Santa Gertrude

The mountain village of Santa Gertrude consists of old farmhouses and a small church, which extend up the slope to the right and left of the road to an impressive altitude of 1,800 metres. At the entrance to the village, you will find an interesting destination in the old Lahner Sawmill: It houses one of the Stelvio National Park Houses. Although it looks unassuming from the outside, inside everything revolves around the themes of the forest and wood, and children can compare their arm span with the wingspan of a golden eagle, one of the inhabitants of the national park.

The walk to the Ancient Larch Trees, three giant trees once thought to be thousands of years old, also starts at the national park's visitor centre. Recent research suggests they are around 850 years old. Back then, in the 12th century, when the trees were just small saplings, chivalry was in its first flourish and people were increasingly making pilgrimages to holy sites.

The larches still turn green every year. Here in Santa Gertrude (St. Gertraud) is also the turning point of the Ultimo Farm Trail, which leads back down the valley from this point. The same applies in winter to the Ultimo cross-country ski trail. A mountain road takes you a few more kilometres uphill to Lake Fontana Bianca, where both the road and the entire Val d'Ultimo come to an end.

The small mountain lake is already within the Stelvio National Park, which extends over the surrounding peaks as far as the Val Venosta. A short hike takes you to the serviced Fiecht Mountain Hut: Cheese is still made from goat's and cow's milk directly on the mountain pasture.