Trentino-Alto Adige is a region located in northern Italy. It consists of聽two provinces, Bolzano and Trento. It had once been聽part of Hungary-Austria and, before that,聽of the Austrian Empire, in the olden times. It had remained a part of the empire from 1389 until聽1919 when it was annexed to Italy. Along with the state of Tyrol in Austria, the region represents the South Tyrol-Euroregion Tyrol.
Trentino-Alto Adige borders with聽Austria to聽the north, with聽Switzerland to the聽north-west, with the region of Lombardy to the west and that of Veneto to the south and the east.聽It is spread over an area of 13,607 sq km and the landscape of the region is typically Alpine. Here, the Alps take their most famous name, Dolomites.聽The economy of the region is based mainly on agriculture,聽cattle breeding and on a few industries, like paper. The region is known for its fertile land, which聽produces good quality fruits and dairy products.
Typical Products
The region of Trentino-Alto Adige is known for its excellent regional cuisine,聽made from several typical products, hence it comes as no surprise that shopping in the region is mainly based on food products.
Biroldi con crauti are typical blood sausages filled with pine nuts, walnuts and chestnuts, and 聽flavored with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The most popular cheese produced in the region is聽Asiago cheese which is also more popularly known as Pressato cheese. There are two forms of Asiago available, fresh and mature. Fresh Asiago 聽is mild in flavor and has an off-white color, while聽matured cheese is grainy and has a yellowish color.
Another typical product of the region is speck, 聽boned pork ham聽seasoned,聽then smoked and aged according to local traditions. Trentino Alto-Adige also offers a variety of sausages and salamis like baldonazzi, carne salata, coiga, kaminwurz and lardo.
Outdoor Markets
In Italy, the best way to shop for produce and local products聽is聽visiting some of the open air markets taking place regularly everywhere in the country. If you’re after antiques, pretty knick-knacks or vintage clothing, then you should check out聽flea markets, which are also common. Bolzano holds markets in more than one day of the week, but changing location every day. Its main market, however, is usually held on Saturdays. Vipiteno has markets on聽Wednesdays and Fridays, 补苍诲听Trento have large ones on聽Saturdays, in and around Piazza Garzetti聽(particularly appreciated among collectors)聽and Thursdays in Piazza Fiera 补苍诲听Piazza Duomo: 聽this market聽has a large number of vendors selling antiques and collectibles.
The town of Levico Terme offers a large and interesting antique market on the first Sunday of every month, in聽Piazza Venezia. More than 100 vendors participate each time: on their stalls you’ll be able to find聽a large variety of antiques and collectibles like old coins, military objects, ancient maps聽and stamps.
Shopping in Bolzano
Bolzano remains one of Trentino Alto-Adige best shopping hubs. It is a large town, as well as a known tourist destination and, when it comes to shopping, it really shows.聽In Bolzano,聽every district has its own streets and shopping areas. However, the聽main shopping area is its聽historical center. In Bolzano the beautiful Thun ceramic sculpture are made. There are also many Italian and Tyrolean fashion labels in the city.
One of the most popular shopping street in Trentino Alto-Adige聽is Arcades Lauben in Bolzano. This beautiful street is lined on both sides with many international and Italian chains of stores selling fashion clothes, accessories and other items. Near the Walther Square is the Greif Center which is a luxurious and a very modern shopping gallery where visitors are able to find almost anything. In聽Dr Streiter Lane聽shoppers will find more traditional stores.
As mentioned above,聽Saturday is Bolzano’s main market day, but you can find fruit and vegetable markets each day of the week in town.
When speaking of聽Bolzano and markets, however, thoughts run immediately to its world known Christmas Market.聽Every year, usually from the end of November for about one month,聽Walther Square is home to the most charming and famous Christmas fair of them all: more than 80 stands, all rigorously selling Christmas things, where you will聽find the best trinkets, foods and craft objects for your presents.聽Always in Bolzano, you can聽check out聽the聽笔补濒补颈蝉听颁补尘辫辞蹿谤补苍肠辞 Christmas market, known as Winterwald.聽There are several other such smaller Christmas markets in the city in all areas.
Shopping in Trento
Trento is another important city in the region which is known for its shopping streets and lively markets.
Apart from the antique and handicraft markets that take place every month in the city, there are also weekly food markets worth visiting. These markets are still very traditional in nature and are colorful and very busy at all times of the day. Visitors can聽find fresh fruits and vegetables,聽meats, salamis, sausages, cold cuts and various other food items.
The older section of the city has various small shops selling聽antiques from the region, though some of these might be very costly if they are authentic. Traditional handicrafts, pottery, ceramics are also available at a lot of stores in the same area.
One of the best things to purchase in Trento is wine. The region is known for its many vineyards and local wines.聽Wine shops in the city have a good collection of wines and spirits, including聽grappa, which is the region’s best known spirit.
In Trentino Alto-Adige, there is plenty to see and do: art, landscape, good food, all offer to visitors plenty of opportunities for fun and entertainement. And when you get tired of walking in the Alps or eating delicious things, you can always dedicate a couple of hours to shop around the region’s many lovely stores and markets. Even this will be an unforgettable experience!
