There is something for everyone in Vinschgau - families, couples, singles, dogs, cats - especially for those with a love for the out-of-doors..and speck (ham). If you are afraid of heights, hate the sight of fruit trees, or simply must have a steady intake of [insert modern, processed object here], well, here may not be the dream vacation spot. The mentality here is bit like the Carolinas - these good mountain folk just want to be on their own, outsiders. But the smart ones know the benefits of belonging to a larger country, mainly education.

Here’s a video slideshow of our trip, as a present to Alex from his parents for earning his Doktor-Ing. Google reduced the quality, but also our camera couldn’t take the intense sunshine or we’re just unskilled, hobby photographers. One day, I’ll learn to edit better. But with this digital age, I’ve forgotten how to be more choosy. Enjoy.

Signs, Signs

Occasionally, you’ll find a few info signs written with a bit of English text, but one thing is for sure, every thing is written twice - in German or Italian. As we drove along, the languages on signs would flip-flop between villages. We figured if Italian was written on top, then Italian was the majority language for this particular village. In Kastellbell, where we stayed, German was on top. But it’s not like the German I know: ein bissel is süddtirolish for ein bisschen or a little.

Maxing the Mountains

Mountain biking here is insane. The day after we arrived, we attempted to ride up to St. Martin, an elevation difference of 1200 meters. I’m an out-of-shape flatlander, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from victory. But we didn’t make it. Blast the sun and somewhere an hour or so into the trek we realized we didn’t have any money with us. I was demoralized at the thought of having no beer at the summit. Good thing my bike is a dream, but demanded way more skill than I could muster. On the downhill trail, I fell off my bike because my tire got stuck on a pinecone. Geesus. A pinecone! Mr. Cube forgave me and luckily I live to tell the tale.

Alex had some really ambitious (he’ll hate that I said this because he things ambition is a negative word) biking plans that I went along with, with reservation. He’s awesome with the uphill battles where as I struggle with the lowest gear settings. There is some wacky coordination one must develop with peddling up hill or you’ll quickly tire yourself out. Oh but it was worth it to ride to Reschensee and back even if it took 8 hours and major butt pain. The car ride is only a tenth as beautiful.

Apfel Paradies

Miles and miles of apple orchards and none of them were for a’pluckin. My stomach growled for just a bite. The apples that were available for breakfast were crisp, juicy, and had no waxy feel on the skin. The Opa, owner of the hotel, explained that apple farmers don’t add wax to apples, rather apples produce the wax on their own as they age. I’m not sure if that’s true. So I took a fresh, wax-free, breakfast apple and I’m waiting to see if it produces wax. But farmers do gas their apples and we got to taste it as we rode past an orchard. *gasp* *pee-uuu* I got my yearly intake of pesticide in just 3 seconds.

Accommodations

We stayed at Bauhof, a three star hotel. It’s three stars because of the amenities they offer like a swimming pool, sauna, massage, etc. But if you don’t use these things I’d imagine any place in Vinschgau would be a pleasant stay because of the close-knit, family atmosphere and the fact that tourism is key here. The hotel is situated between to the main road and the S-bahn. Noise is not too bad because the straight flowing Etsch River blocks most of the sound. All rooms have breakfast included and for seven Euros more per night, per person, a five-course dinner is served at 6:30 pm. We weren’t used to so much food for 7 evenings straight and the quality is a just above cafeteria style. This is perfect for families and non-adventures taste buds who want a mix of continental and regional cuisine. If you like dinner time to be flexible, don’t eat as much in the evening, or don’t mind driving/riding outside of Kastelbell, I’d recommend evenings out in other restaurants that specialize in serving the regional cuisine.

Tags: hotels, Kastellbell, Mountain biking, video, Vinschgau