South Tyrol's sunniest fruit: Martell mountain strawberries. In summer, visitors to the Martell Valley literally see red: between 900 and 1,800 meters above sea level, strawberries stretch out towards the mountain sun here, in the middle of the Vinschgau Valley.
Berry cultivation in Europe's highest growing area has been perfected in the meantime, and many farmers have specialized in growing the sweet little fruits.

They owe their quality to the mild and dry climate. Due to the different altitudes, the strawberries ripen very slowly in the sun and are harvested from May to September .
The South Tyrolean Strawberry Festival is held annually on the last weekend in June in the Martell Valley. The festival is the traditional prelude to the berry harvest in the highest continuous strawberry growing area in Europe.

Every three years during the festival a strawberry queen is elected, who acts as an ambassador for the strawberries and represents the sweet fruits from the Martello Valley. The festival is accompanied by a varied supporting program with farmers' market, carriage rides and guided hikes, as well as an exciting children's program.