Caldaro on the Wine Road for your vacation

Kaltern (ital. Caldaro) is a small town with around 8,000 inhabitants on the South Tyrolean Wine Road. The region is known for its warm climate with lots of sunshine. The Vernatsch wine, a red grape variety from South Tyrol, is grown in the Kalterer vineyards. The landscape is characterized by a Mediterranean climate and distinctive vegetation. Cypress trees, laurel, and olive trees are found here. Caldaro / Kaltern is a great destination for a vacation in summer and winter.

In summer, the gentle surroundings invite extensive hiking. A beautiful destination on hot days is the

Kalterer See, one of the warmest bathing lakes in the Alps. The lake is located in a deep valley between the Mendel Mountains to the west and the Mitterberg to the east. It covers an area of around 147 hectares and is popular with fishermen, surfers, nature lovers, sailors, swimmers, and boaters. There are around 120 km of marked hiking trails to explore. Extensive maps and a dedicated website are available to help plan beautiful hikes. There are hiking tips for walks, nature or cultural hikes, and mountain tours. The Mendelbahn can take you 850 meters up to the summer resort.

Caldaro / Kaltern is not directly suitable for a ski vacation. It is much too pleasantly warm here. But with a detour to the neighboring ski areas, a ski vacation is within reach. You can head up to the Mendel or to Obereggen-Pampeago. The Ski Area Karersee is ideal for cross-country skiing. Then there's the Seiser Alm or the Rittnerhorn, all reachable in less than an hour by car.

For those looking for accommodation or a hotel for overnight stays or vacation, there is a wide range of options:

• Hotels 2 to 5 stars
• Pensions
• Vacation apartments
• Farm vacations
• Vacation homes
• Private room rentals
• Lakeside hotels

An excellent starting point for hikes is St. Josef am See (228 m above sea level). Most trails are well marked, but a hiking map is essential for steeper paths.

• Circular route around Lake Kaltern: just under two hours, beautiful views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Largest preserved wetland between the Po Valley and the Alps, with a reed belt to the south of the lake that is under nature protection and features many information boards.

• Ascent to Altenburg (615 m above sea level, viewpoint!), about 2 hours from the St. Josef church (bus stop). Either a steep path No.14 via St. Peter (Romanesque church below Altenburg), or path No.1 through the Rastenbach Gorge, where the sun shines in partially in the morning. Return to Caldaro / Kaltern (about 5 km) via the "Path of Peace".

• Montiggler Lakes: from the bathing area on the north shore of Lake Kaltern, 3-4 hours (or a bit shorter from Caldaro / Kaltern down to Montiggl). Carriage road towards Leuchtenburg, then forest paths No. 19 and 20 up the Frühlingstal to the Great Montiggler Lake. From Gasthof Moser past the approximately 700 m long lake to the other shore (swimming pool and restaurant). Behind the Great Lake is the Small Montiggler Lake, and there is also a path around it. The reverse combination of paths 19/20 can be chosen for the return to Lake Kaltern.

• Kalterer Höhenweg: From Altenburg (see above) steep ascent to the Göllerwiese (1510 m) via the Göllersteig. From there, either descent to Söll near Tramin and to the lakeside path, or continue to the Roen (2116m) and the Überetscher Hut.

• Steeper hikes and paths to the Mendel (Roen 2116m, Penegal 1740 m): see there, or starting points at the hotels at Mendelpass (by car or bike, with a side road to Penegal at the top).

• On the route of the former Überetscher Railway. Well-developed cycling and hiking trail to Bolzano.

• Lake Kaltern: The "Kalterer See" is located south of the village at around 216m and is the warmest bathing lake in the Alps. Its water temperature in summer can reach up to 28 degrees, so the bathing season can often start as early as mid-May.

A dream come true for vacationers, here in the south of South Tyrol.