Alto Adige or Südtirol is a special place located in the north of Italy, not far away from Austria and Germany. Many tourists come here for summer vacations and you can easily switch between Italian, English and German here. But tourism is not the only reason why in this region most names are not only in Italian but also in German. Continue reading “Alto Adige Autonomous”
Tappeinerweg
Franz Tappeiner was an Austrian doctor and botanist who studied in Padua, Praha and Wien. He settled in Merano in 1846, worked as a doctor and described 6000 plants. He is still well remembered as he created the Tappeinerweg, a 6 kilometers long promenade from Merano up the hill to Dorf Tirol. Continue reading “Tappeinerweg”
Schloß Tirol
The Castel Tirolo dates back to the year 1100 and is located close to Dorf Tirol near Merano in Italy. It is very well preserved and contains a museum about the history of Alto Adige nowadays. It was the main castle of the nobility of Tirol until the seat moved to Innsbruck (today belonging to Austria) in the 15th century. Continue reading “Schloß Tirol”
Once again in Dorf Tirol
What to do in summer time? For my parents the answer was quite easy: they went with us every year to the same flat in the same building (“Haus Windisch“) in Dorf Tirol, Italy. For them it was a great idea because they knew this place well and nearly everybody speaks German – and we didn’t care for seeing other parts of the world. Continue reading “Once again in Dorf Tirol”
Christmas market at the Passirio
In Merano, Italy the river Passiro runs into river Adige and at its river bank there is a beautiful Christmas market every year. This section of the town is lighted with thousands of lights and you can get mulled wine, sausages and different crafted products. Continue reading “Christmas market at the Passirio”
Eisdiele Sabine
The Eisdiele Sabine in Dorf Tirol, Italy is the most important ice cream parlor of my childhood. It is located in Merano and there is a branch in Dorf Tirol which we visited frequently on our yearly trips to Alto Adige. Continue reading “Eisdiele Sabine”
Brennero
The Passo del Brennero as an important gateway through the alps and separates Austria from Italy. Many cars take this way each summer and it is also the route for the railway connecting München to Bolzano by crossing Austria. It belongs to the eastern alps and the Brennero itself is 1370 meters high. Continue reading “Brennero”
The real Japan
I came to Japan first in 2008 for a scientific conference in Tōkyō – and immediately fell in love with this country. It was fascinating to see all these big differences in culture. Therefore I decided to return – but instead of going back to the capital I chose Kyōto as a destination and I wasn’t disappointed. Continue reading “The real Japan”
Kurama fire festival
The Kurama no Hi-Matsuri or Kurama fire festival is a smaller festival in Kyōto, Japan – but still attracting lots of visitors. The people of the village Kurama ignite fires close to their houses at 6pm and 250 burning torches are carried through the streets – smaller ones by children, bigger ones by men; all traditionally dressed. Continue reading “Kurama fire festival”
Spicy curry
Well, yes, the CoCo Ichibanya or CoCo Curry house is a nation-wide fastfood chain. One that I discovered in Kyōto, Japan and simply walked in to easily order some food. If you never found out that besides sushi there is also a curry tradition, try it out – Japanese curry tastes absolutely great!
Continue reading “Spicy curry”