Originally Posted by
calittlemac
After ending a cruise in Venice in mid-August, we want to spend a few days exploring the Dolomites. I'd appreciate any suggestions about places to stay, especially the advisability of either Merano or Bolzano.
Best regards.
Bolzano is considered by some to be the best city in Italy. The OECD and other rating groups has had it right behind Trento, a nearby city, as second best overall in livability, and in things just working well and being organized. The Alto Adige/Sud Tirol is gorgeous, and Bolzano in particular is a place that ranks towards the top in quality of life. If you like the outdoors but are not a hiker, there are three chair lifts that will take you up to three different mountains. The Colle one is the first chair lift in the world. I don't know exactly when you'll be there, but there is also a great wine festival. I don't remember the name, calci silva, or something like that. Alto-Adige is semi-autonomous from Italy. It doesn't have to send a lot of its money to Rome, as do most other places, so it is rich and different. It's a mixture of German, the small local Ladino culture, and Italian. Bolzano is considered the jewel of the region. I haven't been to Merano, but I believe it's more German, much smaller, more famous for health spas, not the highest functioning city in Italy.