Caldaro (Kaltern)

This vineyard village, with clear views of castles high up in the surrounding mountains, represents the centuries of division that forged the unique character of the area. Caldaro architecture is famous for the way it blends Italian Renaissance elements of balance and harmony with the soaring windows and peaked arches of the Germanic Gothic tradition—the church of Santa Caterina, on the main square, is a good example. The warmest bathing lake in the Alps is just 4 km (2½ miles) away.