The Kirche St. Hippolyt has been sitting high on a hilltop looking out over the valley since at least the late 1200s. This small Romanesque church with its white paint job and short tower really pops against its lush green surroundings. This open setting gives you amazing panoramic views in almost every direction. Nothing crowds the church, so you can walk right around it and experiment with framing it against a clear sky or with the valley behind. Late in the day the low light spreads across the church and the grass adding richness to the contrasting colours. The endless feeling view stretches from the mountains above Merano down toward Bolzano, and works as an amazing landscape composition on its own without the church in frame. The church is only accessible is on foot only. From the Hippolyt car park in Naraun it's about twenty minutes of easy hiking on a path lined with bronze reliefs that are worth pausing to experiment with capturing on your way by. The inside opens only on certain days, so plan on the exterior and the view rather than the frescoes. There's also an inn at the top of the hill if you want to relax and wait for sunset. (Naraun, Südtirol, Italy)
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