A meadow path connects the village of Mantana at the entrance to the Val Badia with the spiritual site of Santa Maria di Sares
Image gallery: Mantana
If the stones of Mantana could talk, they would tell of the Romans who once passed through the Val Pusteria. They would also speak of a time about a thousand years ago, when farmers cultivated their fields in what was then known as "Mantan". The name later evolved into "Montal" and "Mantana". Today, the village is the last German-speaking settlement before the Ladin-speaking area begins in the Val Badia. The village centre is dominated by the Gothic St. Margaret's Church.
The year 1492 can be seen on its mighty tower. The high altar is adorned with works by Joseph Renzler, who also created the nativity scene in the parish church of San Lorenzo di Sebato. A fire station and a children's playground are as much a part of the village as the fully automated bowling alleys at the Hotel Alpenrose and the artificial turf pitches at the Lanerhof.
A short distance from Mantana (Montal) stands the Unterguggenberger Farm with the Mary Help of Christians Chapel, which was built by the farmer Josef Kronbichler in 1805. Johann Renzler, Joseph Renzler's brother, decorated it with two frescoes. You can keep fit on the Mantana Fitness Trail or take a 45-minute hike to the spiritual site of Santa Maria di Sares.
A path through forests and meadows leads you through this part of San Lorenzo and ends in Sares with the Loreto Church. Next to it stands the Saalerwirt, one of the oldest inns in Tyrol: Guests have been welcomed here since 1587. In Mantana itself, the Rossbühel is a popular recreation area, with a barbecue spot in summer and a natural ice rink in winter. In winter, a ski bus and ski train will take you conveniently to the Plan de Corones, where you can have fun on the slopes.
