The region of Trentino Alto Adige is located in north east Itay. The region is bordered by Austria to the northeast and north, by Switzerland to the northwest, and by the Italian regions of Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the south and southeast. The region was part of Austria-Hungary and its predecessors, the Austrian Empire and the Holy Roman Empire from the 8th century until its annexation by Italy in 1919. It is extremely mountainous, covering a large part of the Dolomites and the southern Alps. The Giro d’Italia and skiing are its favorite activities along with hiking and culinary traditions.