Everyone is familiar with the name of the Austrian province of Tyrol. However, it is less known that one of the northern provinces of Italy is also Tyrol, more precisely, South Tyrol. Of course, the two provinces are adjacent and located in the Alps.

In the past, Sout Tyrol belonged to Austria, so every city, village, and attraction has two names: Italian and German. Let's see Lake Braies as an example. The lovely lake is located in the Dolomites, and it's called Lago di Braies, but also Pragser Wildsee.


We had previously presented maps of Austrian Tyrol, so no other was left, followed by its southern companion.

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The centre of South Tyrol is Bolzano in Italy, called Bozen in German.

Where is South Tyrol?

South Tyrol is the northernmost and richest province in Italy, next to the Swiss, and Austrian borders. The area belongs to the Alps and here you will also find the famous Italian Dolomites.

Bolzano - Vienna distance map

Bolzano is perhaps the easiest to reach by car. From Vienna, you can be down in about 7 hours.

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Usually, the Italian part is called South Tyrol, while the remaining northern Austrian part is called Tyrol, not North Tyrol...

History of South Tyrol

The region got its name from the counties of Tyrol, which came from the town of Tirol (modern-day Tirolo).

The formerly unified territory belonged uniformly to Austria until 1919, but it was divided during the Peace of Saint-Germain and the southern part of the province was annexed to Italy.

After the aforementioned decoupling, South Tyrol was annexed to Trentino and renamed Trentino-Alto Adige.

Today, Trentino-Alto Adige is the northernmost province of Italy and the second largest with an area of ​​7,400 square kilometers.

  • South Tyrol (Province of South Tyrol / Alto Adige / Bolzano)
  • Trentino (Province of Trento, formerly known as Welschtirol in Austria)

Districts and Provinces

There are a total of 8 districts, of which among Bolzano is the smallest.

South Tyrol map - Districts
  • Bozen / Bolzano
  • Wipptal / Alta Valle Isarco
  • Vinschgau / Val Venosta
  • Salten-Schlern / Salto-Sciliar
  • Eisacktal / Valle Isarco
  • Überetsch-Unterland / Oltradige-Bassa Atesina
  • Pustertal / Val Pusteria
  • Burggrafenamt / Burgraviato

Highest Point

South Tyrol lies entirely in the Alps, so the mountain range's peaks define the view. The highest point is Ortler.

  • Ortler: 3905 meters
  • Gran Zebru: 3851 meters
  • Monte Cevedale: 3769 meters

Most populated cities

  • Bolzano
  • Trento
  • Merano
  • Rovereto
South Tyrol map, Italy

Motorway

Tyrol has always played a major role in shipping between Italian, German, and Austrian territories. Therefore, the highway system is well established and busy.
Below you will find a map showing the motorways in the areas of South Tyrol.

South Tyrol map - Motorway