Why South Tyroleans Leave…
… and why they (almost) always come back.
South Tyroleans and adventure go hand in hand. Growing up in a place where wild, untouched landscapes are just part of everyday life, it’s no surprise they develop a deep love for exploration. That same instinct — the urge to climb, roam and wander — makes South Tyroleans unusually good at leaving. And leave they do.
With South Tyrol’s relatively small size and scattered population, the pull of big city life – or at least, bigger-than-Bozen city life – can feel magnetic. As a result, many young South Tyroleans pack their bags and head for lower altitudes, pursuing higher education in places like Rome, Vienna, Lisbon and London. Their careers might take them to Zurich or Zaragoza and their wanderlust to countries as far-flung as Thailand or Australia. And once out there, they fall fast: for metro systems, for new flavours, for the thrill grocery shopping without running into at least three people they know (or are related to!).
But like the greatest love stories, South Tyroleans often find that true love never really fades. Unlike many who leave their small-town beginnings and never look back, South Tyroleans often have a compelling urge to boomerang back. This longing for home may not surface immediately, but sooner or later, the call of the mountains, the nostalgia of grandma’s Knödel, the connection with childhood friends and the outdoor lifestyle that shaped their early years become too strong to ignore.
Many ultimately decide to come back - not out of failure or to relive old memories but to create new ones. To raise their kids alongside their childhood friends who are also raising their own and to pass on that adventurous spirit that has always been a part of them.
Thus unfolds the cycle of departure and return. Of adventure and homecoming. For South Tyroleans, no matter how far they wander, the way back home remains clear. After all, aren’t the best adventures those that bring us back to where we began?
