Merano is located in the valley of the River Adige as it runs downhill to Bolzano. It is one of Italy's northernmost towns and for this reason your might find the locals calling it Meran.

This is the emotional heart of Süd Tirol and in case you weren't sure 'Tirol' itself is just outside the town. The population can trace their roots to pre-history and the Liguri. The Romans only got there 15 years before BC became AD.

The name Mairania only came to the fore in 847 AD and it was only in the 12th century that the ruling count took up the name Tirol. The Italian branch of the dynasty passed over the reins to their Austrian cousins in 1363 and this coincided with a decline in the area as Innsbruck remained their preferred home.

We are interested in walks through Bolzano and in food routes through the Dolomites. please send us material. M.E., North Caldwell, NJ. Bolzano has always been a frontier town between Italy and northern Europe. As a result it has an artistic and cultural heritage that should not be overlooked.

Enjoy your own walking tour, but do get informed in advance as the beauty of Bolzano is in the small details which might be missed. Where better to start than the Archaeological Museum which documents the whole history of the province from Paleolithic times to the Carolingan era.

The famous preserved prehistoric man "Ötzi" is Bolzano's latest tourist attraction and can be visited here. It is interesting to think that he top and tails the whole 5300 year period.

A recent television programme on RAI 2 highlighted the Parco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi and, in particular, the zone of San Martino di Castrozza.

The producers flew a helicopter over the snow covered mountain tops and into the deep valleys. It was interesting to find out that the protected zone offers pristine skiing conditions and has been doing so since the 1930's.

Riva del Garda seems a good place to live. Not only does the microclimate allow such non Alpine crops as olive, cyprus and even lemon trees to grow, the Lake is also blessed with a wind called the 'Ora' which has encouraged the growth of sailing and windsurfing centers.

The Alta Valsugana valley is located in eastern Trentino. The valley winds its way down the chain of summits called the Lagorai and extends all the way into the Valle di Fiemme, a distance of 180 km.

Walking fans may like to base themselves in the Valle dei Mòcheni, an ethnically German area sitting some 2006 meters in altitude.

Moena falls inside an area known as the "Tre Valli". They are Moena Alpe Lusia, Passo di San Pellegrino and Falcade. The territory is reachable via the Val di Fassa and all roads in this part of the region head towards Selva Val Gardena and the mythical Marmolada mountain.

Many of the weird and wonderfully dark tales and fables from the region obviously predate Christianity. They may even have been inspired by figures such as the mysterious 'Man in Ice' at the Museo Archeologico dell Alto Adige at Bolzano.

You know the ski season is over when the 'stagione balneare' opens. Typically, that's the third week of April at Plan de Corones in the Val Pusteria, Alto Adige.

The waters of the mountain lakes might be a bit nippy at 2°-3°, but why not hire a rowing boat and soak in the sun at the very least. To celebrate the change in the seasons the local tourism authorities lay on the 'Lackenfest' or 'Festa della Pozza' spring event.

The Sarntal Valley sits in the centre of Alto Adige and together with the valleys Passiertal, Ritten and Ultental forms the so called 'Im Herzen Südtirols'.

To get your bearings the road heads north from Bolzano straight into the valley and takes in Ponticino and Sarentino before forking at Campolasta; left into the Val di Pennes for Sonvigo, Rio Bianco and Pennes; right into the Valdurna for San Martino and Valdurna.

The Giro d'Italia cycle race always hosts a couple of stages in and around the mountain passes of Val Gardena. Brutal cycling for those taking part but superb views and action for everyone else.