{"id":47863,"date":"2026-04-13T01:21:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T01:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/47863\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T01:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T01:21:35","slug":"south-tyrol-skiing-the-best-dining-in-the-alps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/47863\/","title":{"rendered":"South Tyrol Skiing: The Best Dining in the Alps"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some of us, lingering over a long lunch when there are blue skies\u00a0and\u00a0more\u00a0runs waiting to be thrashed\u00a0is a\u00a0colossal\u00a0exercise in restraint.\u00a0For others, the lunch is the\u00a0highlight\u00a0and bookings need to be made far in advance. Wherever you sit on the\u00a0fence,\u00a0the gastronomy in the South Tyrol is far from the heavy Alpine staples of potatoes and cheese\u00a0and\u00a0undoubtedly exceeds\u00a0expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0popular\u00a0mountain restaurants I visited in Obereggen and Kronplatz\u00a0are\u00a0not just\u00a0ski\u00a0huts;\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0architectural\u00a0works of art\u00a0with menus that\u00a0proffer\u00a0foodie\u00a0heaven whilst\u00a0remaining\u00a0firmly\u00a0rooted in mountain culture.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Skiing,\"Skiing,<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Oskar Dariz<\/p>\n

The cantilevered\u00a0Oberholz\u00a0hut<\/a> feels like a contemporary wooden stube, serving up colourful kn\u00f6dels garnished with flowers, with a sun-trap terrace and glass gable ends that each frame a different mountain in the distance. The overall scenery in Obereggen <\/a>is\u00a0awesome, right up\u00a0close\u00a0and personal with\u00a0jagged\u00a0dolomite rock faces\u00a0whilst\u00a0you\u00a0cruise\u00a0around\u00a0the undulating\u00a0valleys\u00a0of the low-key resort. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over towards Brunico, or Bruneck \u2013 people are often tri-lingual in the region, speaking German, Italian and local dialect Ladin \u2013 Michelin-starred chef Norbert Niederkofler endeavours to \u201ccook the mountain,\u201d sourcing hyper-locally for his stunning AlpiNN restaurant,<\/a> which sits at 2,275m with floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass and loden wool design touches. Such delicate char ceviche is a rare treat in the mountains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remarkably, there is one more layer of cultural heritage to lure you away from the slopes in Kronplatz, which is well worth a stopover, even for die-hard first to last lifters. The summit features two separate museums, which are open winter and summer \u2013 one focusing on mountain photography and the other on traditional alpinism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Skiing,\"Skiing,<\/p>\n

The LUMEN Museum<\/a>\u00a0is housed in the old cable car station. It tells the story of intrepid pioneers who carted around heavy equipment to capture a single shot, which is hard to imagine these days, though they have a decent collection of old camera gear to reinforce the point. Jumping into the current age, there\u2019s a Red Bull \u2018adrenaline room\u2019 and a mesmerising \u2018room of mirrors\u2019 with looping video walls and kaleidoscopic scenes which blow your mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Skiing,\"Skiing,<\/p>\n

@Skirama<\/p>\n

The Messner Mountain Museum (MMM Corones<\/a>)\u00a0is part of a wider project\u00a0on six sites across\u00a0the South Tyrol\u00a0and\u00a0nearby\u00a0Belluno.\u00a0Designed by Zaha Hadid,\u00a0the space encapsulates\u00a0Messner\u2019s view\u00a0that, \u201ceach mountain in the Dolomites is like a piece of art.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Often regarded as one of the greatest mountaineers in history, Reinhold Messner hails from the South Tyrol and was the first to climb all 8,000m peaks globally and made the first ascent of Mt Everest without oxygen. Wandering through the halls, you are greeted with 250 years of climbing history, through artwork and relics \u2013 pick axes, battered crampons, boots and attachments from lauded expeditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Curator Agathe Fischnaller also brought out a medal from the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, echoing the wider \u2018cultural Olympiad\u2019 happening across Italy thanks to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, uniting art, heritage and sport. \u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0so easy to rock up to a ski resort, ski hard, have a bit of a party\u00a0and head home.\u00a0It took me by surprise how much I enjoyed seeing the mountains through a\u00a0slow tourism lens, and that I could\u00a0actually be\u00a0torn away from\u00a0racking up\u00a0the\u00a0ski miles\u00a0for\u00a0such\u00a0a\u00a0long, lingering moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Skiing,\"Skiing,<\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0not to say we\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0get any skiing in, far from it. With 31 lifts and 121km\u00a0of\u00a0pistes\u00a0at Kronplatz<\/a>, all conveniently linked to the Sella Ronda and Alta Badia on the Domomiti Superski pass<\/a>, we covered a respectable amount of ground. And bombed down the World Cup run Erta, part of the \u2018black five\u2019 most challenging runs in the area, though there is plenty for all abilities. \u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019d\u00a0tend to think of the Dolomites as a week-long holiday\u00a0destination\u00a0but with direct flights from Gatwick to Bolzano in a propellor plane\u00a0with Sky Alps\u00a0twice a week\u00a0(tip \u2013 take noise cancelling headphones),\u00a0you could easily make it into a long weekend too.\u00a0And Bolzano has a beautiful city centre, with a bustling Christmas market in December.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Skiing,\"Skiing,<\/p>\n

We stayed at the charming, family run Hotel Petrus<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Brunico.\u00a0In the fantastic\u00a0spa, with indoor and outdoor pools,\u00a0hay and waterbed\u00a0relaxation\u00a0rooms and\u00a0various saunas, I\u00a0was\u00a0initiated\u00a0into \u2018aufguss\u2019 culture, which if you\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0experienced\u00a0it, is\u00a0unforgettable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the main sauna,\u00a0a topless chap wearing a kilt put on some music and placed snowballs infused with essential oils onto the hot rocks, wafting the steam towards each person in turn.\u00a0Swimwear\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0allowed, although towels for modesty seem okay. The locals are certainly not shy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The evenings\u00a0are\u00a0a quiet affair,\u00a0with drinks around the fire and an outstanding restaurant\u00a0on site, notable for\u00a0the\u00a0friendly service and field-to-table\u00a0ethos befitting the artisans they are.\u00a0The portions are\u00a0just right, no food comas here, and every bite and sip is\u00a0a joy.\u00a0Combining southern ease and a rural sense of tradition, this corner of the South Tyrol has\u00a0mastered the art of\u00a0savouring every moment, not\u00a0just\u00a0racing through it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

@annabelilli<\/a><\/p>\n

suedtirol.info\/en\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

@sued-tirol.official\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n