTS: Seeing three Ibex on the walk up to Im Hintern Eis. The Otzi museum.

  • Wendy, London
    05 September 2023

    This was a wonderful holiday in glorious scenery. The Goldene Rose is a gem. We did all 5 recommended walks which were all special in different ways. The bus service is regular and reliable but the bus times in the notes are out of date. The südtirolmobil app is very useful for planning routes and giving live departures. We were lucky to be there on the weekend of the Transhumance when thousands of sheep are brought back from high pasture in Austria. They pass right by the Bella Vista. (The reverse journey happens in June). The Grawand cable car is out of action until December 2023 but we got the chair lift half way up and walked the remaining 400m. 

  • Dr J Wymer-Newcombe
    Bury St. Edmunds
    05 June 2023

    Walks may take longer than described depending on your level of fitness. The alpine wild meadows are an absolute treat with many flowers we grow in our gardens in the UK growing wild in the Southern Tyrol.

  • Mel M, London
    03 September 2022

    We had an amazing holiday in Karthaus and would highly recommend this holiday. The location was very relaxing, the staff helpful and attentive and the food and rooms were first class. The spa was even better than it appeared on the website and was very relaxing after our daily hikes. Hiking in the area is easy due to the well-marked trails and maps. The walks suggested provide good inspiration but you are definitely not limited to those. Be sure to check opening times / days of any alms or restaurants before you set out as we came unstuck once or twice as closing days vary across the villages. The walks can be as challenging or gentle as you like and we really appreciated the variety - there's a mix of woodland, open meadows, lakeside and high mountain terrain. Go prepared for all weathers as whilst it was mostly warm and sunny the rain can come on quickly. Fortunately, it seems to pass just as quickly.

    Our trip to Meran / Merano was the only slight downside of the week. It has a pretty old town but it's extremely busy and the buses / trains were unreliable and crowded. We spent about 3x as long getting there and back as we did in the town itself. If you just want a few shops and some lunch, Naturns / Naturno is a great and more local option.

    We finished our holiday with 3 nights in Innsbruck and would highly recommend it. For a city, it's very small and relaxed. It wasn't crowded, had great shops and eateries and you could be up the mountain and hiking within half an hour. It seemed to have the best of everything.

    Thanks to Inntravel for putting this holiday together. This is our 2nd trip with them and we are about to book our next.

     

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: Customers added on a 3-night stay at the Hotel Maximilian, Innsbruck after their walking break.

     

     

  • Mrs S Slater
    Alderley Edge
    17 August 2022

    The Goldene Rose at Karthaus is an amazing hotel and exceeded our expectations in every way. The bus stops right by the hotel so transport to the start of the walks is very easy. Karthaus itself is a fascinating village. We walked every day and enjoyed each walk enormously but could certainly have spent another week exploring further afield, doing more walking, and finding out more about the life of Otzi The Iceman. We ate in the mountain huts each day for lunch and would recommend doing this - lovely simple homemade food, fresh apple juice and very friendly staff. We were even treated to music from the local umpah band at one hut on Sunday lunchtime. A really wonderful holiday!        

  • Mrs K
    30 July 2022

    Stunning views around every corner! Some challenging walks, often with steep up- and downhill sections. I was glad to have my walking poles with me! The hotel and its staff were a class apart - top-class all the way.

  • Mr J Heaney
    London
    29 June 2022

    The Traditions of South Tyrol is a great holiday with memorable walks, a fantastic hotel and in a great location. Karthaus is a beautiful village high in the mountains with unbelievable views all around. The hosts of the Goldene Rose Hotel are very welcoming with a great team. Nothing was too much trouble for them. And with the local bus stopping literally outside the hotel it was very easy to make our way around the valley. The walks are great, not too challenging and with great views. I would certainly recommend this holiday.

  • Mrs E Beaver
    Leeds
    18 June 2022

    A lovely hotel. We last visited 4 years ago and really enjoyed our holiday then; but found the dining room a bit too formal and 'stuffy' feeling for our liking. Since then; the hotel has both redesigned the dining room making it much more relaxed and comfortable; and added a LOVELY outdoor covered terrace restaurant area where meals are served as long as the weather allows(we were able to eat out there on all but one occasion and found it very much to our liking). The breakfast selection; served on a tiered afternoon-cakes style plate was a very appropriate change from buffet-service (and then able to choose from a further selection of sweet and egg dishes from a breakfast menu). The afternoon cakes and tea were also very, very good! The situation of the hotel is unique; a village founded on a monastery high in the mountainous Senales valley and provided an interesting, picturesque base for our holiday.

    Highlights; sitting outside to eat breakfast at the beginning of a sunny day; in the cool mountain air; so relaxing!. Walking through spectacular limestone grassland and larch woodland. Finding 5 different species of Wintergreen on 1 woodland walk. Finding numerous Moonwort ferns on several other walks. Seeing marmots in the Pfossental valley. Apart from the travelling... a lovely holiday!. 

  • Mr J Lampitt
    Warwick
    15 June 2022

    Our highlights:

    Procession from the church in Karthaus and around the village - band, national costume, banners. Quite a spectacle.

    Flower meadows in the mountains, especially Footpath 7

    Cable Cars in Innsbruck

    Historic palaces, churches and museums in Innsbruck

     

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Traditions of South Tyrol walking holiday with a stay in Innsbruck

     

  • Mr J Tanner
    Bures
    07 June 2022

    We have had a superb holiday. While it was mired a little by being shortened by a day due to EasyJet flights and we also spent our last day stuck at Bolzano Railway Station, these factors cannot take the gloss over what a stunning setting the South Tyrol is. The Hotel Goldene Rose was the icing on the cake – really quite superb.

  • Anon
    06 June 2022

    Walks in the area were all wonderful, with many paths through larch woods where the ground was often carpeted with red azaleas and other alpine flowers. In many places the butterflies, tiny and large, were innumberable.  Views along and across the valley were breathtaking.  Watching the farmers cutting hay on amazingly steep slopes was fascinating. The walk along Pfossental was magnificent (even though discovering at one of the farmsteads that ordering an 'omelette' will get you a pancake - so don't order bread as well!).

    A day trip to Merano gave a contrast to the near-empty valley: we walked with the crowds along the Winter Promenade, and then went out to the Trauttmansdorff botanical gardens.  Jaw-dropping: every botanical garden you've ever visited, plus Alnwick Gardens; on steroids.  Simply magnificent.

    Innsbruck made for an excellent add-on, with the rail journey through the Brenner Pass worthwile in itself. We have visted before so one day based in such a good and well-located hotel was ideal; and a cable car ride (Nordkettenbahn) was an excellent taster for the mountain scenery to come.

    The Turin add-on at the end was probably not a good idea (and not because of being pick-pocketed). The rail trip across Italy was long, and delays made it 2 hours longer so we were tired and hot when we arrived.  One day is not enough to do more than scratch the surface of such a big city. Our main memory will be of the Cappella della Sindone and Palazzon Reale.  Unlike Innsbruck, the hotel did not add to the experience.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from A to B, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact us to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Italy, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The principal official language is Italian, though some regions have a second official language, such as South Tyrol, where German is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro. Italian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
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