Themawandelingen door Zuid-Tirol

Marvel the impressive spectacle of the Rötbach waterfall above Kasern/Casere. Feel the cooling freshness on your skin, breathe in the pleasant fresh air and admire the colorful light reflections when the sun shines.

The trail leads you to a truly unique sight: the artist Jakob Oberhollenzer’s exposition park that includes a series of breathtaking life-size wooden sculptures. You’ll quickly realize however that this is a trail every bit as much about the journey as the destination. You will see stunning scenery, views of life in this valley from long ago to now, farm work, art and reflections of times past. The trail starts in St. Jakob and goes along the sunny path above the village through fields, forests and after a short distance along the old “Mühlweg” it brings you back to where you started. At various spots hikers get a look into rural-life and farm work through texts and images. The focus is on the themes: “From grain to bread”, “From flax to linen” and “Woodwork in the forest” in the course of the various seasons. In addition, there is the possibility to experience going bare-foot and treading in the refreshing glacier water. The trail is named after the patron saint Leonhard,the advocate for farmers and their diverse interests. Religion and popular beliefs have left a lasting impression on rural-life here. You can walk back from the Sculpture Garden along the street directly to the village. Or the longer route takes you past some of the local farms, past the bus stop in front of Gasthof Garber and then back to the car park.

Mining museum Prettau - Bergstöckl - Rötalm - Brugger Hütte - Mining museum

As we walk along the “Knappensteig” path, passing by entrances to old mine galleries, we take a journey into the past and a time when the extraction of ore was just beginning. Above the tree line, we feast upon a richly diverse mountainous world — in one of the country’s most beautiful high valleys. The widespread distribution of the alpine cabins demonstrates the cultural imprint of people over centuries. The interesting remnants of glaciers can be seen in the form of old moraines at the “Röt” – and “Merb”alm cabin.

The third stage of the circular hiking trail 360° Upper Vinschgau Valley trumps with unique views from the giant swing.

"Antrische Löcher" eerie holes are ancient test tunnels from the time of the copper mine in Prettau/Predoi, which can be found in various places in the Ahrntal valley. In the imagination of many people, there lived the so-called "Antrischen" - small people who dug in the mountains for treasures and precious stones.

Casere-Kasern - Innerbichlalm hut - Stegeralm hut - Alprechtalm hut - descend through Hasental

Passing by “Knappenegg” and “Bruggerpichl” we reach the “St. Nikolaus-Herrenbaustollen” (adit) Historical Copper Mine. Here there is much to learn about mining and its influence on the development of the valley. Continuing to “Innerbichlalm” cabin you ascend 300 m through high alpine forests until at the “Pichlwiesn” (meadow) the mountainous panorama of the inner Ahrntal valley reveal itself to you. The unique flora is continuously noticeable until the Stegeralm cabin, which gives an opportunity for a break in the midst of the stunning mountain scenery of the Durreck Group and Zillertal Alps. If the group is still in good shape you can aim to cross the “Alprechtgraben” gully to reach the cabin with the same name and the Felmas lookout. 

The start of the fourth stage of the circular hiking trail 360° Upper Vinschgau Valley is the mountaineering village Matsch/ Mazia. Along this stretch, you will experience the numerous cultural highlights of the Upper Vinschgau Valley.

Marvel the impressive spectacle of the Frankbach waterfall above St. Johann/San Giovanni. Feel the cooling freshness on your skin, breathe in the pleasant fresh air and admire the colorful light reflections when the sun shines.

A beautiful one and a half hour hiking trip near Luttach/Lutago and around the mysterious Schwarzbachklamm is the round trip to the waterfalls. You start at the Sportbar in Luttach/Lutago and go into the woods along water channel heading towards Brunnberg. After crossing the stream and another branch-off, the trail takes you close to the Schwarzbach waterfalls. You then descend gently at first but steeper later on. Near to the Weißenbach/Rio Bianco road you will see and hear the thunderous waterfalls. Further down you will see the Schwarzbach gorge and the lower part of the waterfalls. The steep rock walls around take away a lot of the day light. You cross over the scary gorge and once close to Luttach/Lutago you will be in the sparse woods again.

The Health Path Prettau/Predoi offers on 4 km a lot for the human well-being. Exercise in the wood, stunning views and much more. 

The NEW International Felt Art Trail in Tesimo is a short circular themed trail, that cleverly maintains a balance between nature, culture and tradition. The original International Felt Art Hiking Trail was brought to life in 2003 by Hildegard and Josef Winkler, in order to raise awareness of sheep farming and the production of wool. In 2011 the Tesimo-Prissiano tourist information association in cooperation with the municipality of Tesimo and the South Tyrol Felt and Wool Association revived this themed trail. At that time, around 50 felt art items on the theme of “The natural world related to the existing landscape - the Garden of Eden” were installed along the trail, nestling in nature. All felt sculptures were made from natural, South Tyrolean sheep’s wool. The wool for this was sent to 12 different countries around the world and then returned as finished works of felt art. “It comes from nature. And back to nature it goes.” was one of the thoughts behind the project.
The idea has remained – however the location has changed:
In 2023 this themed trail moved locations to the “schulARTweg” (school ART trail) in Tesimo. 28 felt artworks can currently be found along the NEW Felt Art Trail to which new works will regularly be added. You can find more information on all of the current felt artworks on the NEW Felt Art Trail here: https://bit.ly/3E1tZB3
The original and now former Felt Art Trail will still be open to hikers as a forest hiking track and will be signposted with wooden signs containing the single word "Filzkunstweg” (the German for “Felt Art Trail”). Please read the description below for the route of the NEW Felt Art Trail.

St. Johann‘s meditational trail was established in 1996 by the local parish council and St. Johann‘s Schützenkompanie (protection guards). Its creation commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus pledge that was sworn in 1796 and remains part of the local tradition today. Walkers are invited to stop at each station along the path to be informed by the contemplative texts and images.

The Val Gardena rail tracks course through the whole valley on a sunny stroll across forests, meadows, villages and local sights. Choose from Roncadizza, Ortisei, S. Cristina or Selva as a starting point. The walk follows the old rail tracks of the Val Gardena locomotive built during WWI (1915-1916) by Russian prisoners. Along the old railway line from La Poza to Santa Cristina you can find the diagram of the snow that fell since 1951.

15 covered wooden pillars have been erected between Kasern/Casere and Heilig Geist/S. Spirito. Each of these stations features carvings showing the suffering of the Lord. The creation of the trail was initiated by the Youth Service of the parish of Taufers in the 1980s. In collaboration with Catholic youth groups from several parishes in the Ahrntal valley and students from St. Jakob‘s Carving School, the dream was transformed into a beautiful reality. Each station is characterized by the arrangement of figures and embedded symbols from modern life, together with appropriate passages from the Scriptures. Heilig Geist (meaning Holy Spirit) is a dignified and sacred place, through history and the faith and dedication of many generations. Nobody knows exactly when the first chapel was built for the many travelers who used the Krimmler Tauern as a crossing into Pingzau and Salzburg.

Lake Antholz (1,650 m) > Almensteig (cabin trail) > Steinzger cabin (1,894 m) > trail no. 7 B > Obere Steinzger Alm (2,076 m; not managed) > trail no. 7a > at the highest point (2,260 m) amazing view of both lakes and the surrounding mountain scenery > Staller Saddle / Obersee (2,050 m) > trail no. 11 back to Lake Antholz.

Once many different lines of people walked over the „Krimmler Tauern” - hunters, farmers, seamstress, smugglers, soldiers and the path makers themselves. The Tauern crossings into ‘‘Salzburgerische’’ (in Austria) have a tradition that goes back to thousands of years. The historical importance of the route is also confirmed by the ancient “Hl. Geist” church. Furthermore the area is interesting because of its flora and fauna.

11 boards provide multimedia and vivid information about the history of Schabs and local sights; the three Chapels of Christ’s Passion on the Spinges mountain, the background to the construction of the fortress of Franzensfeste, the connections around the Tyrolean “Standschützen”, the short life of the witcher “Lauterfresser” Matthäus Perger ... - Experience history up close and personal!

In the footsteps of miners: An educational trail starting from the St. Ignaz mining gallery (1,500 m) to Rötkreuz/Croce della Val Rossa (2,080 m) that passes entrances to mine and the dilapidated remnants of former mining works.

The Saint George tunnel (adit), which turns towards the right from the road and leads you directly into the mountain was built soon after 1528. Although it is no more than 100 metres long, ore was only found at the beginning of the 40’s, as at times, there was only one miner working in this tunnel. Near the ‘Jakober Stuben’, which are the remains of former mine buildings near the entrance (‘Mundloch’) to the Saint Jacob’s tunnel, the upper part of the mine begins. This is the part, where ore was found during the 15th Century. It is said that Prettau copper ore was first found during the Bronze Age. If this is true, it was most likely found here in this mine. At some stage, there were several tunnels leading into the mountain, but only a few of them can be seen today. The most upper tunnel was called Saint Wilhelm. This was the ‘treasure chest’ of the mine, i.e. copper ore was first found here. The wild and romantic landscape between the ‘Jakober Stuben’ and the Saint Wilhelm tunnel did not grow naturally, but was created by man. This happened during the 18th Century, when the ore was partly mined with the help of black powder. The educational trail ends at the Rötkreuz/Croce della Val Rossa (2,080 m).

The Gais Culture Path leads over the stream divide to Neuhaus Castle and is the perfect invitation to meditating or just lounging around. Along the path, artists have installed works with which prominent personalities are acknowledged who formerly lived and worked in Gais. They are the troubadour Oswald von Wolkenstein, American poet Ezra Pound, his daughter Mary de Rachewiltz, and the sculptors Heinrich and Franz Bacher. At the same time, for attentive observers, the path presents itself as an enrichment for the soul, a silent bit of happiness in an increasingly loud world. Even though its total length is two kilometers (a mile and a quarter), at many places there is a clear view on the former Gais scree cone, on the village itself with its Romanesque church, and on the facing hill on which the majestic remnants of the Chela-Kehlburg fortress stands.

Lake Antholz parking spot > passed the Huberalm Hut on to the Tiroler Hut > cross the stream and walk toward the lake > keep your left for the nature trail around the mountain lake. The walking tour can also be done the other way around.

Short but educational theme trail at the Rainguthof animal world in Gfrill

The Ahrntal Sun trail takes you to several traditional mountain lodges where you can stop to eat and through magnificent flower fields on the sunny side of the Zillertal Alps. You will get to see breathtaking views of the Ahrntal (valley), of the Dolomites and of the Rieserferner mountain group. Particularly impressive are the pastures and the beautiful flowers on the mountain meadows in almost alpine terrain. Up here the farmer produces food in accordance with nature and he gives the land back what he takes from it. You will get an insight into the difficult life as it once was up in these meadows and can compare it to the much less difficult life up there today. If you get hungry, you can always try the typical specialties from the area.

Earth, water, air and fire - the four elements accompany nature lovers and hikers on the seven themed trails in Gais. From the easy valley hike and family-freindly circular trail with places to play through to the challenging course high above the villages, there is something to suit every preference. There are information panels telling about the influence of the four elements on the local people, nature and cultural landscape, highlighting their importance throughout history to the present day.

From the grass to the glass: Embark on an exciting journey from the city center to the dairy and then on the bike path back through the historic center of Sterzing. Whether alone, as a couple or with the whole family: The way is an unforgetable experience!

A total of 12 stations invite you to discover. From the feed of the cows to the finished yoghurt, the path from the grass to the glass is experienced in fun hands-on stations. On the way back over the bike path you will pass the most important sights of Sterzing. From the parish church in the south, past the town hall in the city center to the Zwölferturm, up to the starting point at the Nordparkplatz.

KEY DATA:
Walking time: approx. 2 hours (5,4km)
Difficulty: very easy
Baby carriage and wheelchair accessible
Not suitable for bicycles
For the way no liability is taken over

A walk for nature lovers

The theme path that runs from Natz to Raas and back to the starting point provides insight into the natural beauty of the area. On various information boards along the way, you will learn things to know about the apple cultivation in Natz and the apple-producing region of South Tyrol.

Kasern/Casere - Hochwieser Alm - Biotope Wieser Werfa - Waldner See/lake - Kasern/Casere

We move through an area of small streams, mountain rivers and moraines („Wieser Werfa” und “Wieser Moos”) and mountain lakes (Waldner See). At the same time we enjoy panoramic views of the glaciated world of the „Hohe Tauern” mountains as well as the dark peaks of the “Durreck Group“, a core landscape of the Nature Park “Rieserferner-Ahrn”. Historical pathways across the „Hundskehle” tell of former close contacts with the neighbouring people in “Zillertal” valley.

The Pinot Noir walkway leads through the Pinot Nor growing area along the Trudner Horn/Monte Corno Nature Park and the characteristic villages of Auer/Ora, Montan/Montagna and Neumarkt/Egna. The Pinot Noir growing area in Montan and Mazon/Mazzon is one of the most famous in Italy. Furthermore you walk through several monuments and historical places. The walkway is family-friendly and not dangerous.

The round trail Gaismair is about 15 kilometers long in a range from 950 to 1200 m above sea level and it runs through and around the town of Sterzing. On the path there are short steep and uneven passages and therefore some segments are not very suitable for strollers. Along the trail lies the village of Tschöfs, where the farmer's son Michael Gaismair was born in 1490. He studied law and stood up for the rights of the farmer population during the peasant uprisings.

Easy hike from the Stiergarten summit station (2092 m). On the new wide hiking trail via the
Klammbachalm and Nemesalm and back to the starting point. Ideal for families and pushchair-friendly.