Few of us would mistake Milan for Munich, but some southern Italians jokingly call their northern countrymen tedeschi, a nod to the cultural ties that the Alpine regions of Italy share with Germany and Austria. In these northernmost reaches of Italy lie some of the country’s most fascinating—and unexpected—craft traditions: everything from copper cookware to wooden clogs and fur coats!

From the flat plains of northern Italy, the Alps rise abruptly and dramatically, their snowcapped glory a breathtaking vision on a clear day. The Alpine regions of Italy comprise parts of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardia, Piemonte, and the Valle d’Aosta, marking a border that is both rugged and unclear.