Vinschgau/Val Venosta - Vineyards and glaciers

A valley of immense scenic beauty. Secluded lakes, gentle hillsides and vineyards on the lower slopes, orchards filling the valley floor with the eternal glacier ice as a backdrop. Neat, sunny clearings with their picturesque log-built huts and farmhouses among the dark forests bear witness to the diligence of mountain farmers over many centuries, while on the south-facing Sonnenberg lush green strips across the otherwise steppe-like landscape are made by Waalen’, irrigation channels carrying glacier water diverted from high mountain streams. They were dug in past centuries by farmers to irrigate their fields in this semi-arid climate, while today their shady maintenance paths make popular family walks.

Here you will find a brief selection of attractions and adventures awaiting both young and old in the Vinschgau region.

Glurns
This medieval walled rural community bears the official title of town – conferred in 1294 and Glurns still enjoys certain privileges in spite of having just over 800 inhabitants. Established as a trading centre for salt extracted in the royal salt mine at Hall near Innsbruck, Glurns remains an architectural gem with medieval burgher houses, arcaded narrow streets and has lost none of its original rural charm - the cows still come home here in the evening. The town was ransacked during the Battle of Calven in 1499 and was rebuilt as a garrison, hence the impressive town wall with its three massive towers and numerous defensive towers.

Vinschgau railway
The train runs between Meran and Mals (and return) at half-hourly intervals and stops at all the major villages in the valley.

Bicycle hire and combined railway ticket
Six stations between Meran and Mals (including Spondinig) offer bicycles for hire – in total 1300 bicycles available: mountain bikes, city bikes, trekking bikes and children’s bikes, plus 10 tandems. Lights, helmets and locks are provided. Tip for families: cycle to Meran along the Roman route Via Claudia Augusta remote from the traffic – it’s mostly downhill – and take the train back.

Marienberg monastery
At 1,340 metres this is the highest-lying Benedictine abbey in all Europe, poised majestically above the small village of Burgeis. It was founded in 1150 by Ulrich von Tarasp. The 12th century Romanesque frescoes in the crypt are especially worth seeing. 

Reschen Pass
The present-day Austrian border and source of Italy’s second-longest river, the Adige, known as the River Etsch in these parts. The Roman route Via Claudia Augusta, connecting Germany with Italy and completed in 50 AD, led across this pass.

Lake of Reschen
The church tower protrudes like a monument above the surface of the lake in memory of the villages of Graun, Reschen and St. Valentin which were evacuated to make way for the giant reservoir in 1950. The strong wind attracts ice-surfers and snow kiters to the frozen lake in winter.

Haider Lake
One of the two lakes beneath the Reschen Pass. The Haider-See lake is situated beside the village of St. Valentin. It is a natural lake offering excellent fishing (whitefish, lake trout, perch, pike). There is a pleasant, easy 4.5 km walking and Nordic walking trail leading around the lake.

Juval Castle
Home of the world famous South Tyrolean climber Reinhold Messner, the castle is open to visitors from Palm Sunday until 30th June, and from 1st September until the beginning of November. The inner courtyards with their Himalayan cedars, and around a dozen rooms can be visited, including the castle chapel with religious symbols from three millennia. The world’s most comprehensive Tibet collection is also accessible, as well as a mountain picture gallery and Messner’s collection of masks from five continents. Messner’s expedition cellar contains original equipment for extreme expeditions.

Archeoparc
This exciting archaeological park is situated in the Schnals Valley at an altitude of 1,500 metres within sight of the Tisens-Joch saddle where ‘Ötzi’, the 5,300 year-old ‘Man from the Glacier’ was discovered. The park re-creates Ötzi’s life and times with smoky wooden houses and open fire places, demonstrations of pottery making, tanning and sewing leather, Bronze Age bread baking and archery, of course with the chance to try your own hand.

Naturatrafoi
The ‘naturatrafoi’ National Park Visitor Centre is located directly beside the hotel Bella Vista and provides visitors with fascinating insight into ‘life at the limits’ in the high mountains where both man and animal are faced with extreme challenges to develop survival strategies.

Acquaprad
In the ‘aquaprad’ Visitor Centre at Prad the main focus is on water and the species of fish found in this Alpine region. The main attractions include a stream aquarium, a panorama window onto a natural pond. Further 12 aquariums show fish in their natural surroundings from an unusual perspective.