Venosta Valley Museum - VUSEUM

The Venosta Valley Museum "VUSEUM" - "Vintschger Museum" in German, "Museo della Val Venosta" in Italian - in Sluderno is, as the name reveals, dedicated to the valley and its different fields. The focus is set on ecologic, social and cultural issues as much as on archeology and water management. The latter is highly important in the valley, as this western part of South Tyrol is a rather dry area. The irrigation system of the valley dates back to the Middle Ages and is one of the most dense watering network of the Alps. The so-called "Waale" are today well-known due to a large number of lovely paths leading along these irrigation canals.

The permanent exhibition "WaWo - s'Wosser zum Wassern" (Water to irrigate) with the theme trail Quairwaal which starts behind the building tells about the topic. Another section, called "Archaic Venosta", however, is dedicated to archaeology in the valley and the finds made at the Ganglegg. In 1997, at this hill above Sluderno, items of the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period were discovered. Today in this best explored hilltop site of the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period, there is a prehistoric park showing orginal structures and two reconstructed buildings.

The museum has also dedicated one section to a highly interesting, buth rather sad subject, the "Schwabenkinder". This term is used for the kids of the Val Venosta valley who went to work to Swabia in Germany in summertime, in order to alleviate poverty at home. This is an interreg-project of the European Union, project partner is the Regional Museum Landeck at Landeck Castle in Austria. Temporary exhibitions complete the offer. And how to reach the Venosta Valley Museum? It can be found in the village centre, there are some parking possibilities around. Furthermore, Sluderno can be reached from Merano by the Val Venosta Railway in about an hour.