Market time, tasting time

Around the Lindenhof Pure Luxury DolceVita Resort in Naturns, this market life is simply part of the holiday. Especially for guests spending a culinary holiday in Merano and surroundings, the markets are little treasure troves: of specialities, stories, recipes and discoveries that cannot be planned.

In Naturns itself, the pleasure of the market begins right on the doorstep. On Saturdays, the town hall square becomes a meeting place for locals and guests alike. From early June to the end of October, farmers from the surrounding area also gather on Burggräflerplatz, bringing whatever the fields, gardens, cellars and stables have to offer at that moment. The basket might hold a piece of tangy speck, a wheel of cheese or crisp Schüttelbrot. Add to that honey, herbs, jams, apple juice, wine and whatever fruit is in season. In late summer and autumn there are apples, grapes, pears and plums; later on, pumpkins, nuts and other autumn produce change the picture. Anyone who likes to taste quickly discovers how different even familiar products can be when they come straight from the region.

A basket full of South Tyrol

The beauty of it: many products have a face. Behind the cheese stands the farmer who worked the milk. Behind the honey, the beekeeper who knows where his bees have been. And anyone who asks usually gets more than just a recommendation. You might learn which cheese goes particularly well with a hearty Vinschger Paarl. Which jam actually does not belong on the breakfast bread, but alongside cheese. Or which herbs turn a simple dish at home into a little piece of South Tyrol. That is exactly why it is worth walking through the market without hurrying. Preferably early in the morning, when the air is still pleasantly cool and there is time for a conversation. And with your own cloth bag or basket, which is not only more practical but also fits a way of shopping that puts mindful enjoyment at its centre. Short transport routes, seasonal produce and direct support for regional producers also make a visit to the market a particularly uncomplicated form of sustainable consumption. Instead of interchangeable souvenirs, you take home a memory: the inspiration for a dish, the recipe for the best jam.

Market day in the town on the Passer

Larger still and more colourful is the weekly market in Merano. Every Friday morning the stalls stretch from Praderplatz by the railway station through the adjoining streets. Among South Tyrolean specialities, Italian delicacies, plants and handicrafts, the town shows its liveliest side. Anyone spending a culinary holiday in Merano gets a good impression here, within a few hundred metres, of how naturally different culinary influences meet in South Tyrol. Throughout the year, food and speciality markets such as the Merano Market add to what the town centre has to offer. The seasons, too, shape market life in Merano. In autumn, harvest and farmers’ markets draw the crowds; in Advent, Christmas markets round things off with regional products and crafts.

From the market stall to the plate

Back at the Lindenhof, this voyage of discovery continues in the most enjoyable way. Many of the market’s aromas return to guests in the refined cuisine of the house: rooted in the region, interpreted with creativity and accompanied by selected South Tyrolean wines. A gourmet holiday in South Tyrol thus becomes a journey through seasons, landscapes and flavours. Perhaps a dish recalls a product that lay on a market stall only hours earlier. Perhaps a spice reappears whose scent was already noticeable that morning. Or a South Tyrolean wine shows how well regional cuisine and local winemaking tradition go together.

And because enjoyment takes many forms, after a stroll through Merano or Naturns the path may lead on to the soothing calm of the spa. As a wellness hotel in Naturns, the Lindenhof brings together market life, cuisine and relaxation in a holiday that combines many things: regional products, encounters, good food and time for yourself.

You will also find late-summer moments of enjoyment at our partner hotel Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort in Naturns in South Tyrol.