Molini di Falzes (Mühlen bei Pfalzen), much like the neighbouring village of Issengo, is not far from the Issengo Pond. This popular bathing lake enhances the summer activities available on the Val Pusteria Sun Road. The small hamlet consists of a few houses that line the road and the Rio Molini. Here too, as in Issengo, you are at an altitude of under 1,000 metres. Although a bus runs between Molini and the Issengo Pond, the short distance can also be easily covered on foot.

Behind the houses, Schöneck Castle peeks out from between the trees, the former ancestral seat of the Lords of Rodengo. Numerous legends and stories surround the ruin. Some of these belong to the realm of myth, while another seems to have a kernel of truth: The minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein is said to have been born here in 1376/77. Although this is not documented in writing, his father, Friedrich von Wolkenstein, was the custodian of the medieval complex during those years. The castle's keep and outer ward are still preserved today.

Its walls have been secured in recent years. In the castle chapel, you can also discover the remains of a fresco from the workshop of Michael Pacher. Molini has its own natural monument: a Picea excelsa, a columnar or weeping spruce near Schöneck. Its growth is reminiscent of a column, with branches that point straight down. From a platform, you can get a view of the 25-metre-high tree.

The columnar spruce is about 85 years old and is considered the narrowest known form of spruce growth in South Tyrol. The reason for this unusual growth is the heavy snow load in winter. To explore the area around Molini and Falzes, a hike from Molini via Schöneck Castle, Navale della Lepre - called Pfaffensteig, in German -, the Pfaffensteig trail and Falzes village to Irenberg is a good option. From Chienes, you can then take public transport back to the starting point.