Better known by her Instagram alter ego Travel Flâneur, Anastasia Hrytsenko is a Ukrainian-born photographer based in Alto Adige, otherwise known as South Tyrol, a mountainous region in northern Italy.
Prior to that Milan, Vienna and Paris were all places she called home. With a background in foreign languages, literature and fashion, she now focuses her lens on street style and travel photography. Fluency in five languages has made her open-minded to every new place and perspective. Her work captures spontaneous moments and urban details, telling quiet stories of people and places, turning the everyday into emotionally resonant imagery.
My perfect day always starts with a good cup of coffee. There is something about that first sip in the morning that sets the tone for everything that follows. If I can enjoy it with a view – maybe looking out at the soft morning light over the vineyards or the mountains catching the first sun – then so much the better.
I’m not one to sit still for too long. I love to be on the move, so my ideal day unfolds as I change scenery and explore the hidden, half-forgotten corners of the place I’m lucky to call home. In my beloved part of Italy, South Tyrol, I try to avoid the overly crowded spots and instead follow my curiosity to places that feel unexplored.
After my morning coffee, I’ll jump in the car and head straight for a scenic drive through the Dolomites – perhaps winding my way through the stunning Selva di Val Gardena. These roads feel like they were made for dreaming, with every curve revealing a new angle of the dramatic peaks and deep green valleys.
If I’m craving something truly special and a bit out of the ordinary, I’ll make my way to Onkel Taa, a hidden restaurant where time seems to stand still. There’s no phone signal – something I secretly love. You find yourself completely in the moment, surrounded by a surreal garden overflowing with flowers and green plants. Onkel Taa is known for its escargot and the elderflower sparkling wine. Their fresh garden salad, made with edible flowers and herbs picked straight from the garden, tastes like pure summer on a plate.
If I’m in the mood for traditional South Tyrolean flavours with a modern touch, I’ll head to Finsterwirt in Brixen. It’s one of those places that feels timeless, with its cosy old “stube” spirit still alive in every wooden corner. The menu changes every month, always tied to what’s in season: fish dishes in winter, hearty specialities from the Eisack Valley in spring, asparagus, mushrooms, local apples, lamb, chestnuts, and truffles when their time is right. No matter when you visit, you’re always offered something unexpected.
As the day draws to a close, it’s time for an aperitivo. My favourite places are in Bolzano – Stadt Hotel Città makes one of the best negronis around, but if I’m feeling like a good cocktail in an elegant setting, I’ll slip into the Laurin Bar at Parkhotel Laurin.
Here in Alto Adige, life offers so many ways to spend an afternoon or lose a few hours. Maybe I’ll go for a long hike and get blissfully lost, stopping at a rustic mountain hut for a meal that tastes like it came straight from someone’s grandmother’s kitchen, or something more curious, like getting lost at the Champagne hut.
For moments of pure wild beauty, I might head to Prettau, tucked away at the end of the valley. Up there, it always feels like you’re standing at the very edge of the world – fresh air, silence and a landscape that feels untouched and endless.
Or maybe I’ll wander through the vineyards around Meran and Dorf Tirol, then float back down to Meran on the open chairlift, gliding quietly above pine trees and vineyards with the church tower of Meran in the distance.
On other days, I’d like to chase the road itself – futuristic drives through the never-ending Dolomites. Or I spend an afternoon exploring the Messner Mountain Museums, the most magnificent viewing platforms in South Tyrol. Each one perched somewhere remarkable: an old castle, or the Messner Mountain Museum Corones (MMM Corones) on Kronplatz designed by Zaha Hadid, jutting into the sky like a modern futuristic sculpture.
Ultimately, my perfect day is simple: good coffee, roads that lead to hidden places, flavours that surprise me and the constant feeling that here, in this corner of South Tyrol, there’s always something beautiful left to find.
Follow Anastasia’s travel on Instagram
Anastasia Hrytsenko was in conversation with Lee Osborne, a co-founder of Secret Trips
