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BOLZANO, BRESSANONE AND ORTISEI
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...849ace6fb2.jpg Bolzano's beautiful buildings Our original idea was to stop off at Bolzano as we headed south to Venice.However, with thunderstorms forecast and heavy cloud obscuring the higher slopes, we decided to have a break from cablecars and enjoy sightseeing further afield.Plus, we both love exploring handsome towns and pretty villages.But - Bolzano or Bressanone? We couldn’t decide and (a bit ambitiously) did both! After a lovely buffet breakfast at our hotel, we drove to Bolzano first. Took the wrong left fork on the road out of Ortisei which had us driving the very winding SP64.Rather than 40 mins or so, it was around an hour later before we parked the car in a quiet, leafy car park beside the town's very impressive 13th Maretsch castle(closed on the day we visited.) https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bc4e6a9bf1.jpg A short walk took us into the historic centre and what a handsome place it was! Pastel coloured buildings, immaculate streets, lovely shops – we liked it immediately. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aa8b4f2fe3.jpg However, Bolzano also appealed because I really wanted to visit the Iceman Museum.Here, Otzi - a 5,300-year-old glacier mummy - is displayed along with his various artefacts and clothing.The museum has fascinating displays and info about his life and how he was found.We then had a chance to look at this prehistoric man’s remains in a temperature controlled ice chamber.Lying on a slab, he is so well preserved that tattoos on his skin are still visible.IN all, we spent nearly 2 hrs in the museum, an astounding place. Otzi is also the world’s oldest Cold Case as there is clear evidence that he was murdered high on Similaun mountain.The arrowhead which pierced a major artery is still visible. No photos allowed in the museum or of the mummy...only the reconstruction of what he may have looked like, in the photo below... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d8b193b4c3.jpg Otzi After buying a book in the Museum shop, it was coffee time and I was delighted to find Konditorei Monika with a gorgeous display of pastries, cakes and chocolates.It also had a smart, outdoor terrace on a very smart shopping street.As ever, great Latte Macchiatos and Apple Strudel for me and a Pistachio Ice Cream Sundae for Chris.A healthy lunch! My pastry was good but the best was still in Rifugio Lavaredo at 8,000 feet! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0d8d43b749.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...87b1b11eae.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c196552a83.jpg Konditorei Monika Wandered around this handsome, wealthy looking city and thought…we could definitely enjoy coming back here.Bolzano is also known as Bozen, in German and it is a bilingual city with both languages given equal prominence. Next up was Bressanone (Brixen), the oldest town in the South Tyrol. Although it’s only around 40 mins north of Bolzano, traffic was heavy so it took almost an hour. This was another lovely town with plenty of colourful buildings again: lemon, cream, light blue and soft pink. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3e486a1fe.jpg After a stroll around, we headed for the Duomo which had striking frescoes. Beautiful. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...adafe8369d.jpg The Duomo https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...03c17415da.jpg It was really hot now so we sat in the shade of a cafe in the Piazza Duomo with a glass of wine for Chris and cold sparkling water for me. Wow – we were tired by now and energy levels were running low.I don’t think we did Bressanone or Bolzano real justice but the latter was our favourite between the two. (That said, we discovered Trento on a 2024 trip to Lake Garda and were bowled by its absolutely stunning, highly decorated historic buildings. ) I drove us back (slightly nervously as Chris had been doing all the driving so far and the roads were busy) and we arrived at a cloudier Ortisei(St Ulrich.) Often at the end of a packed day we don’t feel much like going out again to eat, so we picked up some cold things again from the supermarket – the usual suspects of chicken, cheese, olives, bread rolls and fruit – and some Prosecco(much nicer than most of the Prosecco available at home which we tend to avoid.)Our balcony was peaceful and very pretty, so it was a lovely quiet setting far from the madding crowd, to enjoy a bit of downtime. This was our last night in the Dolomites and thunderstorms were forecast again tomorrow so the plan was to make for Venice with a couple of stops on route, to break the rather long journey from this side of the mountains(about 3hrs 40.) Just before it got dark, we walked into Ortisei as we hadn’t seen much of the town at all.It was a pleasant place, incredibly busy and much more touristy than I had imagined.It's also a much bigger place than I'd thought it might be and some hotels looked a bit 'kitsch' if that's the right word. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...963855f982.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3d0851e5db.jpg Lots of tourist shops on the main pedestrian street which we popped into for a browse as I was on the lookout for a nice fridge magnet! Some pretty, flower bedecked bridges over the river...this one very like the gorgeous wooden bridge in Lucerne. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7ff9f2372.jpg the river... https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3a320e47f6.jpg I must say, we both preferred the overall elegance and older feel of Cortina and also its spectacular location. It would definitely be our base again for future trips.It'll be interesting seeing it again when it hosts the Winter Olympics in 2026. TOMORROW: South to Venice with a brief stop at Montagnana , a gem of a walled town in the Veneto.How could we resist its description as ‘one of the most intact and best preserved medieval fortified towns in the world?’ |
Hi Scotlandmac, enjoying your report.
Am disappointed to hear Seceda (the highlight of our trip several years ago) didn't measure up. Clearly something has changed (for the worse), we didnt pay for any access along this loop : we took the Seceda lift up from Ortisei, walked towards Rifugio Troier/past the ridge, looped aound Pieralongia (twin spires), past the lake, Rifugio Firenze, Baita Odles etc etc and returned to St Christina via Col Raiser (and eventually the bus) back to Ortisei. The whole experience was ethereal. On the costs, I notice the lifts have become rather expensive now. But it was more economical to purchase the 3 day Gardena Summer Pass vs buying the lifts individually (of course we used several others - Alpe de Siusi, Resciesa, Ciampinoi, Dantercepies etc etc). |
Hi Anuj - glad you're still enjoying the write up.
Possibly because we had just come from the hike up to the Rifugios Averau/Nuvolau, the landscape at Seceda didn't quite hit the mark.It was beautiful of course, so it's all relative as the Dolomites offer such magnificent landscapes. Paying the 5 euros for access really wasn't an issue - it seemed fair enough given so many people might be trudging across his valuable farmland! But doing a further hike across/down the meadows didn't appeal hugely.Maybe we were 'scenery-satiated' or just running out of energy by mid afternoon, given everything else we had done, I don't know.That said, I rarely feel that way. Yes if we'd been in the area for longer, the pass might have been better.Looking forward to your own Scotland report! |
Report End - Ortisei south via Montagnana and a final day in Venice
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a7617903be.jpg The wonderful entrance to Montagnana We were now leaving the Dolomites behind but with plenty of fine sights to see ahead. We knew the drive south would be around 3hrs 15 upwards without stops but we definitely wanted to check out at least one interesting place we hadn't yet discovered in our many visits to Italy. That ruled out Lake Garda (which we have visited several times and most recently only 18 months ago), Trento (beautiful town) and Verona which we'd also re-visited recently. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...635c2f0ea4.jpg Beautiful facades in Trento Somewhere a little smaller, quieter and easier to access appealed (rather than negotiating a big city) and as we love walled towns/cities, I'd spotted Montagnana near Padua.This is one of several, small medieval towns in the Veneto. Montagnana Around 3hrs later, on good fast roads, we reached this quite stunning walled town, parking easily and for free on the almost deserted streets outside the walls.The whole place was just super quiet and definitely felt well off the beaten track. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...681ccafb88.jpg One of four, 14th century entrance gates It was a superb stop for a couple of hours, the walls absolutely wonderful.It lived up to its billing as 'one of the most intact and best preserved medieval fortified complexes in the world.' We strolled through one of Montagnana’s 4 grand gates, the Porta Padua and entered a world of quiet streets with some beautiful medieval buildings. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecb8059444.jpg Pastel coloured buildings in the main piazza https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f26d8e6858.jpg Piazza Duomo Bought tickets to climb up one of 24 towers which gave a fine view over the rooftops and the 2km ring of walls. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...731f1b908a.jpg Red roofs... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7db782d772.jpg Then a wander back to the main piazza, a lovely, quiet space overlooked by the Duomo. Had coffees and a pasta dish for me with Chris opting for the area's famed Prosciutto. Then pistachio ice creams for us both. We tried our terrible, stilted Italian out in the cafe/restaurant as the girl serving had very little English but with goodwill between the three of us, the various transactions happened successfully! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a1ce82ffa4.jpg Time for coffee and a bite to eat https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f9e5ef9254.jpg Lovely medieval buildings Onwards to Venice, or rather our Airbnb just outside it as we had a very early flight home and wanted to be close to Marco Polo airport. Just ok accommodation , acceptable , safe parking in the grounds of the villa and very practical with buses to Venice just a short walk away. We have visited Venice( usually staying in the city) quite a few times so this was just a day of largely unplanned wandering and sailing up and down the Grand Canal! The bus to Piazzale Roma took about 30 mins and was very cheap and also quite busy. Chris had bought online, a day ticket for the vaporetto (25 euros each I think) and this was a great buy as we hopped on and off the boats all the time. It was still very hot in Venice so the boats cut our walking time quite a bit.Travelling up and down the Grand Canal so often was also a treat in itself. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e5bd3a95c9.jpg San Giorgio from the vaporetto Initially, we stopped in Dorsoduro at Zattere, an area and walkway we really love. Then a wander round for an up close look at the grandeur of Santa Maria della Salute. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d43b7050c8.jpg Santa Maria della Salute - built after the plague which hit the city There are charming little canals in the area until finally we were back at the Grand Canal and I was immediately lured by a canal-side table for coffees at Bar Foscarini. We just sat here for ages, admiring it all (subsequent reviews of this bar I discovered are not good for food.) The location was wonderful, near the Accademia bridge and a vaporetto stop.There was a young gondolier preparing his beautiful craft right next to us, getting ready to take a couple on their journey through the canals. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...502ff2e13a.jpg Bar Foscarini, Accademia district https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...73bf23b6c7.jpg View from the bar A vaporetto took us down to San Marco where we joined the crowds admiring the amazing Basilica and Doge's Palace. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7bc7a85a04.jpg Truly astonishing architecture...Doge's Palace https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb74219476.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...addd4fd53e.jpg Basilica San Marco frontage I'd bought tickets for the Campanile San Marco online, letting us slip past the queues and we were soon whisked up by lift (thank goodness, no stairs!) to the top of the bell tower. The views were stunning! Somehow, we had skipped this fantastic place on previous visits. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...30acb9b942.jpg Looking over the Doges Palace https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...89ad13c643.jpg San Giorgio Maggiore https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c580e4a8b3.jpg Towards Santa Maria della Salute and Dorsoduro https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e39b26615.jpg Stunning Santa Maria again... From our lofty perch, I spied the distinctive church of Santa Giovanni e Paolo , the city’s largest church and decided to make our way there. A vaporetto took us down to Castello (we had a good city map with us and had plotted the route) with great views of the Doges Palace again... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f2483e658.jpg The vaporetto gave wonderful views We now realised we were pretty hungry! The Castello area felt so quiet and peaceful after the crowds of San Marco, it was a bit of a relief. After a stroll, we found a lovely little restaurant, Da Paolo, with a shaded outside terrace overlooking the handsome Castello itself. This area was once the shipyard of Venice. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aabed5162b.jpg Da Paolo restaurant in Castello Loved this lunch, really good. Shared an Octopus Salad, then another trusty favourite for me, pasta with tomatoes, basil and pecorino; steak and chips for Chris with a glass of decent red. Sparkling water for myself or I'd never make it through the rest of the afternoon! Then tiramisu for dessert; Chris had an unusual lemon boule dotted with tiny pieces of meringue. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e5b4082699.jpg Checking the guide book at Da Paolo After an explore of this lovely corner of Venice, we wandered through a maze of streets and we finally found Santa Giovanni e Paolo.The building adjacent to it is now the city's hospital and of a very different architectural style. I think that juxtaposition is what I've always liked about this collection of buildings. Stunning interior too. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8e30cb3855.jpg Giovanni e Paolo https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...85a17e12ca.jpg The piazza beside the church A short walk took us into Cannaregio district and past another favourite, Santa Maria dei Miracoli – the marble church - quite gorgeous and surrounded by a canal and gondolas.Just wonderful. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc49e9ac7a.jpg Canal alongside the marble church Finally, we bought tickets for Ca D'Oro, the stunning palace on the Grand Canal which is one of the most beautiful. Sadly, the upper floor was closed so our visit this time was confined to the ground floor with views through the tracery windows to the turquoise water outside. It’s quite pricey for essentially just the one room but I had a real wish to see it again. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...903ab0df55.jpg The elegant Ca D'oro Palace https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c7caef11db.jpg Mosaic floor and walls And that was our day in Venice. Always amazing and worth the crowds! A last stop off at Bar Foscarini where we luckily got our canal-side table of earlier. Campari for Chris and a final gaze at this most unique of places. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3a29d8619.jpg Drinks again on the Grand Canal A final look at 'our' bar as we took a vaporetto back to the bus station... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...48cca61260.jpg 'Our' bar on the Grand Canal What a fantastic trip it had been. Bye bye Italy - or, as I should say, Arrivederci Italia. We will, all things being equal, return soon to enjoy your many wonders. |
Fantastic trip, and fantastic report, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for this great report and photos. I always like to read about Italy!
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What a wonderful trip, and a great discovery in Montagnana (wasnt familiar with it at all). And photos of Venice are always welcome - very therapeutic!
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Thank you all, for reading to the end and for kind words!
PJTravels - yes, Italy is quite the place! |
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