South Tyrol is a richly contrasting area. This is what makes it so attractive. The snow and the eternal glaciers in the Oetztal Alps and Zillertal, in the Texel, Geisler, Kreuzkofel and Sella group, not to mention the "king", the Ortler......and the wine growing hills which begin north of Bressanone and become a real wine-lover's paradise starting from Bolzano. The fruit orchards of Etschtal produce every tenth apple in Europe and the holidaymaker who skis on the splendid slopes around Merano in the morning finds himself surrounded by the splendid flowers of the Mediterranean in the afternoon while walking through the spa city. Even in the autumn, when the last fruits have been picked and most of the peaks are covered in snow, the beautiful days make it hard for visitors to want to leave.