Travel guide Tyrol

The Counter-Reformation, which spearheaded the Habsburgs' political expansion, had an artistic and visual weapon that left its mark throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and particularly in Tyrol: Baroque. This architectural style, which flourished in the ^17th and ^18th centuries, greatly shaped the Tyrolean landscape.

It is worn everywhere: by waiters and waitresses in inns, in popular festivals, on stage by musicians, by ordinary citizens or even by some politicians... As an external image of the very alpine identity of Tyrol, it will sometimes be confused with the Bavarian, Swiss or other Austrian costumes.

You'll have to get used to it: when you go into the stores in the Austrian Tyrol, you don't have to say the impeccable Guten Morgen that you've been working on for a long time before leaving. The perfectly correct Guten Morgen is usually replaced by the cheerful and sonorous Grüss Gott, "God bless you".

Christmas is a highlight of the year. During the Advent period, in the middle of winter, Christmas markets or Weihnachtsmärkte are held in villages and cities. They are set up in picturesque streets and squares, surrounded by colorful facades, and exude a magical atmosphere.

Regardless of the season, hiking is the best way to experience the beauty of the mountains, flora and fauna in the Tyrolean Alps. On both the Austrian and Italian sides of the Alps there are thousands of kilometers of trails to enjoy the beautiful, wild and majestic landscape.

Whether it is Mirabelle plum, quetsche or pear, this brandy is mainly drunk at the end of a meal. In the past, families had their own stills, but nowadays, artisanal distilleries have taken over. After three glasses, the language barrier is no longer an issue and you will be able to talk with your neighbors without any difficulty!

With famous ski resorts such as Ischgl, Sölden, Kitzbühel or Brixental, Tyrol is known as one of the world's ski paradises. Straddling the border between Austria and Italy, Tyrol has more than 8,000 km of slopes, infrastructure, modern equipment and a wide variety of slopes with gradients of up to 80% for adrenaline seekers.

Popular means of transportation in the Alps, some cable cars and funiculars are over a century old and are among the oldest in the world (Funivia del Colle from 1908). The panoramas they offer are breathtaking and allow you to approach majestic massifs. Tyrol is still at the forefront of this technology today.

If an establishment bears the label Tiroler Wirtshaus with a green sign showing a clover, it is because it has this "controlled designation". Staff in costume, wooden furniture, an open fire and Tyrolean music will immerse you in the local culture and your taste buds will discover the generosity of the local cuisine.

In autumn, between the beginning of October and the end of November, in the wine-growing regions of South Tyrol, you're likely to come across mazots bearing a pretty green branch on their door: this is the sign of recognition of the wineries celebrating Törggelen, the rural tradition of the end of harvest and vinification, when the new wine is tasted.

Tyrolean folk music is easily identified with its famous yodeling, a vocal technique that integrates high-pitched sounds into a classical song that could be described as "yodela hi hou. This song has its ancestral roots in the needs of shepherds to communicate from the mountain tops.

The vias ferratas are of Italian origin. During the Great War, these steep passages were built in the mountains by the military in order to move quickly. Today they are climbing routes of different levels of difficulty. Appropriate equipment is required and guides can accompany you.