San Giuseppe al Lago Sankt Josef am See and Caldaro Kaltern
After leaving the persistent rain behind us in Austria, we drove onward to embrace the warm sunshine of Italy. Our plan was to find a stopover near the town of Bolzano, and after some searching, we discovered a lake surrounded by some resorts. From our experience, most campsites in Italy generally require a minimum stay of three nights, so any shorter visit usually means driving up to see what spaces might be available on arrival. We reached Wohnmobilstellplatz Kalterer See at around 12:30 pm, aiming to get there by 12 when the check-in period begins. This particular campsite operates on a self-service basis. Upon arrival, you must take a ticket from the barrier, then proceed to look for a parking spot—it's advisable to scout on foot beforehand to find a suitable space. Once parked, you complete check-in using one of the on-site machines and settle tThe following day, after receiving some valuable and insightful advice from a friendly fellow German camper—someone we will definitely be staying in touch with for future adventures—we set off on our bicycles towards the charming and inviting town of Caldaro Kaltern. The cycle route took us through stunning and picturesque vineyards, offering wonderful and breathtaking views at every turn. However, the journey was quite demanding and physically challenging as it involved a significant uphill climb, which meant we had to walk alongside our bikes more often than we’d hoped, especially as the speedy and powerful e-bikes effortlessly whizzed past us. Despite the physical challenge and occasional fatigue, the breathtaking scenery and peaceful surroundings made the effort truly worthwhile and memorable.he payment for your stay at departure through the same system. Fortunately, we arrived just in time to grab the very last available space!
After pitching up we headed down to the lake. From this campsite you can choose from three different hotels to enter and pay to use their pools and lake access. For the afternoon we chose Hotel Seegarten. The hotel had a large beach access and cost us 5 Euros per adult after 2pm, and the kids were something like 3 Euro. It was perfect for the afternoon sun and the kids enjoyed splashing around in the Lake.
The next day, after some advice from a fellow German camper, who we will be staying in touch with, we cycled to the town of Caldaro Kaltern. The cycle ride was through pituresque vineyards, but quite a bit uphill…which meant quite a bit walking with our bikes as the e bikes flew by. It was worth it for the scenery.
After some huffs, puffing, and a bit of sweating, we finally arrived at the charming village just in time for an explore and lunch. We made our way toward the town square, with a cluster of restaurants with a fountain at the centre. We chose to dine at Gasthof Mondschein, for its wide variety of pasta and pizza options. The kids ordered carbonara, while Steve and I picked pizzas, anticipating that Esme might well change her mind at the last moment. In the end, the gorgonzola and prosciutto pizza turned out to be the clear favorite and definitely the winning choice of the meal.
It should have been a very quick and easy cycle back downhill, but unfortunately, my tire punctured halfway through the return journey. When we finally arrived back at the campsite, we went straight to the Gretl am See hotel, which is located right in front of the campsite, to take full advantage of their pool and lake access. Again, after 2pm.it is discouted. We eagerly jumped into the pool to cool off and then headed out onto the paddleboards for some time on the water.
One of the highlights of our time here was definitely enjoying the drinks at Gretl am See kiosk - Aperol Spritz. Even better was the opportunity to meet some new friends, making the experience all the more memorable!
