The cuisine of the Alto Adige is more or less Austrian, with a few Italian touches. Canederli (bread dumplings) often replace pasta or polenta and are found floating in rich broths infused with liver; Speck (smoked ham) replaces prosciutto; and Wiener schnitzel Grostl (a combination of potatoes, onions, and veal -- the local version of corned beef hash), and pork roasts are among preferred secondi (second courses).

The Trentino has several good wines, both white and red, and the Adige Valley has proved an up-and-comer in recent vintages. Forst, a personal favorite in the fairly lowly pantheon of Italian beers, has been brewed outside Merano since 1857.