Intense and packed with contrasts
Experience the diverse landscape of the Vinschgau valley by the lakes and in the peaceful tributary valleys
Sunny, windy, dry: that’s the climate in the Vinschgau valley. On the one hand, it is ideal for walks and cycling tours from March to late autumn and on the other, it creates some very varied landscapes. Typical for the Vinschgau valley are its contrasts: while the Sonnenberg range on the northern valley slope is drenched in sunshine all year round and is transformed into a steppe-like landscape in summer, the Nördersberg opposite is defined by its dense spruce forests.
The Etsch river weaves its way through the valley like a lifeline. It emerges close to the Reschensee lake and is Italy’s second-largest river, after the Po. In the valley bottom, diligent farmers maintain the cultivated landscape of apple orchards, vineyards and fields while there is a virtually untouched landscape to explore in the tributary valleys such as Langtaufers/Vallelunga or the Rojental valley, the Tarscher See or Haidersee lakes. The flora and fauna of the Stilfserjoch National Park, one of the largest nature protection areas in the Alpine region, is particularly diverse and extends around the imposing Ortler massif.