Tuesday, September 2, 2025

An Afternoon in the Mountains of Merano, Alto Adige: Pavicolo and Monte San Vigilio - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025





From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.

For an overview of the whole trip, go here: Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025 

Fifth Stop: Trentino-Alto Adige

The last stop of our Italy wine tour 2025 was the Trentino-Alto Adige region. We stayed 3 nights in Lana at Hotel Tiefenbrunn and 3 nights in Bolzano at Hotel Laurien.

We visited 10 wineries, most of them during the second half of the stop when we were based in Bolzano. 

While in Lana, we had a light dinner at Hotel Im Tiefenbrunn in Lana and went out for dinner to Sissi (1 Star Michelin) in Merano and to Gasthaus Appollonia (Bib Gourmand Michelin), up in the mountains, above Nalles. 

While in Bolzano, we had dinner at Toma by Lisa (wine bar), Loewengrube in Bolzano (Michelin listed) and Voegele (Bib Gourmand Michelin) in Bolzano.   

Pavicilo (by Car), Monte San Vigilio (by Cable Car and Chairlift), Gasthaus Sessellift

After spending the morning in Merano

A Morning in the Historic Laubengasse, the Arcades of Merano, Built Around 1200 by Count Meinhard II - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

we drove by car up to Pavicolo and back to Lana. Then, we went by cable car and by chairlift up to Monte San Vigilio, where we took a break at Gasthaus Sessellift, with a nice glass of beer (zero alcohol). 

Pavicolo - Naturpark Pawigl (by Car)

suedtirolerland.it: Above Lana, on the slopes of the Monte San Vigilio, lies Pavicolo. You can reach it via a mountain street that branches off from the Val d'Ultimo road above Lana. ...

From there, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Val d'Ultimo, the Valle dell'Adige and the Dolomites. Pawigl itself consists of a few buildings, including the "Pawiglhöfe, the Pavicolo Farms, which give the village its name and its idyllic and rustic character, the Pawigler Wirt inn and the medieval St. Oswald Church.












Monte San Vigilio - Vigljoch (by Cble Car and Chair Lift) 

Monte San Vigilio (Vigiljoch) - A Scenic Mountain Retreat in South Tyrol, Italy (GoogleAi based)
 
Monte San Vigilio, also known as Vigiljoch, is a mountain and mountain pass located near the town of Lana in Alto Adige. It is a popular destination offering a blend of natural beauty, outdoor activities, and cultural experiences. 

Getting there.
 
Cable Car: Europe's third-oldest cable car, originally built in 1912 and recently renovated, provides a quick (6-minute) and scenic ascent from Lana to the Vigiljoch. The valley station is conveniently located in the center of Lana, a short walk from the Oberlana bus station. 
 
Chairlift: A nostalgic single chairlift takes visitors further up to the summit of Monte San Vigilio from the mid-station.

Cable Car











Vigilius (1 Star Michelin) 

Vigilius Mountain Resort is set at the top of a mountain in South Tyrol, along the Italian-Austrian border. The hotel is accessible only by cable car, a 1500-meter ascent. The design of the resort itself is strikingly modern — blonde on blonde, lots of bare wood and exposed timbers, and a healthy dose of stone and concrete, blunting any tendencies toward log cabin-ness.

What makes Vigilius so special, though, is the isolation, the utter peace and quiet that follow from its location atop a mountain, no busy motorways or crowded palazzos — just forests, peaks, perhaps the sound of a cowbell in the distance. And the views are no less stunning than the aural environment — every room has a terrace with a view of either the Dolomites or Val d'Ultimo, the so-called Last Valley.

The rooms themselves are smartly decorated, again in wood and stone, but minimal and modern enough to avoid any rustic kitsch. A clay wall separates the bedroom and bath areas, and, cleverly, is more than a design feature — it’s heated internally, and in fact is there to warm the room.

There’s a spa, if that’s the sort of thing you’re into, a full service spa, offering the local specialty, which happens to be a hay bath, and does, in fact, involve bathing in hay. Two restaurants, the Private Dining Room (for guests only, as the name indicates) and the Vigiljocher Stube (catering to the mountain's day-tripping visitors) serve the local blend of Northern Italian and Alpine cuisines. Room service is also available, and comes in handy, as there’s not exactly a thriving café district outside the hotel's doors.

How to get there: Vigilius is located on a mountaintop, and is only accessible by a 7-minute cable car ride from the mountain base. Bozen/Bolzano airport is a twenty-minute drive away, and transfers are available to the cable car station at Lana. This transfer costs 38 euro each way. Transfers are also available from Milan (355 euro), Verona (200 euro) and Innsbruck (180 euro). 




Chair Lift









Snack at Gasthaus Sessellift










Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
 
From June 16 to July 3, 2025, Annette and I spent time in wine country Italy, by car.
 
For an overview, go to:  Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025
 











 
Postings

Wine Country Italy - Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige - in the Summer of 2025  

Lake Como 

At Villa Almana in Cernobbio at Lake Como - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Bolgheri 

Dinner at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Winery Tour and Tasting at Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Florentine Steak - Dario Cecchini Selection - for Lunch at Osteria Magona in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Running into Marco Balsimelli, Production Director, Ornellaia and Masseto, at Osteria Magona, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at La Macchiole, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Visiting Vigna Lodovico and Tasting Lodovico Antinori's Cult Wines Lodovico and Il Nicchio with his Assistant at Locanda dell' Aioncino - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Dinner at Locanda dell' Aioncino, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Tasting the Wines of Tenuta di Biserno and Staying at Relais di Biserno, Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia): Barrel Cellar Tour and Tasting - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Bistecca alla Fiorentina for Lunch at Osteria Enoteca San Guido (Sassicaia), Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Dinner at La Pineta, with Chef/ Co-owner Daniele Zazzeri, a Michelin Starred Seafood Restaurant, at Marina die Bibbona, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Grattamacco, a Benchmark Producer in Bolgheri, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025

Lunch at La Tana del Pirata in Marina di Castagneto Carducci/ Bolgheri/ Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Bolgheri Turning into an Open Air Restaurant - "Cena in Strada" Dinner 2025: Al Fresco Dinner in the Streets of Bolgheri, Tuscany, with Hundreds of other Wine Lovers - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Chianti Classico 
 
3 Days at Fattoria e Villa di Rignana in the Chianti Classico Region (Tuscany) - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
 
Returning to Badia a Coltibuono in Chianti Classico: 2025 and 2012 - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
 
At Isole et Olena Winery, a Major Force behind the Chianti Renaissance in the 1970s - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
At Fattoria Nittardi in Chianti Classico, Tuscany: Art and Wine - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
 
Sunset Dinner at Locanda Poggio al Sole (Hill in the Sun Inn) in Chianti Classico - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
(Brunello di) Montalcino and (Vino Nobile di) Montepulciano
 
 
 
At Argiano, one of the Oldest and most Prestigious Wineries in Montalcino - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
At Castello Banfi, a Renowned Winery and a Luxury Boutique Hotel, in Montalcino, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
A Brunello di Montalcino for Dinner in Montalcino at La Sosta Bistro Wine Bar - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Dinner at Taverna del Grappolo Blu - Traditional Tavern, Michelin Bib Gourmand, Extensive Brunello di Montalcino Wine List - in Montalcino, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
At Cantina Contucci, a Winery Located in the Heart of Montepulciano, just off the Main Square - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
Wine Cellar and Vineyard Tour at Poderi Boscarelli, a Renowned Family-run Winery of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tuscany, with Owner Luca de Ferrari - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 
At Poliziano, a Leading Producer of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, in Montepulciano, Tuscany - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025 
 
Trentino - Alto Adige
 
3 Nights at Hotel Im Tiefenbrunn in Lana, near Merano, in Alto Adige - Wine Country Italy (Lake Como, Tuscany, Alto Adige) in 2025
 

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