The most remote part of San Lorenzo di Sebato lies on a ridge: Onies and its associated hamlet of Costa d’Onies
Image gallery: Onies - Costa d’Onies
The houses and farmsteads of Onies (Onach) cling to a steep, grassy slope south of Mantana, covered with ash trees and shrubs that stabilise the soil. Despite the steep location, resting places of prehistoric hunters have been discovered here. In the centuries following the plague, Onies maintained the "Kirchtagsalmosen", a local custom. For this, every landowner had to pay a church fair tax. The money was used to buy a bull, which was slaughtered on the Saturday before the church fair. The soup made from it was then distributed to the needy.
The custom was abandoned in the 19th century, but is still documented in writing. Geographically, you are already at the entrance to the Val Badia, which, however, officially begins at the neighbouring village of Marebbe. Onies is divided into Onies di Sotto (Lower Onies), which is clustered around the Parish Church of St. James, and Onies di Sopra (Upper Onies) with the "Aster Stöckl" wayside shrine dedicated to Saint Mary of the Snows and the higher-altitude farmsteads. The village also includes the hamlet of Costa d'Onies (Hörschwang) on the Monte di Elle mountain.
At a distance of about eight kilometres, Onies is the municipality's most remote part. However, a bus service provides a regular connection to the main village of San Lorenzo, where there is also a train station and various cultural, sporting, and shopping facilities. The surrounding area is ideal for hiking, with several tours available, such as the Schwingshackl Path dedicated to the priest and author Anton Schwingshackl, or routes to the Munt da Rina Hut and the Forcella de Lijun ridge.
The Anton Schwingshackl Path is a circular hike that starts at the Messnerwirt inn in Onies and leads back to the starting point via the Wieser Hut and the Munt da Rina Hut. In winter, Onies is strategically located between two popular ski resorts: the Plan de Corones and the Alta Badia Skiing Area further into the valley. Both are part of the Dolomiti Superski network.
