From San Giuseppe al Lago we hike up to the village of Castelvecchio and return to the valley via the Peace Trail
Image gallery: Cicular hike Nussental and Castelvecchio
Our walk through the spring forest above Lake Caldaro begins in San Giuseppe al Lago. We start this April day at the car park next to the fire station on path no. 14, which leads to Castelvecchio. This route takes us upwards through the Nussental valley and the deciduous forest.
At an altitude of around 600 metres, the valley and the path end at the junction with the "Auf der Warth" panoramic trail. We follow this trail and reach a few particularly beautiful viewpoints. These spots allow us to look out over the Oltradige area, Lake Caldaro, and the South Tyrolean Bassa Atesina. After a U-turn, we head back towards Castelvecchio and finally enter the village itself. The village features several restaurants, making it a perfect spot for the lunch hour.
With full stomachs, we tackle the second half of the circular walk. We stroll past the local parish church towards St. Peter's Basilica, which is believed to be the oldest church in South Tyrol. From here, we descend into the Rio Rastenbach Gorge. The Peace Trail - with the signpost "Sentiero della Pace", or "Friedensweg" - then guides us out of the ravine. We continue through the deciduous forest until we reach the junction with the Kardatscher Weg (no. 10).
We follow this path and arrive back in San Giuseppe al Lago after three and a half hours.
Author: AT
Experienced: April 2019
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- San Giuseppe al Lago (214 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 03:30 h
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- Total route length:
- 9,5 km
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- Altitude:
- from 214 m to 622 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +410 m | -410 m
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- Signposts:
- no. 14, 7, "Friedensweg", Kardatscher Weg (no. 10)
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- Resting points:
- Waldschenke Caldaro, Sonnegghof inn, Altenburger Hof
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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:
- Cicular hike Nussental and Castelvecchio
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks or stops.
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this hike!
