“Stone Men”, known as “Stoanerne Mandln”, sit in large numbers on a wide mountain crest in the Sarentino Alps
Image gallery: Hike to the “Stone Men”
On this sunny August morning, we choose the "Stone Men" as our hiking destination. We park our car at the Sarentino Hut above Sarentino village. The signpost indicates a walking time of one hour and 20 minutes. We follow path no. 2 and soon reach the Prati Hut (Auener Alm). On the left side, we see the first cairns - one can only guess their purpose and who built them.
We soon reach the first crossroads. The path to the right leads to the Merano Hut, while the left path goes to the cairns in the Sarentino Alps, which are only about half an hour away. They stand on a broad mountain crest at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, and behind them, a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains opens up. The "Stone Men" here represent one of the largest collections in South Tyrol. What is certain is that they have been here since around 1540.
After a short break, we set off again and head for our next destination, the Merano Hut (Meraner Hütte), an Alpine Club hut at 1,937 metres above sea level. Taking path no. 4 and the E5 European long-distance path, we reach the Passo della Croce, where the last major climb awaits. Up there, we have a panoramic view of the Picco Ivigna and the Punta Cervina.
Afterwards, the narrow path continues relatively flat, with only a few ascents and descents, directly to the Merano Hut. After a two-hour walk, we reach the alpine hut at the foot of the Picco Ivigna, the Laste di Verdines, and the Monte Catino. Finally, we follow panoramic path no. 14 towards the Öttenbach Hut, our last destination before heading home.
It is a small, serviced alpine hut on the largest pasture area in the region, located along the Merano 2000 panoramic path. Once there, trail no. 10A brings us back to the Sarentino Hut. It initially leads steeply downwards and then continues through the forest on the other side of the valley to reach the Sarentino Hut. After this five-hour tour, we stop there for a bite to eat. The Innerebner family serves homemade Sarner Striezl, homemade cakes, and apple strudel. This is the life!
Author: ED
Experienced: August 2010
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- Sarentino Hut near Prati in the Val Sarentino (1,610 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 05:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 17,2 km
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- Altitude:
- from 1.610 m to 2.083 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +669 m | -669 m
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- Signposts:
- no. 2, 11, 4, E5, 14, 10A, 15, 2A
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- Destination:
- Stone Men (2,003 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Sarentino Hut, Prati Hut (May to October/November), Merano Hut (June to October), Öttenbach Hut (May to October)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Hike to the “Stone Men”
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks or stops. The route from the Sarentino Hut to the "Stone Men" is suitable for children. However, there are no difficult sections along the entire route, but the walk is long.
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this hike!
