Winter family vacation in South Tyrol - what and why we love it so much

Our Kleine Prints founder was at the turn of the year 2018/2019 Eva Malawska with her friend Nils and the common one Daughter Lotta for the fourth time on a winter holiday in South Tyrol. As every year, Eva came back to the office very happy from this holiday and this time used the mood and the opportunity to write down for you what exactly she loves so much about the South Tyrol holidays:

Family vacation in South Tyrol - why we love it

As I said, we were on our winter holiday in South Tyrol for the fourth year in a row. The first two times we were in Vinschgau, the two most recent times in the Bozen / Meran area. Basically, I totally love the mountains anyway. What I and we as a family particularly like about South Tyrol is the, in my opinion, absolutely unique mixture of alpine culture and Mediterranean flair. You have fantastic snow and palm trees grow next to the ski slope - something like that! Incidentally, these different facets can also be found in the local language: Part of the population are Italian native speakers, another (the largest) German.

Warm hosts in South Tyrol

This year we lived on a really great farm in Avelengo - at the Pichlerhof with the incredibly warm couple Georg and Magdalena Egger. I cannot put into words how nice our hosts were, absolutely kind-hearted people who exude an enormous calm and satisfaction. Lotta was in the stable every day and helped and the farmer Georg was so committed and took time for her, answered all her questions, etc. Lotta has become the biggest Bauer Georg fan ever. During our stay at the Pichlerhof, a calf was even born, which Lotta was allowed to name. Since the calves always start with the first letter of the mother cow and this was called Maya, Lotta decided on the name Mimi. It was all very exciting and great for her. At the end of the vacation, farmer Georg was even allowed to write in Lotta's friend book and "of course" he and Magdalena got a picture of Lotta (see photo). Just cute, Lotta and her farmer Georg. For last-minute travelers: with a little luck, you can still get short-term accommodation on this great farm. So if you can still use a wonderful family break this winter, you can just report there and try it! (Advertising, purely for reasons of the heart.)

Family vacation in South Tyrol: great activities away from the slopes

It's clear that you can do great winter sports in South Tyrol. The ski area near Hafling is pleasantly small, there is a top toboggan run and a summer toboggan run. But this Alpine region also has a lot to offer away from the slopes. That's important to me because I don't ski or snowboard. Nils (and recently Lotta too!) Goes snowboarding, but not every day and not in every weather. So we always need a few alternatives ... In Hafling, our holiday home town, from which the horse breed named after the place comes from, there are of course a riding stablewho also offers riding lessons and rides. A ride costs 15 euros and of course Lotta absolutely loves it there!

Shopping, feasting, walking in Merano & Bozen

Meran is a really beautiful small town, which has a cozy Christmas market and a super great thermal bath, which we visit regularly when we are there. My absolute favorite shop there is Pure South Tyrol, a specialty shop with goods from the region, where you can not only shop, but also eat very well! (I am the Head foodie to the power of ten, if you don't already know it, hehe. I could just get into good food.) In Merano there is always a great flea market where you can find special things. There is also a very nice promenade and the city is simply very picturesque and beautiful to look at - you always have the feeling that Empress Sisi is about to walk around the corner.

Posh, but sooo beautiful!

What I always have to ignore for myself is that the area is also relatively snobby because there are a lot of wealthy people there. I just like the flair of the area - I try to ignore what I don't like and what is too snobby. I always like to focus on the positive things in life. Incidentally, this is also very recommendable Hotel Miramonti. Maybe not necessarily to stay overnight (depending on how much you want to spend, hehe), but definitely to have a coffee. The view of Merano is simply unbeatable, we were there twice this holiday. The hotel itself is very, very nice, but also relatively expensive and maybe not everyone's and every woman's thing in terms of clientele, nech. Bolzano is also a very beautiful city and has a lot to offer; including the great "Ötzi Museum" (South Tyrol Museum of Archeology), which is also very interesting for children, and also a "Pur Südtirol" shop. I don't have more to report about Bolzano, as we've always been more in and around Merano. But I am sure: there is also an incredible amount of beautiful things to discover in Bolzano!

Conclusion: always family holidays in South Tyrol!

Maybe my little report made you want to go to South Tyrol once or again. If that is the case, say hello to farmer Georg and his warm wife Magdalena from us. In any case, one thing is certain: South Tyrol, we'll be back!

Capture your favorite holiday moments

At Kleine Prints there are of course not only wonderful stories about the photo-loving vacation and everyday life with children - but also uniquely beautiful, clearly designed photo products for children and families! In our Photo book for children Do you capture the favorite moments of your little sunshine in a really child-friendly way. Discover the photo book and our other stylish products right away on our website. We look forward to you! PS: For more great stories and a 10% welcome discount, simply subscribe to our great newsletter, the Kleine Sonntagspost.



Photo credit: All images in this post are from Nils Elsner.