Opposite the Mara Chapel in San Martino, the trail to the remote mountain pastures of the Valle di Quaira begins
Image gallery: San Martino in Casies
The farms and houses of San Martino in Casies (St. Martin in Gsies) are idyllically clustered around the parish church. As in many South Tyrolean villages, it is dedicated to the saint who gave the village its name. In this case, it is Saint Martin, the third bishop of Tours in the 4th century. The frescoes in the chancel are by Simon of Tesido, who also painted the beautiful frescoes in the chapel of Bruck Castle in Lienz. Today, San Martino, the main village and one of three in the municipality of Val Casies, is divided into San Martino di Sotto and San Martino di Sopra.
In the centre of the village, next to the birthplace of Joachim Haspinger, stands a monument commemorating him. You might know him as Father Haspinger, as he is depicted as a "warrior Capuchin" in his religious habit, holding a cross high. In the historic year of 1809, at the age of 33, as an ally of Andreas Hofer, he was instrumental in the Tyrolean victory over Napoleon's troops.
The local music band also bears his name. Above all, San Martino, like the entire Val Casies valley, is distinguished by its tranquillity, impressive natural surroundings, and distinctive farms and mountain huts. They stand out from the surrounding greenery like little dabs of colour.
You can best explore this landscape on foot, by bike or on cross-country skis. In summer, you can follow the "Talblickweg", a panoramic trail through the valley, while in winter, the Casies cross-country ski track takes you more than 40 kilometres through the Val Casies. There is also the toboggan run at the Leach Mountain Hut. The toboggan run and the ski trail can be found in the lists of toboggan runs and cross-country ski tracks in the Val Pusteria.
