South Tyrolean Wine Road
The South Tyrolean Wine Route winds through the Bassa Atesina/Unterland among vineyards, historic villages and Lake Caldaro, from...
Updated 20 July 2026
South Tyrolean Wine Road
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The story
The story of South Tyrolean Wine Road
Geography and location
The South Tyrolean Wine Route runs through the Bassa Atesina/Unterland, the southern part of the province of Bolzano, along the Adige valley between the foothills of the Dolomites and the Mendola massif. The classic itinerary links Nalles and Andriano, north of Bolzano, with Salorno, the southernmost German-speaking municipality before the border with Trentino, passing through Appiano, Caldaro, Termeno, Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, Egna, Montagna and Cortaccia. The valley floor, crossed by the Adige river and the Brenner railway, is flanked by terraced slopes planted with vines up to several hundred metres in altitude, in a mild microclimate favoured by the surrounding mountains.
History and identity
Officially established in 1964, the South Tyrolean Wine Route is Italy's oldest wine road, though winegrowing in the area dates back to Rhaetian and Roman times and was preserved over the centuries by monasteries and farming families. The territory reflects South Tyrol's bilingual identity, with Italian and German place names coexisting in the official names of municipalities, such as Caldaro/Kaltern and Termeno/Tramin. According to a tradition widely held among ampelographers, it was in Termeno that the Gewürztraminer grape variety originated, its name directly recalling the village.
Landscape and nature
The landscape is dominated by rows of vines trained on terraces and pergolas, interspersed with apple orchards, hillside woods and outcrops of limestone and porphyry rock. Lake Caldaro, one of the warmest lakes in the Alps thanks to its shallow depth, offers summer swimming and shaded paths along its shores. To the west, the Mendola pass and the Roen massif frame the valley with forests and panoramic viewpoints reachable by cable car from Caldaro, while to the east the first Dolomite outcrops of the Catinaccio group appear, creating striking contrasts between rock faces and vineyard expanses.
Villages and places to see
Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, with its historic core and closeness to the lake, is one of the most visited villages; Termeno sulla Strada del Vino retains a medieval layout with arcaded houses and a parish church with a Gothic bell tower. Appiano sulla Strada del Vino is actually a municipality spread across several hamlets, including San Michele, Cornaiano and Missiano, with castles such as Castel d'Appiano among the most striking in the area. Egna stands out for its Renaissance arcaded square, among the best preserved in South Tyrol, while Salorno, with its castle and position at the valley's southern gateway, symbolically marks the linguistic border with Trentino.
Food, wine and traditions
The area is the cradle of grape varieties symbolic of South Tyrol: Gewürztraminer from Termeno, Schiava (Vernatsch) traditionally grown around Lake Caldaro, alongside Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Lagrein. Numerous wineries, cooperatives and family-run farms offer tastings along the entire route, often paired with traditional South Tyrolean farmhouse dishes such as canederli dumplings, speck and strudel. Harvest festivals and young-wine celebrations, together with markets in the historic centres, punctuate the local calendar, especially between late summer and autumn.
Not to be missed
- Lake Caldaro and the scenic paths along its shores
- Termeno's historic center, birthplace of the Gewürztraminer grape
- Castel d'Appiano and the castles scattered among Appiano's hamlets
- Egna's arcaded Renaissance square
- Salorno's castle and the linguistic border it marks
To see
What to see in South Tyrolean Wine Road
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