hafling st kathrein kirche
hafling st kathrein kirche

St. Catherine Church

The little St. Catherine Church with the Haflinger horses is one of the most famous South Tyrolean photo motives

The little Romanesque mountain church of St. Catherine - "St. Kathrein Kirche" in German, "Chiesa di Santa Caterina" in Italian - is visible from afar. It is located on a hill in Avelengo, more precisely in the same-named district called Santa Caterina di Avelengo. It is one of the sights of the village where the Haflinger horse come from, and a famous photo scene of South Tyrol. This little church, like many others, is said to have been built on the site of a prehistoric cult site. Presumably there was already in the 12th century a place of worship here, which burned down.

After the reconstruction, it was rebuilt in 1452 in Gothic style and again consecrated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The massive four-storey tower dates back to this period. Inside, the little St. Catherine Church has a Gothic apse from the 13th century, well-preserved frescoes from the 14th century showing the life of St. Catherine and a late Gothic Tyrolean winged altar from the 15th century. The two Baroque figures on the triumphal arch show St. Florian and St. Roch. Today, the sacred building offers a fantastic view on Merano and the mighty Texel Group.

The St. Catherine Church is also subject of a legend: Two giants helped to procure stones for the construction of the church. At the same time they had promised to help also with the construction of the church in Lavena. But they had only one hammer, so they had to share it. During an argument, the giant working in Lavena got so upset that he threw a rock at the other giant. It narrowly missed him and flew until the St. Catherine Church, where it remained lying in the meadow and can still be seen today. And how to reach the little church? Several tours lead past it, such as the hike from Avelengo to the Sulfner Pond and the one to the St. Catherine Church. Starting in the hamlet of Santa Caterina, however, it is only a short walk.

Contact info

Opening times

  • Fri 04 Apr closed
  • Sat 05 Apr closed
  • Sun 06 Apr closed
  • Mon 07 Apr closed
  • Tue 08 Apr closed
  • Wed 09 Apr closed
  • Thu 10 Apr closed

Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

Full timetables
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

Guided church tour 2025 (26/05/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour 2025 (09/06/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour 2025 (23/06/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour - summer 2025 (07/07/2025 - 25/08/2025)

  • Mon 16:00 - 17:00
  • Tue closed
  • Wed closed
  • Thu closed
  • Fri closed
  • Sat closed
  • Sun closed

Guided church tour 2025 (08/09/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour 2025 (22/09/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour 2025 (06/10/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Guided church tour 2025 (20/10/2025) 16:00 - 17:00

Admission

visible only from the outside

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guided tour to St. Catherine:

free of charge, reservation needed

More information

During the warm months of the year, the inside of the St. Catherine Church is visible through a window in the door. The guided tour to St. Catherine of approx. one hour is offered from May 26 to October 20, 2025, every 2nd Monday at 4 pm. In July and August, it is organised every Monday.

Meeting point: St. Catherine Church, reservation by calling +39 0473 279457.

The church stays closed in winter. Summer season start 2025 with guided tour on May 26.

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