Last weekend I spent a few days in beautiful South Tyrol. I didn't know what to expect and was more than surprised: first of all, driving up the mountains in serpentines with the most amazing views of the Dolomites, the most beautiful snow and an absolutely stunning landscape with beautiful sunsets. I've never been to the Dolomites before, at least I can't remember, but I'm so blown away that it won't be the last time. Everything was just right!

Today I would like to share my trip with you, as I can imagine that you will also get a taste for it after reading this article. I found my time there so relaxing, the locals really nice and the ski resorts very pleasant because they weren't so crowded. And if you're from southern Germany, it's even better because it's really not that far to get there. Somehow I never had South Tyrol on my screen in winter, only in summer as a hiking and wine region. Maybe you feel the same way, so I'd be happy to write a report with new perspectives for you:

The journey

So where are we going today? We are going to Obereggen in the beautiful South Tyrol in the Eggental valley. The journey is via the Brenner Pass, a mountain pass on the highway. On the way you need a vignette for the Austrian highways and then you have to pay another toll for the Brenner Pass and the Italian highway. A vignette costs €11, the Brenner toll as well and the highway toll was only a few euros. I always buy the vignette online from Adac beforehand, then it's already done and you don't have an annoying sticky vignette on the windshield that you have to scratch off later. You then pay the Brenner toll and highway toll directly at the counter on the highway by card or cash. If you put on some good music, you can simply enjoy the drive through the mountains and look forward to your time there. Now you're prepared, you're ready to go.

The hotel

I stayed for four days at the Kräuerhotel Zischghof, a five-star hotel right in the mountains. Room prices start at €120 per person including half board, which means breakfast and a five-course dinner are included. Breakfast includes everything you could wish for and you can choose between two dishes for dinner. I also liked the fact that you had an assigned “family table” so that you could quickly arrive and feel at home. My first encounter at the hotel was with a cute cat who was relaxing in the foyer - another plus point for me as a pet lover. The hotel has a very informal atmosphere and we were warmly welcomed by the hotel owners, who always take a lot of time for their guests. The rooms are totally beautiful and open-plan with lots of Swiss stone pine and high-quality furnishings. The Swiss stone pine water is already waiting for you in your room, the best drinking water from the Gerold spring and - very importantly - bathrobes and towels for the sauna.

The view from the balcony couldn't have been better and I first took a seat in a deck chair and enjoyed it. Everything was totally clean and lovingly decorated, the beds with a view outside were comfortable and I felt well looked after all round. If I'm going into raptures like this, I should emphasize that I'm writing these articles here of my own free will. I just want to give you the opportunity to have as good a time as I did and I'm happy to pass on good tips.

The hotel also has a fragrant herb room made of Swiss stone pine, where workshops and yoga sessions are held. A weekly program is created and presented at dinner. In-house products, such as soaps and stone pine cushions, can also be purchased. There is also a beautiful panoramic swimming pool with sun loungers and a sauna area. In addition to the panoramic sauna with a view of the mountains, there is also a steam bath and a bio sauna. The relaxation area is beautifully designed and has various lovingly decorated rooms and retreats, including a deckchair swing, deckchairs, beds and cozy blankets. I didn't miss the opportunity to spend every evening here after skiing and dinner.

The hotel is in a great location, as it's just a few minutes' walk to the ski lift or alternatively you can take the shuttle down. You can store your boots in the drying room and your equipment in the ski room. And if you want, you can take the hotel shuttle to the ski lift in a few minutes. Oh yes, and there is also a children's playroom and a bar with a lounge for playing cards and sitting together in the evenings. I particularly liked the foyer on the second floor with furs and high ceilings, also the favorite area of the house cat it seems.

Rent skis

We left our skis at home and rented skis on site instead. We went to Siegfried Ski Hire, right by the valley station in Obereggen. We were able to leave our equipment in a ski depot at the valley station. It was the first time I had tried this and I found it more than convenient. A small box costs €10, a large one €18. I can recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to trudge to the slopes in their ski boots in the morning or who wants to go to a restaurant after skiing without any superfluous equipment. The advice was very good and the other skis have given me such a taste for them that I will probably replace my really old skis now. Skiing was so much more fun with the right equipment.

The ski areas

There are several ski areas in the Obereggen area. This means that you don't always have to ski in the same area, but can also try out different ones. We were in Obereggen itself on the first and second day, in Carezza on the third and in Obereggen again on the last day, although we went further in, as far as Pampeago. We had the advantage of having the Dolomiti Superski pass, which meant we could move around freely as we pleased.

Latemar ski area

First of all, I must emphasize that I have now become an absolute fan of this ski area. The slopes were perfectly groomed and there was always enough space to ski because it wasn't overcrowded. The slopes were varied, the views magnificent, the lifts cool (no drag lifts - a big plus for me) and it's very spacious! There are also some really nice huts, including my new favorite: Berghütte Oberholz. But now slowly again. I've linked a map of the slopes so you can follow me.

As our hotel was based in Obereggen, we took the chairlift or gondola up from the Obereggen valley station. On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, you can ski at night on a beautiful slope until 10 pm. That was a great start for us on Friday and also a first for me. Everything was totally well lit and the atmosphere was great.

The ski area has a wide selection of blue to black slopes and you'll be really busy until you've explored everything. There are also plenty of huts and I was absolutely thrilled by the Oberholz mountain hut, which is situated at an altitude of around 2096m. It is an architectural masterpiece, both on the outside and the inside. And the food was so good! I had a really good Kaiserschmarren and enjoyed the sun and the view of the mountains on the terrace. If you want to sit inside at lunchtime, you should definitely make a reservation. In our case, everything was fully booked from 12:30 to 14:30.

Another highlight for me was the lift up to the Maierlalm at around 2170m. This lift alone is like watching a movie. You ride up to the impressive Latemar mountain group with its rugged high rocks and simply have an impressive view. And when you reach the top, you stand right in front of it and can't stop being amazed. You can also see the lines that ski tourers have drawn and just wonder how they got up there. We weren't the only ones to experience this, which is why there is always a crowd of people taking photos after the lift as vacation memories. We often took the lift just for the view - no kidding. For me, an absolute recommendation!

On the last day, we skied further into the ski area towards Pampeago and Predazzo, which is on the other side of the mountain. If you take a look at the map of the Latemar ski area, you'll see how far the ski area actually stretches. We definitely didn't get bored. And there are also a few more challenging black pistes in this corner. The “Torre dei Pisa”, for example, has a gradient of 59% and is only recommended for experienced skiers. Here, too, the mountain panorama was very impressive and you could see the 3000-metre mountains for miles around. I couldn't stop taking photos.

To summarize: I can absolutely recommend the Latemar ski area from Obereggen and would definitely like to go skiing there again! A big recommendation!

Carezza ski resort

We then spent another day testing out the Carezza ski area. From Obereggen you could take the ski bus to Welschnofen, which takes about 1.25 hours and you have to change twice. Alternatively, you can get there by car, which takes about 17 minutes. However, you should get there early, probably by 10:30 am at the latest, as the free parking lot at the valley station is very small and therefore fills up quickly. The ski bus also arrives there and it only takes a few minutes to get to the valley station from there. You take the gondola up in comfort and are impressed by the fantastic panorama. You are standing in the Dolomites and can see the entire Alpine chain in the distance. From there, you can continue into the ski area or alternatively continue up to the König Laurin hut, a panoramic hut.

If you choose the route further into the ski area, you will find many easy slopes and a fun park laid out over a long stretch. This means that there are always little gimmicks, such as little men to high-five, small tunnels to drive through or fun parks with jumps and hills. This is certainly particularly exciting for children. There are also lots of single-disc drag lifts, which I found very relaxing as the course was well prepared and you had a beautiful view. Along the way, we also noticed a lot of houses right next to the slopes, which you can probably rent as a vacationer. I think that this ski area will be particularly interesting for families, as it wasn't overcrowded, the atmosphere was quiet and the slopes are mostly easy to ski. The proportion of blue slopes is higher than in the Latemar ski area, where there are mainly more red and also black slopes.

I had lunch at the Franzin Alm. I think I have a good knack for stylish locations, because this hut was also totally modern, cozy inside and the food was really great. I've never eaten such beautifully prepared beetroot tortelloni. So I can absolutely recommend it! This time we had no problem getting a seat and there were still a few tables inside. However, we opted again for the sun terrace with its beautiful view.

After exploring this part, we drove up to Laurins Lounge. At approx. 2337m, the altitude here is higher than in Latemar and the term “panoramic hut” is absolutely correct. The Kölner Hütte is located above the lounge with a great terrace and sun loungers. You take a gondola up here and arrive at an underground mountain station. This means that the station is integrated into the mountain and has been beautifully designed. There are very modern shapes, a stylish escalator and blue and red LED lights that aesthetically illuminate the concrete walls. From the top, two black slopes lead down into the valley - King Laurin I and II. If you don't want to ski these because they are a bit steeper and more challenging, you can simply take the gondola back down. I can definitely recommend going up there and enjoying the view. I also thought the piste was great to ride and fantastic because you're always heading towards the Alpine chain. We then skied all the way down from there and completed the “King Laurin Challenge”. This means you can ride from the top to the bottom to Welschnofen in one go. On the way down to the valley, there is a speed check and you can measure your speed. This is certainly particularly exciting for children.

Our day of skiing in Carezza was also an absolute success and I can also highly recommend this ski area. However, I think that younger people and people who are looking for more challenging slopes and more options are better off in Latemar and families and beginners are very well catered for in Carezza. It's quiet there and you can also stay in accommodation right on the slopes.

Hiking at Lake Carezza

On the way back after more than three days of skiing, we went to Lake Carezza, as it wasn't that far away from us. The first thing that comes to mind is the bitter cold again, as it was almost -8°C, and the second is the great view and the great atmosphere at 1600m above sea level. The lake is relatively small and was now frozen and snow-covered in winter. You can hike once around the lake. I would definitely recommend sturdy shoes for this, if not hiking boots to get a better foothold. The parking lot was chargeable and from there you also had another great view of the Alps. I particularly enjoyed watching the sunset from Lake Carezza. So an absolute recommendation!

Conclusion

So, that's it for the four-day trip to South Tyrol. I hope you can take something away from this article and maybe it will help you plan your next vacation there. If you have any questions, feel free to write them in the comments below the article. I'm just happy if I can make it a little easier for you to have a good time there too. South Tyrol is really great and you can really switch off and relax there. The Dolomites with their high mountain peaks and rocks are absolutely captivating and anyone who has been there once will certainly come back a second time - at least.