Experience rural culture: Vacations with heart and hand on South Tyrol's farms
For many people today, traveling means more than just relaxation. They want to immerse themselves, understand and empathize. They want to know what life is really like for the locals. And this is exactly what is possible - on a farm in South Tyrol. More precisely, on one of the many "Roter Hahn" farms, where hospitality, tradition and authenticity are not just empty phrases, but part of everyday life.
Here you don't live in an anonymous vacation apartment, but under the same roof as the farming family. You meet in the morning on the farm, share the garden and the farm store and perhaps even sit together over a glass of wine. The guests' children play with the hosts' children. You sit together on the bench, taste home-made bacon and fresh mountain cheese and talk about the weather, the animals or the hay harvest. You realize: this is not staged. This is real.
South Tyrol's traditional costume: proudly worn, deeply rooted
The traditional costumes worn with pride by farming families on festive occasions offer a special insight into the soul of South Tyrol. It is as diverse as the land itself. Almost every village, every valley has its own variation, its own cut, its own colors and patterns.
What appears to be folkloric beauty today was once everyday clothing. They were made by peasant women, who learned their sewing, spinning, embroidery and felting skills as girls.
The women's costume usually consists of a dress with a blouse and apron. Even the ribbon has a meaning: tied on the left means single, married on the right. The men traditionally wear lederhosen, robust jackets and often the famous "Fatschn", a belt elaborately decorated with peacock feathers.
One iconic item of clothing is the blue South Tyrolean apron, which was originally only worn by men at work. It was so essential that it was said: "A man without a blue apron is only half dressed."
Rural life with faith and customs: Assumption of Mary and the consecration of herbs
The rural customs of South Tyrol are often closely interwoven with the ecclesiastical cycle of the year. A particularly beautiful example is the consecration of herbs at the Assumption of Mary on August 15th, a festival that is still deeply rooted in many farms today.
According to tradition, it was not her body that was found in the Virgin Mary's grave, but flowers and herbs. In memory of this, South Tyrolean farmers' wives tie elaborate bouquets of herbs consisting of at least seven different wild herbs - a symbolic number that stands for the sacraments, but also for Mary's pain.
These bouquets are consecrated in the church and later hung up in the house or in the attic. Their task? To ward off evil, bring luck and protection.
If there is a case of illness among the animals, dried parts of the ostrich are mixed into the feed. If a summer storm is brewing, the herbs are burnt in the hope of keeping the lightning away.
It is a deeply lived spirituality that is interwoven with everyday life here and is not forgotten on the farms, but consciously passed on. Especially by the women, who pass on the knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants from generation to generation.
Conclusion: A vacation that gives back more
A stay on a South Tyrolean farm is much more than just a break from everyday life - it is a return to your roots. You not only return to your own roots, but also to those of a region that still lives in harmony with nature. Here, tradition, work and solidarity are not just empty words, but a living reality.
Here you can experience a vacation that is not only relaxing, but also enriching. A vacation that opens your senses to the real thing: the chirping of the birds when you wake up, the sound of the pitchfork on the farm and the smell of freshly baked bread that the farmer's wife has prepared early in the morning. You experience conversations at the garden fence, small gestures of hospitality and the silent joy of children romping around the farm as if it were their own.
You are not just a spectator, but part of this world. You understand what it means to get up early, live with the animals and feel the rhythm of the seasons. And along the way, you immerse yourself in a culture full of depth: from knowledge about herbs and customs to the significance of traditional costumes and the spiritual power of centuries-old rituals.
If you come with open eyes and an open heart, you will find more than just relaxation between apple trees, cow pastures and parlor windows. You will discover a way of life that decelerates, grounds and inspires - and where guests can be more than mere visitors for a few days: co-inhabitants, empathizers and co-preservers of a living tradition.
If you don't just want to see South Tyrol, but feel it, if you don't just want to arrive, but really be there, that's exactly what you'll find on a farm. And they take home more than they expected: Stories, encounters and a little piece of South Tyrol in your heart.
Map: South Tyrol
Experiences & sights
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