Wanderungen in Schenna

The origins and myths, customs and history, cultivation, combating of pests, harvesting, beliefs and superstitions: since just recently, everything that there is to know about apples can be discovered on this circular trail through Schenna’s sun-kissed landscape with its magnificent views. Through informative texts and interactive displays the Apple Trail gives hikers a closer insight into Schenna's fruit-growing area and its history. Covering a distance of 3.7 km and with a manageable elevation gain of 180 m, the Apple Trail is suitable as an entertaining hike for young and old alike, on which not only beehives and apple wind chimes can be found, but also farm shops where you can try home-made products.

The Höfeweg above Schenna provides insights into the rural cultural and natural landscape. The combination of historic farmsteads and fabulous views of Merano and its environs make this hike a genuine delight.

This hike along peaceful trails through the alpine landscape high above Merano, which is almost two hours long, passes scattered farms and idyllic spots and offers picturesque views of the mountains and valley.

This is a leisurely hour-long walk from Schenna to Merano. The sunny Mitterplattweg leads through orchards and vineyards to the heart of the spa town. Panoramic views included.  

Passing Vernaun and Labers castles en route, the finishing point of this pleasant, approximately two hour-long hike is Trauttmansdorff. As well as a visit to the botanical gardens, a detour to the Museum of Tourism is also well worthwhile. 

The Wine Trail ties in with Schenna’s centuries-old tradition of winegrowing. More than 20 stations along the way tell of the work in the vineyard, share knowledge, report on historic events and reveal curious facts about the noble grape juice. Over a distance of 5.3 km, the trail leads, sometimes steeply, sometimes in leisurely fashion, through the sun-kissed terroir and in the process provides fabulous views of Schenna Castle and the spa town of Merano. The Wine Trail can be completed in a good hour and a half. However, the many attractions along the way – such as a flavour station – encourage walkers to take a little more time. Not least so that they can pay a visit to the wine cellars and farm shops, which are practically right by the trail.

Taking just one and a half hours, the hike from Scena village center to Tirolo is very simple and easy to complete. There are interesting sights and lovely panoramic views to be enjoyed en route.  

In the spring, this route, on the southern slope of the Talle mountain, offers the perfect opportunity to spend the first days of the warmer months outside in the open.

Just an easy, relatively flat walk away from the Verdins-Talle cable car mountain station lies the mountain village of Prenn. With its idyllic little church and an amazing view over the Val Passiria, Prenn is well worth a visit. The area is particularly suitable for those who like shorter hiking trails and our younger guests. Prenn also has numerous opportunities for that well-deserved pit stop so you can keep your body rested and refuelled.

For generations, the path through the Masulschlucht gorge was an important link between Verdins and the mountain hamlet of Videgg. Yet, the path has also been the victim of nature’s cruel game… for example, the old bridge over the gorge was ripped away by the floods in the storm decades before and completely destroyed. Since then, the newly-installed wooden bridge offers breathtaking views of the lie of the land around the Masul torrent.

The Hintereggalm forms part of the Tall pastures and has been used as a summer meadow for rearing local agricultural animals for generations. The area has been popular with the many hikers that visit it from an early stage, meaning that food and drink have been available at the Hinteregger Alm hut since the 1970s.

A wooded area on the meadow track between Thurnerhof and Schenna Castle is home to scarily super legendary figures from Schenna. Kids’ imaginations will really run riot on this cross-country walk where they’ll encounter the carved figures. Mellow light suffuses the mixed woodland with chestnut trees, branches crack and rustling sounds emanate from the undergrowth... if you follow the path from Thurnerhof, where a hollow, ancient Keschtbam (South Tyrolean for chestnut tree) makes you want to play hide and seek, then that is the start of your mythical adventure. Perhaps timid forest fairies live here, or even a mischievous Nörggele. Stefan Kröll created the sculptures and - everyone who hears this is amazed - he did it with a chainsaw. All winter long he worked on the figures for his final high school graduation project at Fürstenburg Agriculture and Forestry Technical College in Burgeis, releasing giants and devils, Nörggele and a small church from pine wood. He selected six legends from the Schenna almanac, including “St. Oswald below the Ifinger”, “the Thaller Nörggele”, and “the Devil carries off a Perjuror”. The stories are told in German, Italian and English on the appealingly designed display boards. Admittedly some of the tales are rather spooky and macabre, and their content is more suitable for older children, but the figures are a delight for children of all ages, who can see what they want in them and even make up their own stories.