There are a variety of ways that you can save money when it come to transportation (bus, train,…read morecable cars, etc.) in the South Tyrol, which as a brief visitor I found to be confusing and non well marketed. There's at least a Mobil or a Combi Card, for various lengths of time, and for different services. Rick Steves' book mentions that all this can be explained at the Bozen Train or Bus Station, but I didn't find that to be true at all. Gayle and I ended up buying a 3-Day Combi Card at this Alpine Sports store in Castelrotto proper. Even staff working here couldn't explain the options, although there were some neat sporting goods on sale. Our Card covered the bus to the Seiser Alm cable car station and then up. Any of the chair lifts at Compatsch were extra or at least the extended card to cover this was not a good value. My advice? Figure out what works the best you can, and get your butt up there for some great hikes!

Small Benetton store that is on the main street. It is well laid out, well located and staff are…read morehelpful, however keep in mind that they close at lunchtime for 3 hours (like all stores in the area).

Little market right down the street from our hotel, Crep Sella. Kind of a mix between a market,…read moreconvenience store and gift shop, but they also sell wine and beer and waters, which is convenient.

1962 and 1963- Peter Sellers, David Niven and the gorgeous and sultry Claudia Cardinale were here…read morein Cortina filming " The Pink Panther". 1981 - 007 " For Your Eyes Only". 1993- Sylvester Stallone " Cliffhanger". 2026 - the Ray man and his team to experience this sheer beauty and magnificence of the Italian Alps and the Dolomites. It is prettier in person. Great for skiing and snowboarding. Coincidentally this region is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. This is a gorgeous and picturesque town that lies in Northern Italy and is right by Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. What that means for this lucky foodie is a blend of Austrian, Venetian and Italian cuisines featuring: Casunziei- red turnip and potato ravioli Canederli- huge ham, cheese, spinach and bread crumb dumplings that are extraordinary. My dear Yelp friend Andie - we miss you and wish you were here as you would love this. Venison stew served with red currant jam- I just gained 6 lbs. Melted Zigar cheese and polenta ( Oh Myyyy..) The can't just have 3 slices of Apfelstrudel- I gained another 10 lbs. This food is special and unique because the local fresh dairies, mountain herbs and mushrooms are paramount in this merging of comforting, high altitude fuel with the one n only Italian culinary finesse. The limestone mountains turn shades of orange, pink and purple at dusk and dawn. The nature is unspoiled. All luxury stores are here. Come and fall in love as I did with this chic Alpine charm in the " Queen of the Dolomites" where you get that cozy village feel with high end glamor at your fingertips, best of both worlds.

Despite it's name, Sport Tony in La Villa also offers books, newspapers and a good little…read moresupermarket. The supermarket is reasonably priced although not huge and has pretty much everything you'd need for a weeks stay in the area. The book section is also good and comprehensive but the main section is taken up with fashion and sport clothing and equipment. The fashion clothing is clearly an Italian ting as the choice is terrible but the sports section is better and they have a good range of technical jackets and under layers. The sports hardware (bags, poles, skis etc) is also good and the staff in there speak good English and seem to know their stuff.

This place is fantastico! What do you need? A map, some kiwi fruit, traditional lace table cloth,…read morecarabiners? Whatever it is, they likely have it. You can shop for hours and get help when you need it but not have people hovering around you all the time.

It seems a little out of place to have a large department store either in Italy or indeed in one of…read morethe chicest ski resorts in Europe but the Cooperativa is exactly that. It is a store of four floors as has everything from stationery and books through clothes and knitting implements to sports equipment and dvd's and music. The supermarket in the back of the store is a real gem and has something every person who has been in the area for a while from the UK will be looking for, Heinz baked beans. Beans and digestive biscuits are the two greatest things about this store although there book section is excellent and there are good guide books for skiing and climbing in the area. The sports section is worth a look too although you'll generally find the same stuff cheaper elsewhere.

Great place to buy some nice local souvenirs, magazines and - what brought us here - the best…read morequality Tabacco maps of the region!