Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, it obtained the orange flag from the Touring Club. Architectural harmony, integrity of the urban fabric, high quality of the historical and artistic heritage. But also the presence and the guarantee of timely services to the citizen. Liveability that marries cultural and landscape beauty. An almost idyllic balance. But it really exists! Up there, in what is the northernmost city of Italy, lies Vipiteno. A casket in which all the charm of past times is kept.
Sterzing: history pills
Vipiteno is above all a pretty medieval village. What we can observe today is the son of a sumptuous past history. And in this emerges all the sensitivity of having preserved and valued. Arriving here for the first time, an element that acts as a “compass” catches the eye. This is the large civic tower that divides the Old from the New city. Also known as the Tower of the Twelve, it is the emblem of the village and allows you to orient yourself rather easily. Shops and hotels have taken the place of old shops and inns along the Reichstrasse, the main road through the more modern area. However, the obligatory city development has not affected the historical core.
In fact, going beyond the Tower you can breathe all the splendor left by a prosperous past, when Vipiteno knew the wealth of the mining industry. The silver together with the location of the village made the fortune of the city. Located along the most important trade routes, the small settlement immediately proved to be an interesting place. So the landowning Fugger family, originally from Augusta, chose it as a center for sorting products from the nearby mines. Traces of these important traders and bankers still remain today in the homonymous "House of the Fuggers".
The economic impulse brought about such growth so that in the twelfth century Vipiteno obtained the recognition of "City". The village soon became attractive also for emperors and royalty who chose it as their summer residence. This is why castles peek out on the surrounding hills. Immersed in the vegetation they scrutinize with austere air. Among these there is the Castel Tasso, one of the oldest and most historically important strongholds of Trentino. But the grandeur of the past is also preserved in the characteristic houses with bay windows, typical closed or covered projecting balconies. As well as in many cultural institutions. I am an example il museum dedicated to the German carver Hans Multsher as well as the Civico di Vipiteno. Both are housed in the Palace of the Teutonic Order.
Founded in 1241 it was originally a hospice. There are also numerous religious sites, an expression of an intense faith typical of mountain places. Among these, worthy of particular mention is the late Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Marshes.
Relax, fun and good food
In addition to its cultural beauties, Vipiteno is also a sporting city. Ski resorts, ice rinks and toboggan runs. Mountain bike trails and golf courses. For the more reckless there is the Alta Fune Park where you can enjoy adrenaline-pumping experiences between climbing and shaky bridges. Easily accessible by public transport for easy access even during the day. And if we want to experience something unusual then there are mountain cars! It is a descent aboard a three-wheeled vehicle, strictly without an engine. They do not make noise, they do not emit fumes. They are environmentally friendly and allow us to have fun in full respect of Nature. They can be rented in the Ladurns hiking area and can be used along a journey dedicated to the pleasure of driving.
Some good food after all this sport is more than deserved! And then there is the succulent cuisine, the Tyrolean one. Speck and cheeses with intense flavors, pretzels, strudels, dumplings and herbal liqueurs. If you are looking for delights for the palate, then it is the case to visit the city during the mesi of March and July. It is in fact in these moments that two important events take place. The “Week of gastronomic specialties of the Isarco Valley” and the “Days of yoghurt”, complete with guided visits to the local dairy. Between excursions and tastings it will be possible to discover one of the most typical products of the South Tyrolean tradition. Vipiteno is a city that certainly does not leave you disappointed! A concentration of culture, traditions, good food, landscapes. Where man has wisely enhanced history by reconciling it with the needs of modernity, thus arriving at a balanced beauty.
