Wędrówki i wspinaczka w Vinschgau

For centuries now, the inhabitants of St. Martin im Kofel, located above Laces/Latsch, have been making the pilgrimage over the Niederjöchl pass (2,662 m a.s.l) to the pilgrimage site of Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau, in order to pray together with the people of Senales for a good harvest.

An extremely interesting and beautiful trail through Pfossental valley, part of the Texelgruppe Nature Park. This is the largest nature park in South Tyrol and if you’re lucky, you’ll see some of the fauna that lives here.

Hike along the Latschander Waalweg canal. The "Waale" are irrigation systems and the water was drained and fed into the canals so that meadows and fields could be irrigated.

This unglaciated peak on the southern edge of the Ötztal Alps is on the border between Italy and Austria and is one of the easiest 3000 m-peaks to climb in the mountain range. It offers a wonderful panorama view towards the southern Schnalstal Valley and the Weißkugel (3,739 m a.s.l.).

This tour, that can be done from early spring to late autumn, depending on the weather, takes us along the highest grain farm in Europe. Grain was cultivated at this altitude right up to the second half of the last century, when the construction of the dam and reservoir also changed the climate of the Schnalstal Valley. There are archaic structures along this trail that have only changed slightly during the development of mountain farming over thousands of years.

The Via Monachorum, also referred to as “Silentium“ (Path of tranquillity) connects the villages of Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau and Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg with Certosa/Karthaus. There was a historic monastery there, founded by the Carthusian monks in the 14th century.  Dressed in their white robes, the monks lived in silence. Some large parts of the monastery walls have been preserved, as are the Gothic cloister and the former monastery kitchen. There are a number of plaques along this themed trail with philosophical quotations relating to tranquillity and silence. The trail is signposted using life-sized figures of monks.

The castle of the Noblemen of Senales once stood where the parish church of Monte Santa Caterina/Katharinaberg now stands with its tower reaching for the heavens was once. However, the Carthusians had it destroyed in 1350. In earlier times, there was a proto-historic human settlement here. A Bronze Age sickle element with silica and Iron Age ceramic artefacts are proof that this area has been used for thousands of years. It would appear that a pre-historic trail ran along here coming up from Vinschgau.

The entire Merano High Mountain Trail (no. 24), one of the most stunning trails in the entire Alpine region, is 100 km in length, requires four to six days of hiking and is accessible from the beginning of July to the end of September (depending on the snow situation). At a relatively consistent altitude, this trail connects, to an extent, the high mountain climate of the Texel Group and the sub-Mediterranean climate of the Etschtal Valley. The hike through the various segments gives us a good insight into the world of the mountain farmers who worked to create and maintain this mountain and cultural landscape over the centuries.

The heart of the Texelgruppe Nature Park is the largest side valley of the Schnalstal Valley and can only be reached by a single, partly steep road, passing ancient farms. From the paid parking lot at the Vorderkaserhof Inn you continue on foot.

The Lazaun high plateau is marked by the power of the glacier, for example, by an active block glacier and a high moor. You will find very distinctive Alpine flora here, including the dwarf willow (Salix herbacea), the smallest tree in the world. With any luck, the attentive observer will also be treated to rare sightings of local fauna. Numerous marmots live up here in addition to rock partridge and snow grouse.

A hike with amazing views of probably the oldest meadows in South Tyrol

Section of the Archaeological Trail A 7 - The Archaeological Hiking Map with additional information is available free of charge at the archeoParc Schnalstal or at the Tourism Office Schnalstal Valley

The Castle path - An experience for the family on the Monte Sole at Castelbello

The Culture Promenade is a beautiful circular trail of about 7 km in length, located in the valley floor of Sulden. The path is even, with almost no elevation gain, and passes by 12 cultural sites and museums that tell the history of tourism in the Ortler region, from its pioneering days to the present. The promenade is accessible year-round and offers seating areas to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

The archaeological trail from Vent to Maso Corto/Kurzras leads through captivating mountain landscape that was already used many centuries ago by shepherds with their flocks.

According to oral tradition, after the dissolution of the Carthusian monastery of Allerengelsberg in 1782, the farmed Alpine pastures of Klosteralm (open from the beginning of June to mid / end of October, depending on the weather) at 2,152 m became the property of a number of families in Certosa/Karthaus who set up a syndicate which has thirty members today. The farm was only accessible by a narrow mountain path until a transport cable car was built in 1959. Thanks to the avalanche barrier beneath the Kreuzspitze, a road link was provided as an “ancillary benefit”. Due to its steep and stony pastures, the farm has been used almost exclusively as a typical farm for young cattle.

This high-Alpine trail presents the hiker with dramatic views and scenic highlights.

The archaeological trail rises from Vernago/Vernagt to Giogo Basso/Niederjoch with its spectacular views and on to Tisenjoch, a reminder of the discovery site of Ötzi the Iceman, crosses the border and continues on to the village of Vent (A).

Alpine hike to the one-time highest grain farm in Europe the Finailhof farm (1,973 m).

Archaeological trail A10 is a particularly beautiful hike but somewhat longer and at times at higher altitudes.

The high mountain valley has always been an important crossing from Laces/Latsch and Kastelbello/Kastellbell in Vinschgau Valley, where there were already settlements during the Copper Age, as seen with the menhir in Latsch. Recent archaeological finds in the ground around the Penaudalm Mountain Hutand the old mountain farm suggest that this area had been used as a hunting ground not only since the Mesolithic Age but that the high plateau already had a seasonal settlement from the Bronze Age on. We are still waiting for the results of analyses to see if the buildings discovered were connected to milk processing, that is to say, cheese production.

This archaeological trail begins with a ride on the glacier train from Maso Corto/Kurzras to the summit station, then there’s a short climb to Grawand and its imposing summit cross; it passes over the ridge and drops down to the small Finailsee lake, goes on to the Finailhof farm, once the highest grain farm in the region, passes unhurriedly by Raffeinhof farm to Tisenhof farm and then into the village of Vernago/Vernagt with its wonderful dam and reservoir.

Archaeological trail A5 begins in the village of Certosa/Karthaus where you can visit the cloister of the former Carthusian monastery. It then leads into the Penaud valley as far as the area known as “Karl Sumperer”. From here, you can view virtually the entire valley, with a panoramic view to the summits of the Similaun group of mountains. Arriving at Niederjöchl shortly after, you will have a magnificent view of Vinschgau valley, of the ice-capped peaks of the Cevedale and of the Martelltal valley. This is followed by the long descent to Sankt Martin am Kofel and its pilgrimage church. From here, it’s only a few minutes by cable car to Laces/Latsch.

The untouched Lagauntal Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in South Tyrol. The trail up to the former Heilbronn hut and the Tascheljöchl provide a breathtaking long-distance view of numerous 3000m-peaks. On the way to Berglalm Mountain Hut, we pass through idyllic high mountain terrain with expansive larch forests.

The archaeological trail A4 begins in Maso Corto/Kurzras, passes a number of idyllic mountain lakes and drops down into the Vinschgau Valley. Having descended along a gentle forest path, past an old timber mill, you arrive in the small, picturesque village of Corces/Kortsch.

An easy but fascinating archaeological trail from Monte Santa Caterina/Katharinaberg up to Obermairalm Mountain Hut, along an almost level trail to Dickeralm Mountain Hut, through a beautiful larch forest to the Linthof farm and from there to the gondola lift that takes us down to Naturno/Naturns in a few minutes.

Hiking along the old water courses is one of the favorite Sunday activities of the South Tyroleans - hardly surpising, since the leisurely walks can be undertaken with the whole family. One of the most beautiful is the "Schnalswaalweg"

Easy and magnificent path from the mountain hut Vorderkas/ inn Jägerrast to the mountain pasture Eishof, also suitable for children and elderly people. In the further course more and more surefootedness is required. 
Tips: the informational boards along the Alpine Pasture Experience Trail (Almerlebnisweg) are interesting. Not far from mountain pasture Rableid, there is a lime kiln, in which the limestone from the Hohe Weiße mountain was fired to make building lime, which was also presumably used to construct the monastery in Certosa/Karthaus.