It’s only November but we are now starting to dream of Christmas, so why not take some ideas for organizing trips out of doors in Italy or planning trips to Europe in a motorhome? In these weeks, our Europe in Camping column will give you some suggestions for spending the Holidays in the best possible way, with an open-air vacation.
Christmas markets are a common thread with their territories, speaking of traditions, local products and crafts. Each place holds the most beautiful customs, and discovering them allows you to immerse yourself in the culture of the place during the most magical time of the year. Visiting them is an added value of a touring RV vacation or a stay in an open-air facility, occasions to be experienced as a couple, family or with a group of friends.
There are beautiful ones in Europe, starting with our own Italy, where every market ranges in regional traditions, starting with gastronomic products, local bounty at zero kilometer.
This week we discover two destinations in northern Italy, ranging beyond the great classics (not to be missed) of the Christmas markets of Trento, Bolzano and Merano where mulled wine can be accompanied by some delicious “zelten,” the typical South Tyrolean Christmas cake.
We head south, cross Trentino and arrive in Veneto following the Valsugana with stops in Levico Terme and Bassano del Grappa.
Levico Terme
Levico Terme is in the province of Trento, a pretty town that pops up in the green Valsugana valley when it is not covered by a blanket of snow in winter. Its elegant center is characterized by the Belle Epoque-style buildings typical of spa resorts. In fact, the town is known for the famous Levico and Vetriolo spas that have made possible a flourishing wellness tourism since the 1800s ,thanks to the arsenical-ferruginous waters.
In Levico, hot baths and treatments alternate with walks along the lakefront and in the beautiful centuries-old Habsburg Park where the Levico Terme Habsburg Christmas Market, now in its 23rd year, will again be held from November 23 to January 6, 2025 .
Bassano del Grappa
The second stop stops in Bassano del Grappa, where the Valsugana flows into the conoid of the Brenta, a high Venetian plain drawn by rolling hills. This delightful town overlooks the very flow of the Brenta River that makes it so identifiable, thanks to the famous and iconic Ponte Vecchio that crosses it, better known as the Ponte degli Alpini (Palladian design), which was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt by the very Alpini in the years to follow.
Bassano is also known for its grappa production, and the Nardini and Poli distilleries and grapperies are known worldwide. Don’t miss the beautiful medieval fortification of the Castello degli Ezzelini, the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Colle, the Tempio Votivo dei Caduti and Ossuary of the Fallen of the Grappa, a walk along Viale dei Martiri and the church of San Francesco overlooking Piazza Garibaldi where every year there is The Bassano del Grappa Christmas Market, which this year will open on Nov. 16 and will end on Jan. 6 with the traditional Befana Market.
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