Don't miss the diverse range of experiences of South Tyrol! Enjoy sporting activities, discover the rich culture and visit diverse events in Alpine and Mediterranean locations. Whether young or old, everyone will find something suitable. To help you decide, we present our suggestions for an unforgettable holiday in South Tyrol. Experience the diversity!
The "Joggila" chapel, located on the road to the church in Niederrasen, belongs to the older chapels in Rasen. The wayside shrine was probably built around 1723.
Schlandersburg Castle was built around 1600 as the residence of the Hendl aristocrats. The castle was later enlarged thus becoming one of the most important Renaissance edifices in the entire Venosta Valley. In 1988, the castle was placed under the administration of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and today it houses a public library in addition to the Employment offices and those of the Forestry Department - and the Menhir exhibition.
In 2013, two menhirs dating to the Copper Age were recovered from pieces of marble during the conversion work for a gardening shop in Vezzano/Vetzan, near Silandro/Schlanders. Since March 2017, the menhirs have been showcased at Schlandersburg Castle as part of a comprehensive thematic exhibition. In addition to these two original pieces, eighteen abstract pictorial figures made of metal are also displayed, which represent the eighteen menhirs found in South Tyrol and Trentino in recent decades.
The two unique sculptures, with male and female attributes respectively, give us an intriguing insight into the history of the area. The male sculpture is over 3 m in height, and wears a belt from which the handle of a dagger sticks out. The female menhir wears a robe and a necklace. The original set-up of these two sculptures can no longer be recovered; most likely they formed part of a larger group of figures.
The cooperative Marmorplus offers guided tours and hikes around the Lasa marble and the Covelano marble.
The St. Blasius Church in the fraction Verschneid celebrates its patronage with the distribution of the Blasius blessing on February 3rd. The tower is still Romanesque, the church was enlarged and gothicised around 1500. Very expressive is the baroque fresco (1621) "Vom Gastmahl des reichen Prassers".
That poky chapel is the oldest in the valley and has been rehabilitated recently.
The Church of St. Nicholas was recorded for the first time in 1432. In 1840 a landslide seriously damaged the entire town and the church, which was rebuilt ten years later. Since St. Nicholas is the patron saint of travellers, one can assume that the old Venosta road was already used by the ancient Romans to reach Vezzano/Vezzan. The church is open all year. Worship Sun 8.30 am in German
Tschenglsburg Castle, also known as Fuchsburg, remains a unitary building complex despite its different construction periods. At its entrance, there is the great entrance portal dating from the year 1000, with a keystone in the white marble arch engraved with the family coat of arms. The castle was privatized in 1860 and is today a popular cultural tavern.
The climbing garden above the sports area Silandro/Schlanders
- 36 routes
- Altitude: 770 m
- Walking time: approx. 10-35 min.
- Rock: gneiss
- Difficulty level: 5a - 8a
Access: Sportzone Silandro
Follow the road in the valley, turn left on a forest road and a few hundred meters after the fishpond turn left to the electricity plant - or the hiking trail no. 7 towards Schlandersburg castle - or follow the hiking trail 14 above the sports zone.
The climbing "Priel" is maintained by AVS Schlanders.
Detailed Info: Sportclimbing Guides 1 Passeier Vinschgau
Even today, the custom-manufactured railway built for the special environment of the Stelvio National Park transports the heavy marble blocks over four sections almost automatically down into the valley.
The marble-transporting train has been operated in the same original state since 1930 and carries the marble from the marble quarry (2,200 m above sea level) to the valley. With the Lasa sloped railway, it is possible to transport a 40-ton load at a speed of 1m/sec in 16 minutes in to the valley. To date, this type of transport is the most environmentally-friendly method of transportation of marble thusfar. During the marble hikes, interested guests can also visit the unique inclined railway.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates from 1499 and the side chapel was added around 1600. It had to be rebuilt after being burned down both in 1885 and in 1924. Today it is considered one of the most beautiful sacral baroque examples in the entire Venosta Valley. The church is open all year. Worship Sun 8.30 am in German
The mountain lake of Covelano/Göflan is idyllically situated in the Stelvio National Park, above the Covelano marble quarry and at the foot of Jennwand summit.
Refreshments stop: Göflaneralm, Haslhof
The old church at Oris was St. Bartholomew's. After a landslide destroyed the entire settlement, a new church was built at the foot of the mountain dedicated to St. Remigio and was documented for the first time in 1424. Landslides recorded in 1831, 1840 and 1855 destroyed the town and in 1852 a new church was built. Worship: Sunday 10 am in German
Tennis opportunity to play all year round in Silandro:
in summer 3 sand tennis courts, at night with lighting (Info and booking at Freizeitbar Tel. +39 0473 621322) /
in winter 1 sand tennis court in the illuminated tennis balloon (Info and booking at Amateur-Tennis & Freizeitclub Schlanders Tel. +39 340 4208872).
A display board in the Rienzschlucht gorge provides information on the 11-km long natural pressure water system of Lüsen, which was constructed on the high plateau in the 1950s. Thanks to this pioneering work, life on the high plateau was changed fundamentally. From a poor arid region, it turned into a thriving landscape anda bustling tourist destination.
In 1983, a fountain was built in honor of the founder of the soil improvement consortium on the High Apple Plateau of Natz, Mr. Jakob Auer Flötscher. The fountain in the center of Natz displays his bust in bronze. Auer was a pioneer of environmentalism, as he was the driving force in the construction of a natural pressure water system, which has provided the high plateau with fresh water ever since.
Opinions differ as to its founding date and one legend has it that it was built by a knight. In 1376, the chruch and annex were taken over by the Monte Maria Abbey, but today only the ruins of the walls remain.
If you let your gaze wander over the barren slopes of the Sonnenberg mountain range in the Vinschgau valley in summertime, the white-chalk St. Ägidius' church above Silandro/Schlanders will stand out. Embedded in the stone terraces of the Corzes/Kortsch steppe belt, the small Romanesque church resembles a Mediterranean rock church.
With its octagonal spire and the oversized Christophorus fresco on the south facade , St. Ägidius is also a landmark of the valley. The massive tower with a octagon roof was not built until the 14th century, when the Romanesque church was expanded. The Christophorus fresco, on the other hand, dates from around 1330. Inside there are also wall paintings from the 13th and 15th centuries, when the church above the Kortscher Leiten meadows was much used.
As a result of the strategically favourable environs featuring a view over the valley, people settled here in ancient times. Specifically, the remains of a prehistoric settlement, known locally as the “Schatzknott," were uncovered nearby.
The little Church of St. Martin lies above Lasa on a small morainic hill. The church was documented for the first time in 1323 although its origin most probably precedes that date. The discovery of clay shards and glass dating from the Roman period, in addition to bronze sheets and other prehistoric remnants, would suggest that this once was an ancient settlement and place of worship.
The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist although it isn't possible to determine the year in which it was built with any degree of certainty. The 16th Century gothic polyptych, together with the 'versus populum' marble altar by the sculptor Karl Grasser, the magnificent window by Robert Scherer and the wooden figure of the Pietá are all of particular interest.
Worship Sat 7.30 pm, Sun 9.45 am in German language
The Church of St. Ottilia was built in 1681 at the behest of Casper Perlinger. The Madonna and Baby Jesus can be seen on the large votive table together with Perlinger and his entire family. The church is of simple construction with an octagonal-shaped choir enclosure and barrel vault.
Erected in the 12th century, St. Mark’s Church – known colloquially as “St. Marx” – is located close to the parish church of Lasa and is considered one of the most beautiful Romanesque structures in South Tyrol despite lacking a bell tower.
The walls of this desecrated church consist of large stones hewn into even layers. St. Marx catches the eye on account of its exceptional height for the time at which it was built and its division into two storeys. The crypt was used for a number of centuries as a depot for storing bones, while fragments of frescoes have been revealed around the apse in the interior.
In the course of the Josephine church reform, St. Marx was desecrated and ultimately used for entirely different purposes. Following an extended period in which the church housed a workshop for the renowned Lasa stonemasonry school, the upper storey subsequently served as a rehearsal venue for the local brass band.
The church underwent a thorough restoration in 2000, which led to the discovery of long-forgotten fragments of valuable Gothic frescoes from around the year 1400.
Opening times:
closed, to be visit from the outside
Guided tours:
no guided tours
Water tread system in the sports and leisure center Silandro/Schlanders for Kneipp use with mountain panorama and small pond.
The Church of St. Nicholas is a late gothic construction presumably dating from around 1500. In 1786 the church was secularised, in line with the reforms instituted by Emperor Joseph II and there are no remaining traces of its original function. In 1984 the church was restored and today it is used to house exhibitions.
The Church of St. Valpurga is already recorded in 1233 as the Basilica in Gevelano and was rebuilt in late gothic style in 1502. It is the only sacral late gothic edifice in the whole of the Venosta Valley and today it serves as a funeral chapel. Opening times: during the church service, sun 8.15 am
At the foot of the sunny mountain side are located the courts Mairhöfe with the chapel Siebenter. The chapel was built in 1736 and renovated in 1913.
Above the marble village of Lasa, the Venosta Monte Sole mountain presents itself in a fascinating way. All sorts of plants and herbs grow on the sun-exposed slopes and countless species of insects and reptiles enjoy the start of spring.
The “Loretzboden” also marks the beginning of the new Pharmacy way - "A path is created by walking".