Trentino-Alto Adige is an autonomous region of northern Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland, home to the spectacular UNESCO-listed Dolomites. Split into the Italian-speaking province of Trentino and the German-speaking South Tyrol, the region blends alpine grandeur with Mediterranean wine valleys, world-class skiing, and a fascinating dual culture.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Val Gardena Wood Carving
Hand-carved figures, nativity crèches and decorative pieces from the UNESCO-renowned woodcarving tradition of Val Gardena, made by long-established workshops in Ortisei and the surrounding villages.
Price: €20-1,000+
Where: Woodcarving workshops on Via Rezia in Ortisei / Santa Cristina / Selva
Loden Wool Coat or Jacket
A garment in the traditional boiled-wool loden cloth of the Alps — dense, warm and water-resistant — a durable South Tyrolean emblem made into coats, capes and jackets.
Price: €100-600+
Where: Loden specialists on Bolzano's Via dei Portici, Merano and Vipiteno
South Tyrolean Speck IGP
The region's signature lightly smoked, juniper-scented cured ham, dry-cured and matured in mountain air. Vacuum-packed pieces travel well and make the essential edible souvenir.
Price: €15-35 per piece
Where: Markets, delis, Pur Südtirol, farm shops region-wide
Gewürztraminer, Lagrein & Teroldego Wine
The region's signature wines: aromatic Gewürztraminer and dark Lagrein from Alto Adige, and the native Teroldego Rotaliano from Trentino — rarely found at the same quality and value abroad.
Price: €8-40 per bottle
Where: Wine Road cellars / Piana Rotaliana / enoteche / Pur Südtirol
Trentodoc Sparkling Wine
The prestigious metodo classico mountain sparkling wine of Trentino, led by the Ferrari house in Trento — an elegant, celebratory bottle to take home.
Price: €15-50+ per bottle
Where: Ferrari cellars and enoteche in Trento / wine shops region-wide
Mountain Cheese (Trentingrana, Puzzone di Moena)
Excellent mountain dairy cheeses, from the aged grainy Trentingrana to the pungent washed-rind Puzzone di Moena DOP and summer malga cheeses. Aged pieces travel well vacuum-packed.
Price: €12-28 per kg
Where: Caseifici / markets / Pur Südtirol / mountain dairies
Apple Products (Val di Non / Melinda)
Apple juice, dried apple rings, jams, strudel and apple grappa from the orchard-blanketed valleys, with Val di Non (Melinda) and Alto Adige apples among Italy's finest.
Price: €2-15
Where: Markets / Pur Südtirol / farm shops / Val di Non producers
Grappa & Distillates
Single-grape grappe from Teroldego, Gewürztraminer or Müller-Thurgau pomace, barrel-aged riserva styles and fruit distillates — the region's traditional digestivo.
Price: €15-60 per bottle
Where: Distilleries / enoteche / Pur Südtirol
Schüttelbrot Rye Flatbread
The crisp, thin rye-and-caraway flatbread of South Tyrol, a long-keeping snack that pairs with speck and cheese and travels easily as an edible gift.
Price: €2-6 per packet
Where: Bakeries / markets / Pur Südtirol / farm shops
Herbal & Wellness Products
Alpine herbal teas, balms, soaps, schnapps and edelweiss or arnica cosmetics, associated with Merano and the Trauttmansdorff Gardens — light, easy gifts.
Price: €5-40
Where: Merano / Trauttmansdorff Gardens shop / pharmacies / Pur Südtirol
Tracht (Dirndl & Lederhosen)
Traditional South Tyrolean costume — the dirndl dress and lederhosen — still worn at festivals and sold in dedicated Tracht shops, a distinctive regional buy.
Price: €80-400+
Where: Tracht and loden shops in Bolzano, Merano and Vipiteno
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Mercato di Piazza delle Erbe (Obstmarkt)
Bolzano's historic daily open-air fruit-and-vegetable market in the heart of the old town, trading for centuries beneath the arcades. Stalls sell speck, cheeses, breads, apples, herbs and seasonal produce — an essential Bolzano experience.
Where: Piazza delle Erbe, 39100 Bolzano BZ
Hours: Mon-Sat roughly 7:00-19:00 (reduced Saturday afternoon); closed Sunday
Pur Südtirol Bolzano
A celebrated South Tyrolean gourmet emporium gathering speck, cheeses, wines, apples, preserves, grappa and herbal goods from local producers under one roof, just off Piazza Walther in central Bolzano.
Where: Via Perathoner 9, 39100 Bolzano BZ
Hours: Mon-Sat roughly 9:00-19:30; closed Sunday
Trento Weekly Market (Piazza Duomo)
Trento's weekly market in and around the cathedral square, selling Trentino produce, mountain cheeses, cured meats, local apples and craft goods, with a notable Christmas market in December.
Where: Piazza Duomo and surrounding streets, 38122 Trento TN
Hours: Thursday and Saturday mornings (approximately 8:00-13:00)
Merano Market & Promenade Stalls
Morning produce and craft stalls in the genteel spa town of Merano, with speck, cheeses, herbal and wellness goods, a renowned Christmas market, and the autumn Merano WineFestival nearby.
Where: Around Piazza del Grano and the Passer promenades, 39012 Merano BZ
Hours: Most weekday mornings (seasonal festival timings vary)
Bolzano Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market)
Italy's largest and oldest Christmas market fills Piazza Walther in Advent with stalls of hand-carved figures, glass ornaments, woollen goods, mulled wine (Glühwein/vin brulé), sausages and strudel.
Where: Piazza Walther, 39100 Bolzano BZ
Hours: Late November to early January, daily roughly 10:00-19:00 during Advent