Trentino Alto Adige consists of two provinces: Trento and Bolzano-Bozen. The climate varies throughout the province, from an alpine climate to a subcontinental one, with warm and variable summers and cold and quite snowy winters. The region has always been a favourite destination for tourists, both in winter for skiing in the high mountains, and in summer to visit the wide valleys and many lakes (Lake Garda being the largest and most famous).
As in all of Italy's mountainous regions, polenta has long been a basic foodstuff. In the Alto Adige, the potato is most commonly prepared in the form of knödel (croquettes) or gnocchi.
The region exports a major share of its wine to Germany, Austria and Switzerland but Cabernet and Merlot also do well there.