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Are you in need of some extra Christmas wintery wonderland spirit this year? If yes, then you just have to go to Italy in December- there is no better Christmas holiday destination than Bolzano! Famous for the Christmas Market it hosts every year (and also for its wine and chocolate yummmm), Bolzano is situated in the South Tyrol province of Italy. (FYI, for those of you who are not familiar with this province… imagine the most gorgeous mountain scenery possible, multiply it by ten and you have the south tyrol).
Surrounded by the beautiful Dolomites, this mountain village borders right on Austria and in fact speaks mostly German (rather than Italian). Bolzano really is where Austria meets Italy and as such, where the Tyrol culture meets Alpine traditions- it’s just the perfect holiday destination for Italy in December!
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Living the Christmas Spirit
So this year I found myself nostalgic for experiencing Christmas like I did as a child. Don’t we all remember when we counted the days ‘til Christmas with such excitement and wonder? Waking up first thing we would open that little window in our Christmas calendar- and that little piece of surprise chocolate behind it just filled us with utmost joy. We hummed all day to jingle bells, messing up the words like ‘froggy christmas’ instead of ‘foggy christmas’…(yep that was my version lol), we searched for the reindeer in the sky, we intently prepared our Santa letters, and we gazed at our Christmas trees with such wonder and with such deep spirit.
I have to say that the USA definitely does a good job at putting you in the Christmas mood- actually, it does such a good job that after a while you basically wake up carolling. Here in Europe, the scene outside of Christmas Market cities is a bit less ‘scenographic’.
In general there are not as many decorations, not as many tunes, and in general I just seem to feel it less. Maybe it’s because my family is far away in California, or maybe because I was used to being bombarded with Santa Clauses and elves every two steps… but whatever the reason, I have come to make it my purpose each year to spread that wonderful Christmas joy and spirit that we experienced as kids…(going way overboard with decorations obviously!)
I mean why do we have to stop being bright-eyed when we become adults? Life is great and magical even as adults, we just have to put on the right pair of glasses!
It is for this very reason that this year I just had to finally have a Christmas Market experience. Getting to stroll along those hundreds of wooden stands, with people huddled together every 50 meters drinking away at their mulled wine or hot cocoa- I mean it was a scene I just HAD to experience!
Christmas Markets
So where-to for Christmas Markets?
There are several towns in Europe that have gathered much fame for their fantastic Christmas Markets. In Italy, in particular, some of the most famous are in Bolzano, Merano, and Trento. These towns all border the Dolomites mountain range and so the scenery surrounding them is absolutely breath-taking.
Downtown there are countless stands that sell anywhere from typical local foods, to handcrafted decorations, to handmade knits. There is often live music or little skits and plays being enacted- the whole city is illuminated with millions of twinkle lights– it really just seems like you’ve landed on the North Pole!
Italy in December – Christmas in Bolzano
So why Bolzano? Given the fact that I’m slightly addicted to spas, wine, and all sorts of other guilty pleasures, Bolzano made the perfect Christmas holiday destination for me. Aside the indescribable spa (which I will later review in this post), the valley of vineyards surrounding Bolzano simply called to me. As an expert in Tuscan wine (or so I like to call myself :D), I had no knowledge whatsoever of wines in Northern Italy…so hello, some winter wine-tasting suddenly became a MUST! Below I have listed some of the top things to do when visiting Bolzano.
Stroll around down-town
So down-town everything has a touch of Christmas…I mean everything! The buildings have ribbons or wrapped-up presents attached to their facades, there are string lights and nativity scenes EVERYWHERE and there are roasted chestnuts waiting for you on every corner.
If you’re a fan of chocolate
Other than wandering about the numerous stands, you must know that Loacker (the famous chocolate and wafer company) is headquartered in South Tyrol…. and Bolzano just happens to have a BIG production facility. Yessssss, stock up on the chocolate- it also makes a fantastic holiday gift! And while you roam the streets definitely stop in their cafe’ and try one of their hot cocoas- countless varieties and degrees of chocolate where you can truly make your own personalized treat!
You will also definitely want to try some vin brulé or what they call Glühwein (mulled wine). You can’t experience Christmas in Italy, or in Europe for that matter without trying it! It is essentially warm red wine with an aromatic twist (usually cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes added apple or orange). It is just delicious, warms you up, and gives you that all-around wintery feeling!
If you’re a fan of wine
So like I mentioned before, Bolzano happens to be on the Strada del Vino dell’Alto Adige (literally translated the wine road of south tyrol). Along this road there are 16 different wine-towns to explore, each with its own character. After some research in the Bolzano area, we settled on this beautiful winery in Settequerce, just a couple miles outside of Bolzano. The Tenuta Kornell offered us a private wine-tasting session… yep, PRIVATE. We tasted 4 white wines and 4 red wines and immediately fell in love with their signature white Cosmas– a Sauvignon that is rather fruity and dry. We were in luck because they had three bottles left (MAGNUM size)….. and we bought ALL 3!!
Luxury Spa in the Dolomites
So what about the spa??? Well only about an hour’s drive from Bolzano you can reach the very small town of Val di Fassa. (This area is a great skiing spot in the winter as you are smack-in-the-middle of the Dolomites). This very small town is where you will find the amazing QC Terme Dolomiti.
QC Terme is actually a chain of luxury spas and some of their locations also offer accommodation. I have stayed twice overnight at QC Terme Fiumicino right outside of Rome and it simply is out of this world!
The Dolomiti’s location is astonishing- it’s right in the middle of a valley encircled by the beautiful Dolomites. During winter-time, you can literally take a dip in the outdoor pool as you gaze at the snow just a couple of centimeters away. The best part of it all??- you can have the beautiful scenery sink in all from the comfort of your very own underwater jacuzzi lounge chair…umm, are you still not convinced?! Let’s move indoors then….
Ground Floor
The entire indoor complex is three stories. Yes, T-H-R-E-E stories!!! I still get excited talking about it. The ground floor is a mixture of pools, saunas, thermal baths, multi-sensory showers, and much much more.
My ultimate favorite pools?…
Well in one pool, you could have a complete rainforest experience. Pressing a button you would activate rain, thunder and lightening. I mean it might sound dumb, but honestly it was just SO COOL!!
In another pool I was reading that it had music, yet I couldn’t for the life of me hear it. I then realized that there were speakers underwater. Immersing yourself completely you could enjoy a crystal clear musical experience, all in the comfort of warm water and chromo-therapy. I was just blown away! And this is just the tip of the iceberg…. star-roof pools, salt & exfoliation stations, too many saunas and thermal baths to count, many different essential oils to choose from…you name it, you had it all.
First & Second Floor
The first and second floors housed the various relaxation and treatment rooms if you wanted an extra massage, facial, or mud wrap. All the rooms varied in decoration, temperature, music, and scenery. Some had swinging beds, others had full on beds with infrared lights above, others had huge cushions lined up around fireplaces, others had sceneries projected on the ceilings- there was literally a taste for everyone…. I of course did them all haha.
Price
So how much is this all going to cost you?? Well good news…. I’m no rich gal! A day-pass at this chain of spas is less than 70 euro and this includes a buffet aperitivo, flip flops & robe, all the infusions you wish to try, and all toiletries and creams you need in order to wash up when you leave. You can go all day and stay even when it gets dark and gaze at the stars while in the outdoor pool.
At Christmas time it was even decorated and they had a multimedia light performance outside that repeated every hour! I mean what are you waiting for??– this is the pamper session of your life in an extraordinary and luxurious setting… you just have to try it!
How Long Should you Stay?
So I stayed for three days and that was a good time frame to do everything. If you have more days, try heading to Merano and/or Trento. If you really want to tour the sites, you can hop on over to Innsbruck in Austria or to Munich, Germany. These two cities both have Christmas markets and you would be getting a taste of two more countries. Venice is also quite nice when travelling to Italy in December- extend your stay into the new year and turn it into a little Italian holiday!
So whose in the Christmas spirit now? Or maybe you’re just more relaxed now lol. Well anyway, I guarantee that Italy in December will not disappoint! Try to treat yourself this winter to something that will make you feel warm and fuzzy- that’s the whole point!
If any of you have any holiday suggestions, wherever you may be in the world, comment away. I’m always in search of a new winter getaway. Buon Natale & Happy Holidays!
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