The province of Trentino- Alto Adige is a world away from Venice and its great plain. It feels like Austria, has a special autonomous statute and is largely German-speaking. Owners and staff of the Alpine hotels you will find in its mountains may not even speak Italian ... you are more likely to be greeted in German, and they may speak English. Place names are extremely confusing, as each town and village, mountain and valley has both an Italian and German name.

We have given the Italian translation, occasionally referring to the German as well. Hotels are often Tyrolean chalets, with wooden furniture, ceramic stoves, tradi­tional fabrics; the food too, is mainly Austrian: dumplings,  goulash and sauerkraut feature on the simpler menus, while the more sophisticated hotels serve creative variations on the theme. The scenery amongst the Dolomites is breathtakingly beautiful, and there are plenty of activities to pursue both in winter and summer.