Places to See in South Tyrol

Mount Conturines, located in the Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage, is the highest mountain in the Fanes group of which it is also one of the most representative.

The hike to Mt. Conturines, in the Fanes-Senes-Braies nature park, starts in San Cassiano / Capanna Alpina. The ascent to the cave is challenging, the hike is therefore recommended for well trained mountaineers only.

On trail no.11 climb up o the Col de Locia towards Fanes until you reach the Gran Plan (great plain in Ladin language). Continue to the left on a slope of mountain pines and climb on steep screes to the foot of Mt. Conturines at 2800 m, where you will find the entrance of a bear cave.

The discovery of the Conturines cave in 1987 was a big sensation: within the cave there were found the fossilised remains of a cave bear. Studies of the bones have subsequently revealed that the fossilized skull, teeth, and bones found in the cave do not originate, as initially suspected, from a cave bear of recent times, but rather do belong to a cave bear of the Middle Ice Age. The Conturines bear was named Ursus ladinicus, in honor of the Ladin valley where it was found.

The access to the cave is allowed only on the occasion of guided hikes organized by the Alta Badia Tourism Cooperative. The fossil remains are exposed in the Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus in San Cassiano.

The biotope relaxing zone is frequently visited by young and adult guests that appreciate the three ponds, a lawn with showers, a bar with restaurant and a children's playground.

There are three small lakes: a small pond, a children's pool and a regeneration pond which was built separately, to ensure the protection of the regeneration zone during bathing season. The pond is purified mechanically, but most of all biologically.

Prices:

Adults: € 9,00
Children (7-14): € 7,00
Children (up to 6 years and only if accompanied): € 4,00
1 Entrance + 1 Sunbed with umbrella: 14,00€
2 Entrances + 2 sunbeds with parasol: 25,00€

The educational mills path leads along Ternerbach River. During a 1.5 hour hike you walk past 7 renovated corn mills, some of which are up to 500 years old. This is where farmers used to grain corn into fine flour, and sometimes still do During the summer months one mill is open to the public every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the Mill Festival you can get an insight into the millers' profession. Starting point: car park in the village center

The Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park, Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage since 2009, measures approx. 25,680 hectares and spreads across the municipalities of Badia and La Val in Alta Badia, Braies, Dobbiaco, Marebbe and Valdaora. The Dolomite High Route no. 1 leads through the area of the Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park.

The mountains facing Val Pusteria valley form the park's northern, Val Badia valley its western boundary; in the south the Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park stretches all the way to South Tyrol's provincial border in the direction of Cortina and the Val di Landro valley marks its eastern boundary against the Dolomiti di Sesto. The steep, almost insurmountable rock faces protect a morphologically and scenically highly diverse, broad area of alpine pastures and high plateaus.

The majority of Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park's area is covered by mountain pastures and meadows which are characterised by a unique variety of plant life. Leopard's bane, gentian, orchids, bistort and golden hawksbeard are commonly found. The vegetation zones range from mountain forests near the valleys to above 3,000 metres (9,842 ft). Fanes-Senes-Braies natura preserve's fauna is representative for the Dolomites.

The natural park's part in the Alta Badia area offers some particularly interesting zones:

• the Armentara-meadows, a small but highly diverse area with an impressive variety of species:
• the Counturines cave: At 2,800 m (9,186 ft) above sea level, this is the highest bear cave in the world. In 1987, a bear's fossilised bones, skull and teeth were found in this cave. Scientists discovered that the remains belonged to a bear that had lived in the Austrian Alps around 50,000 years ago, called the Ladin bear (Ursus ladinicus);
• the Fanes high alpine pasture with its lithic amphitheatre known as the "Marmots' Parliament" is the setting of one of the prettiest of Ladin legends, the fairy tale "The Empire of the Fanes".

In contrast to Puez-Odle natural park, Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park explodes in colours, waters and life. In order to fully experience and understand its unique world and landscape, one must not just look at Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park from its boundaries.
One must hike in it, experience and get into contact with the area.

It is also called "the shining face of the Dolomites" because of the rich variety of its vegetation and landscapes, with steep cliffs rising at the edge of the Park and protecting a large area of pastures and colorful plateaus.

A hike through the Nature Park will take you to the mysterious places of the legend of the Kingdom of Fanes. The saga, which is considered the Ladin national epic poem, tells of the expansion of the mythical Fanes empire and its fall, of the princesses Moltina and Dolasilla, of the evil wizard Spina de Mul and of the fearless hero Ey de Net.

The St. Benedikt church of Mals was ercted in the 8th century A.D. Its Carolingian frescoes are among the earliest murals in central Europe. Originally, St. Benedict's did not have a tower; this was probably only built in the 12th century and therefore appears somewhat oversized. 
Without doubt, however, the two portraits of the founders are the most interesting. They show the Bishop of Chur and a Franconian landlord in traditional costume. This portrait is unique in Europe, as there is no comparable representation anywhere else. 

Opening hours summer 21.04.2025 - 31.10.2025:
Open to the public: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 10:00 - 11:30 am
Guided tours: Monday, Wednesday at 14:00, Friday at 10:00 (only in German language)
Prices: € 1.80 per person; with guided tour € 3.00 per person
Registration not required 

Opening hours winter 07.12.2024 - 15.03.2025:
Open: Saturday at 10:00 am
Price: € 1.80 per person
Registration not required 

Guided tours only in German or Italian language (Info: +39 0473 831190)

The church is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Historical restoration of the electric locomotive in Burgstall
A restoration of the historic electric locomotive in Burgstall has been done. The locomotive, once located in the ruined carriage house at the old bus station in Lana, has been placed near the train station Lana-Burgstall and the Adige bridge.

The restored iron truss bridge of the Water Protection Office together with the wicker dome and the locomotive give a round picture of South Tyrol's technical culture.

The Stelvio Pass Road twists and turns in tight serpentines and more than 48 hairpin bends before reaching Stelvio Pass at a lofty height of 2,757 meters.
It connects Spondigna/Spondinig in Venosta Valley with Bormio in Lombardy and is the highest mountain pass in Italy. Its planning and construction – which was begun in 1820 under Kaiser Franz Joseph and completed in 1926 with only six years’ construction – is regarded as a pioneering achievement in the area of mountain road building.

Alta Badia is a true treasure trove of wonders, containing masterpieces sculpted by Nature itself—from the most majestic, shaped over millennia, to the more delicate and ephemeral ones, yet persistent due to their cyclical nature. Among these stands out the snow cave, located at the foot of Cima Dieci, inviting you to discover a natural phenomenon of icy and pristine beauty, revealing the frozen heart of a cave adorned with impressive wavy walls, patiently sculpted season after season.

The cave continues to grow in size in the summer: the narrow hollow carved out by the stream is filled with cold air which is denser and therefore heavier than the summer air outside. This in turn sets off an inverted chimney effect: the heavy cold air sinks down to the bottom of the cave, giving rise to a strong draught from the top to the bottom of the snow cave. Warm summer air is now drawn into the cave from the upper openings, causing the cave to melt from within.

In the meantime, the warm is cooled by the ice and thus flows out through the lower opening as heavy air. This effect can continue for months, melting an ever larger cavity in the ice.

Access to the cave is officially prohibited. You may approach the entrance to take photos, but be cautious of the risk of falling rocks.

The natural bathing pond in Lüsen is a small, idyllic mountain lake right in the midst of South Tyrol. Returning from a great hiking trip with super panoramic views or a nature park excursion, a visit to the bathing pond will bring you much sought after refreshment. Children can whiz down the slide while parents dive deep into the fresh spring water from the Lüsen Alm, when nearby farmers work on the fields and cows grass on the meadows.

At the foot of the rocky walls of the "Grup dl Sela" or Sella Group, the most imposing massif of the Dolomites, you can admire the evocative “cascades de Pisciadú”. The waterfalls, which can be reached from Colfosco with an easy walk through a large clearing, are particularly impressive in spring when, thanks to the thaw, they are rich in water.

 

Along the slope from the Lagazuoi to the Capanna Alpina, you ski past a very particular natural phenomenon.
In winter, when everything freezes, wonderful ice-waterfalls form on this mountain. They are particular, because in summer water flows rarely at this point.
The waterfalls are very interesting for climbers.

St. Nicholas’s Church in Laces is a Romanesque church from the 14th century. Formerly it belonged to the monastery of Laces, now it belongs to the municipality of Laces. The remains of the frescoes by the southern front of the church, which portray the crucifixion of St. Nicholas and St. Christopher, are well worth a look.

Since 2017 it is exibition place of the menhir: the top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

The church is open daily from 09 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Lago di Pausa Lake is a deeply blue alpine lake. According to a legend instead of Lago di Pausa Lake there was a stony area with many huts built on top of it. Dwarfs were the owners of the huts, and they worked in the mine of the Dwarf King named Mute. They searched for crystals in the mine and got good money for their hard work. However, after some time the dwarfs became more and more dissatisfied. One day, the dwarfs found a giant gemstone, which they wanted to keep and sell themselves. Mute found out about the dwarfs' intention and brought about a giant storm. Water flew down the mountains and the dwarfs could not be saved. Lago di Pausa Lake, and Mutenock Peak are still there today.

The small highland area La Crusc/Santa Croce, located at the foot of the magnificent Santa Croce mountain, has always had a special place in the heart of the people of Val Badia.

A story that started many hundreds of years ago
Many centuries ago, when Alta Badia was still largely uninhabited, La Crusc (Holy Cross) seems to have been a pagan place of worship. It was probably the unfavourable living conditions of the area that led the first Christians to construct a sanctuary here.

Around 1010 the monks built a chapel at La Crusc where a small church was erected in the 15th century. At the end of the 17th century the church was deconsecrated by the then Austrian Emperor and was subsequently left to decay. Pilgrims and valley dwellers rescued the little church by partially rebuilding it, and some years later in the middle of the 18th century it was enlarged and embellished with a bell tower.

For a long time, the origins of La Crusc as a place of pilgrimage were dated back to 1511, on the basis of documents from the period. Two parchements emerged, however, and pointed to an even earlier existence. The first mentioned a church consecration; the second contained the story of “Morellus de Caninis” who made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1500 in order to seek favours for the La Crusc church.

Numerous relics are preserved in the altar of the church, such as those of St Leonard (to whom the parish church of San Leonardo/Badia is dedicated), St Hippolitus, St Virgilius (Bishop of Salzburg), St Mary Magdalena, St Agnes and St Barbara.

Nowadays there are several processions to the church during the summer season, and there is an important service on the first Sunday in June.

The legends surrounding the church

The building of the church
Many, many centuries ago, the inhabitants of Badia had planned to build a chapel on the “Col d’Anvi”. During the construction work however the workers kept injuring themselves on the wooden shavings. White birds collected the blood-spattered shavings and took them to the foot of the La Crusc/Santa Croce mountain. After a while the workers began to notice this and they followed the birds in order to find out where they were flying to with the shavings. Once they had arrived at the wonderful spot at the foot of the mighty Sas dla Crusc/Santa Croce, they were so impressed that they decided to build the church there.

The legend surrounding Ottwin, Count of Lurn
People in Badia like to relate how there used to be a hermit who lived at the foot of the Sas dla Crusc/Santa Croce. This hermit was no less a person than Ottwin, Count of Lurn and Pustrissa, or possibly his son Volkold, the founder of the Sonnenburg Monastery at the entrance of the Val Badia Valley. The legend tells how Ottwin had fallen into heresy during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Upon his return to his homeland in South Tyrol, he was unable to overcome the feelings of guilt over his lapse. He therefore decided to live as a hermit in a log hut under the crags of the Kreuzkofel and devote his life to prayer and penance.

The Rio Pusteria Fortress can be found at the entrance to the Val Pusteria, between the villages of Rio Pusteria and Vandoies. The fortress is directly located along the main road, also the Pusterbike Cycle Route runs past this impressive place of interest. Exactly in this place, the borderline between the countships of Goerz and Tyrol ran in 1271. For this reason Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia, had a dam built, that is to say the castle-like Rio Pusteria Fortress.

Actually the original building was located 600 m in the west of the present-day location and consisted of a long-drawn-out barrage as well as two turrets. The ancient fortress was built according to the model of Mediaeval dam. The construction material consisted of natural and homogeneously-sized river stones, which were hardly modified. The last documents regarding this building are dated 1340.

The newly-built construction, that is by the way preserved still today, bears the hallmarks of Sigismund, Archduke of Austria. The fortress is decorated by round turrets, while a dam stretches up the forested slope. In fact, the Rio Pusteria Fortress not only used to be a toll station, but was also residential building and dam. The building can be visited in a guided tour in summer months.

Neves Lake, 1857m

The round-trip trail around the Neves artificial lake gurantees an unique experience for the whole family (doable even with a baby carriage)

For mountain lovers the Neves Lake is starting point for one of the most beautiful mountain trails in South Tyrol: the Neveser Höhenweg.

Prices:
- up to 1 hour: € 5.00
- 1 hour and 1 minute up to 4 hours: € 8.00
- 4 hours and 1 minute up to 24 hours: € 12.00
- 40,00 € per week

A good place to relax, the new Stone Labyrinth is located by the Grünboden mountain station. It is fashioned as a short circular tour and was built using exclusively natural materials. Attractions include a pond, a spring-water fountain and a series of vantage points. A good choice even with uninspiring weather, the labyrinth offers the chance to take cover under a rock and enjoy the sound of the rain.

With its variety of tree species and a series of informative panels documenting the avalanches of the 19th and 20th century, the Stone Labyrinth scores high with nature fans and history lovers and can be reached via the panoramic footpath!

The Nature Park Visitor Center of Villnöss brings visitors closer to nature and is the perfect place to dwell on. A walkable aerial photo gives visitors a bird‘s eye perspective of the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. The exhibition area “Touch the mountains” focuses on the key topic - the geology of the Dolomites. The Puez-Geisler Nature Park has been designated the “Dolomites site office” because it is home to all of the rock types, deposits and weathering that are typically found in the Dolomites. The Puez-Geisler Nature Park in the Dolomites is estendet on a area of the 3 valleys: Gadertal valley, Gröden valley and Villnöss valley.  The “Nature’s treasure trove” on the second floor contains plenty to discover: animal fur, bird’s eggs, feathers, footprints, droppings, teeth, antlers, medicinal herbs … all of which - and much more - is on display and can be touched! The “Conquering Mountains” room is primarily dedicated to alpinism. The world’s probably most famous alpinist, Reinhold Messner, comes from Villnöss. He talks about his experiences in the mountains in a short film. The “Puez-Geisler Nature Park film” is also shown daily in the mountain cinema. Leave your stress at home, discover the world of the mountains, and feel like a hunter in the woods.

Small alpine chapel on the alpine pasture of Rodengo and Luson and a nice place for a short rest.

An Adventure Playground for Children on Watles, the Hikers' Paradise  

Amidst the expansive Watles hiking area, there is the 1500 m² Spielesee – an artificial lake for children, designed as an exciting adventure playground for little ones and families. Kids can play on the wooden rafts, hanging bridges, waterfalls and streams where they can try their hand at "gold panning" or exploring for minerals and other gems. Children love the long slide and the new Funballz, a water–walking-ball which kids can hop and run with along the surface of the water. 

Wooden chaise-langue’s are also available and adults can unwind and enjoy the view from the platform, with its magnificent mountain panorama. Admissions are free of charge.

The Romanesque St. Sisinius' Church is situated on a plateau above Lasa/Laas, the village of marble in South Tyrol. Its rare choir tower church was built on the ruins of a former building. Skeleton and clay fragments from the Bronze Age even prove the existence of a cult worship place. The hill’s many years of settlement are probably due to its location. Even today, visitors enjoy the wonderful view of the surrounding mountains that extend to the Laaser Ferner glacier.

The church itself was first mentioned in 1290 and is dedicated to the martyr Sisinius, who lived in the Nonsberg area of South Tyrol. Surrounded by a high asylum wall in a Romanesque herringbone pattern, the eastern wall has a Gothic pointed arch gate devoid of a gate wing. The choir is located in the tower, which is covered by a stone tower pyramid. The nave, on the other hand, has two round arched windows, a protruding triumphal arch and a portal made of pure Lasa marble.

The church has no sacral furniture and is closed. Guided tours are offered by Marmorplus on request T. +39 347 4095404

 

The water of the Bad Überwasser was formerly mainly recommended for baths against anemia, weakness, arthropathy and so on. In 2009 it was analytically proven that the water is bacteriologically pure. Compared to drinking water, however, it has increased levels of iron and manganese.

The area around the Lagazuoi mountain offers a combination of hiking, skiing, culture and world history, in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the Dolomites. The mountains of the  Lagazuoi - 5 Torri area bear traces of one of the most tragic events of the twentieth century, the First World War.

Do not miss: in winter, at the end of an impressive 8.5 km descent, the most ecological taxi in the Alps awaits you. A heard of horses pulls the skiers from Sas Dlacia to the Armentarola ski lift to get back to the Skicarosello ski area which connects all the villages of Alta Badia.

From the village centre (town hall) via Church alley ‘Kirchgasse’ to the parish church of Saint Blaise. Walk under the church, then keep left to Turnauna irrigation channel path no. 8. After a few hundred metres along the irrigation channel path, the path to the cup stone branches off downhill (approx. 20 minutes from the town hall).

The prehistoric cup stone dates back to the Middle Neolithic period (approx. 4,500 - 3,000 BC) and is therefore one of the oldest monuments of mankind. The indentations in the stone are known as ‘ cups’. Researchers do not agree on the meaning of the cup stones. There are various assumptions:

1. The cup stone stored energy and served as a place of power. It was mainly used as a fertility symbol for ritual purposes. The cups were notched as thanks.

2. The cup stone was an astronomical calendar. At a certain distance, a wooden slat cast a shadow on the cups, indicating the right time for sowing and harvesting.

3. People or animals were killed on a lying cup stone and the blood that flowed out was soaked up in the cups and sacrificed to the gods.

The cup stone was found on 11 November 1988 during excavation work for irrigation pipes by Paul Hermann Vidal. In April 1989, Dr Lorenzo Dal Ri, then Director of the State Monuments Office, was able to prove the authenticity of the cup stone. In September 1990, Dr Sennhauser, an archaeologist from the monastery of St. Johann in Müstair, determined the age of the cup stone to be 4,500 BC (Neolithic period).

From July to October there is on the biggest lake in South Tyrol, the lago Resia, "Ship Ahoy" with the "MS Hubertus"
While the ship that passeth away, idyllically situated on the turquoise blue lago Resia, passengers have views of the impressive mountain panorama.
Captain Winkler informed about the natural beauty around the 6 km long reservoir and are legends and stories about the sunken villages for the best.

At the end of the parking lot, pass the game reserve. Trail. n° 9 continues through the forest, along the ditch until it turns left crossing a small bridge over the waters of the glacier. The winding path continues up to three cascades, made up of water from the glacier, then descending to the flat section of the woodlands and back again to the starting point.

The Rosim plateau is a high mountain platform of alpine meadow in the little side valley of Solda. Sit down and wonder about the natural, alpine flowers and enjoy the wide panorama.

A circuit trail near the Obere Stilfser Alm Alpine refuge leads to the Goldseen Lakes above Stilfs/Stelvio (not to be confused with the Goldsee Lake on the Stelvio Pass). In the high mountain grasslands around these small Alpine lakes, one enjoys an unobstructed view of the Ortler area.

The limekiln in Andriano is a kind of kiln where in the past people used to produce quicklime from limestone.

About an hour from Seis am Schlern you will find the ruins of Hauenstein on an enormous mountain slope. These ruins were once home to poet and singer Oswald von Wolkenstein, and every so often in the quiet of the night, one can hear the sounds of violins and the mournful song of a maiden who is said to have been bewitched there. Late one evening, shepherds were guarding their flocks around the castle. They sat to rest at the entrance to the castle and recounted one tale after another. All of a sudden, they sensed that somebody in the castle had opened a window. They looked up and saw, through the shimmering light of the open window, a woman combing her long hair. Her head, however, was but a skull, and the shepherds blood curdled at the sight of such beautiful hair growing from a head so fearsome. The woman threw stones and sand at the flock of sheep, who ran in terror. It's believed that the skeleton is the wife of a banished knight, destined to roam the castle until the return of her lost spouse.