The smallest hamlet of the municipality of Brunico, is situated in a sunny location below the Colle di Villa Santa Caterina hill
Image gallery: Villa Santa Caterina
A few meadows and fields separate the houses of Villa Santa Caterina (Aufhofen) from the neighbouring villages of Teodone and San Giorgio, both of which you can reach after a pleasant walk. If you follow the road from Teodone, the houses first climb the hill to the right of the road until you reach the centre. They then stand on both sides of the narrow village street.
One building that particularly stands out is the Ansitz Ansiedl, a residence set in a large garden. In the village square, slightly set back behind a farm, the parish church of Villa Santa Caterina peeks out. It was first mentioned as early as 1360 - not as the year it was built, but as the year of a renovation. This makes the building one of the oldest in the entire Brunico basin.
The discovery of a Palaeolithic flint blade directly in Villa Santa Caterina proves that this area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Today, the village nestles on the northern slope of the Brunico basin and is known for its hiking and cycling trails that criss-cross the surroundings.
Paths through the fields lead you from Santa Caterina to San Giorgio. Furthermore, you can reach Gais at the entrance to the Valli di Tures and Aurina valleys, and the climbing garden on the Colle di Villa Santa Caterina, one of the Val Pusteria's climbing gardens. Routes of varying difficulty levels make their way up the vertical rock face of the peak, which looks like a giant, wooded block. When snow covers the village, the Brunico ski bus takes you to the Plan de Corones Skiing Area.
