Venosta Valley Holiday Guide Acitvity, Culture and Fun in the Venosta Valley Summer and Winter E 6 Venosta Valley Top Ten 13 General Information 14 Venosta Valley Train 15 Mobilcard, museumobil Card, bikemobil Card 16 Cycling in the Venosta Valley 17 Hiking in the Venosta Valley 18 Irrigation Channel Paths 19 Stairways to Heaven – the Alpine Road of Romanesque Art All information is subject to change 21 Skiing in the Venosta Valley 22 Cross-Country Skiing in the Venosta Valley 25 Reschenpass Resia Pass 37 Obervinschgau Upper Venosta Valley tagraum.it 49 Ortler Stelvio National Park Ortles/Ortler Lanarepro 59 Prad am Stilfserjoch Prato allo Stelvio/Prad am Stilfserjoch Printing: Val Venosta Marketing – Società consortile s.r.l.. Via dei Portici 11, I-39020 Glorenza, phone +39 0473 62 04 80 [email protected], www.vinschgau.netPictures: Val Venosta Marketing (Frieder Blickle, Photo Grüner Thomas), tourism associations of the Venosta Valley culture region, tagraum.it All photo copyrights are the property of the aforementioned photographers or Val Venosta Marketing. design: and Concept © 65 Schlanders – Laas Silandro – Lasa/Schlanders – Laas 75 Latsch – Martelltal Laces – Val Martello/Latsch – Martelltal 85 Kastelbell – Tschars Castelbello – Ciardes/Kastelbell – Tschars The Venosta Valley Culture Region The Venosta Valley culture region runs along the Adige River, starting at its source in the Resia Pass and the spa town of Merano. The valley is characterized by a mild, sunny climate with a varied climate spawning a unique flora and fauna. The valley has pastures and highland plateaus around the Resia Lake and fruit orchards down in the valleys extending up to the 3,905-meter high Ortles summit, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. This varied environment makes the Venosta Valley an ide- al holiday destination for families, hikers and mountaineers, as well as for cyclists and mountain bikers. In short, for anyone keen on a pristine natural landscape combined with history and culture. Tourist Information There are unique natural, historical and cultural locations such as the Venosta Valley Stelvio National Park, medieval villages and well-preserved castles and Phone +39 0473 62 04 80 convents. The trails running along the age-old irrigation channels across [email protected] the mountain slopes are suited to family hikes while the snow-covered www.venosta.net slopes at the ski areas and the serene high-Alpine plateaus attract winter-sports enthusiasts from all over. Venosta Valley – Terra Raetica interactive map maps.vinschgau.net Waal: the old Irrigation channel winding its way along the slopes SchweizSvizzera (CH) Landeck Fernpass Nauders Innsbruck ÖsterreichAustria (A) Reschenpass Reschenpass (A) A Passo Resia Holiday Areas in the Venosta Valley Culture Region Curon/Graun Resia/Reschen nga le Lu Reschen Val Melag San Valentino alla Muta/St. Valentin a.d. H. al Resia r T Melago Vallelunga/Langtaufers re Pazzin fe VENOSTA VALLEY TOP TEN au gt a n i La o Graun Pedross The Resia Lake page 24, 28, 29 and on the cover Obervinschgau R i Curon d l Malles Venosta/Mals a Adige Cycling Trail – The Via Claudia Augusta page 16 V Burgusio/Burgeis l a Scenic Ride on the Venosta Valley Train page 14 T Prämajur – Amberg n je o Coira Castle page 44 Slingia/Schlinig R Glorenza/Glurns page 43, 44 Planol – Ultimo/Planeil – Ulten Clusio/Schleis The Ortler Ski Arena page 21 Laudes/Laatsch St. Valentin a.d.H. l o S. Valentino a.M. n Kurzras Stelvio National Park and Pass Road page 49, 54, 61 Tarces/Tartsch la P Maso Corto i d Lasa Marble page 64, 71 Mazia/Matsch l a V Sluderno/Schluderns ia Plawenn l z Irrigation Channel Paths (Waalwege) page 18, 36, 39, 60, 67, 77, 87 a a Glorenza/Glurns T M S r i c ile d The Panoramic View of the Ortles page 28, 37, 48, 50, 55 h e l Tubre in Val Monastero/Taufers i. M. l n a i la V n P ig al Rivaira/Rifair e T r r t Planeil e a ch l Planol ts V Burgeis a CH a M l d Burgusio Karthaus Ortler Stelvio National Park i S li Certosa ng s Solda/Sulden Schlinig e ia Matsch l Slingia Mals a Mazia n Trafoi e S Malles Venosta Schleis l Gomagoi a Partschins Algund Clusio V Parcines Lagundo Stelvio/Stilfs l Meran Laatsch Tartsch a t s Passo Stelvio/Stilfserjoch Laudes Tarces l Rabland Merano ro a ste n Rablà na h o Glurns Schluderns c l M S Va Glorenza Sluderno Ofenpass Naturns Prad am Stilfserjoch al Marling Zernez rt Naturno e Juval Marlengo Prato allo Stelvio/Prad am Stj. st Plaus St. Moritz n Rifair Juvale (CH) ü Rivaira St. Martin i.K. Agums/Agumes M Tanas Allitz S. Martino i.M. Tanas Staben Montechiaro/Lichtenberg Taufers i.M. Lichtenberg Spondinig Alliz Galsaun Tschars Montechiaro Schlanders Stava Tubre i.M. Spondigna Eyrs Kortsch Colsano Ciardes Montechiaro Masi/Lichtenberger Höfe SchweizItalien Oris Corces Silandro Vetzan Tschierv SvizzeraItalia Vezzano Spondigna/Spondinig Prad am Stilfserjoch Laas Goldrain Kastelbell Müstair Prato allo Stelvio Lasa Latsch G ö a n Coldrano Laces Castelbello Tschengls Covelano Schlanders – Laas Cengles Morter Silandro/Schlanders Morter Stilfs Tarsch Vezzano/Vetzan Stelvio Tarres Corzes/Kortsch Covelano/Göflan Gomagoi oi Lasa/Laas af Gomagoi Tr a i d Oris/Eyrs d l l o a S V Cengles/Tschengls i d l a l Alliz/Allitz SchweizSvizzera (CH) T a Martell r V e o Martello i Trafoi l Tanas l o l f e Trafoi a t a t r r a ItalienItalia (I) n T M e i d d l l u Va S Latsch – Martelltal l ta ll Laces/Latsch Stilfserjoch Sulden e Ortler rt Passo Stelvio Solda a Martello/Martell Ortles M . m Coldrano/Goldrain Morter Tarres/Tarsch San Martino in Monte/ St. Martin im Kofel Österreich bikemobil Card rental and Information Office Austria Kastelbell – Tschars A service stations Castelbello/Kastelbell Sterzing Österreich Train station Vipiteno Bruneck Austria Maragno/Marein Brunico A Swimming pool WiFree Lacinigo/Latschinig Glurns Meran Brixen Glorenza Merano Bressanone Montefranco/Freiberg Klausen Family tip Schweiz Chiusa Montetrumes/Trumsberg Svizzera CH Bozen Venosta Valley High Mountain Trail Stelvio National Park Ciardes/Tschars Bolzano Colsano/Galsaun Adige Cycling Trail along the Leifers Stelvio National Park Juvale /Juval Laives Via Claudia Augusta visitor centers Montefontana /Tomberg 6 7 VENOSTA VALLEY TOP TEN Resia Lake The Ortles Ski Areas The lake with the partly submerged Romanesque church steeple truly There are no less than six family-oriented skiing areas located through- symbolizes the Venosta Valley cultural region. In summer it provides out the Venosta Valley: Solda/Sulden and Trafoi in the Stelvio National a paradise for hikers, fishermen, bikers and surfers while in winter, Park, Watles in the Sesvenna Alps, Belpiano, San Valentino and Mase- it is transformed into a choice spot for ice-skaters, snow-kiters and ben near Resia Lake. The skiing areas are part of the Ortler Ski Arena cross-country skiers. network and are accessible on just a single ski pass. Via Claudia Augusta – the Adige Cycle Route Stelvio National Park and the Stelvio Pass Road The ancient Roman trade route on the Via Claudia Augusta, winds its The Stelvio National Park is the largest nature reserve in Italy and the way across the Alps over the Resia Pass and nowadays, the 80 km Adige Stelvio Pass Road is considerably challenging for cyclists as well as mo- River cycle track running alongside the old road is highly popular. The torcyclists attempting to negotiate its multiple hairpin bends. Beginning Train & Bike rental service provided in conjunction with the local rail- in Trafoi, the road leading up to the Stelvio National Park is both scenic ways has several bicycle rental and service stations in the area. and convoluted. It is considered one of the most challenging routes in the world and is also known as the high point of the Giro d' Italia. Scenic ride on the Venosta Valley Train Lasa Marble The panoramic Venosta Valley Train is one of the most modern light rail The pure Lasa marble, which is mined in the quarries in the mountain systems in Europe. It crosses the entire valley beneath the gaze of the village of Lasa/Laas, is highly prized and utilized in the construction of Monte Sole Mountain, passing vineyards and orchards, Malles Venosta/ prestigious monuments worldwide. It takes its name after the village of Mals and Merano/Meran, Castelbello/Kastelbell, the marble quarries in Lasa, a center for sculptors, artists, writers and musicians who take part Lasa/Laas and the mystical Tarces Hill. in the annual Marble and Apricot festival. Coira Castle Irrigation Channel Paths Coira Castle in Sluderno/Schluderns is a magnificent Renaissance-era Hiking trails run next to the narrow irrigation ditches along the slopes edifice. Besides its uniquely equipped armoury, the castle also boasts of numerous South Tyrolean mountains. These centuries-old water- other architectural treasures such as the Chapel of St James, the Jakob- courses were originally built to irrigate the fields in the arid valleys zimmer (Jacob’s Room) and town arcades. down below and have since been transformed into popular hiking trails. There are about two-dozen such characteristic hiking trails throughout the Venosta Valley, many of them serving as walkways all year round. Medieval town of Glorenza/Glurns The Panoramic View of the Ortles With its completely preserved city walls, medieval arcades and historic The Ortles Cevedale Mountain range stretches out around Mount buildings, the old town of Glorenza/Glurns is another interesting Ortles, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps and South Tyrol, rising regional center.