German Chancellor Angela Merkel has returned to Italy's northern Alto Adige region for her summer holiday, local sources said.
Merkel, who spent part of her 2007 summer vacation in the German-speaking Italian Alpine region, is staying in the resort town of Solda.
Pope Benedict XVI has also chosen the region for a two-week rest and study break. The German pope and his elder brother Georg, also a priest, will be staying in the medieval seminary at Bressanone until August 11.
Former Italian president Francesco Cossiga, who traditionally spends part of the summer in Ireland, has this year opted for a vacation in the Alto Adige mountains.
Merkel on holiday in Alto Adige region
