The “Silent Village” owes its name to the old Carthusian monastery, which today includes an herb garden and the Via Monachorum
If you have left Monte Santa Caterina behind you on the way to the Val Senales, Certosa will soon come into view. The village stretches along the slope and owes its name and layout to the historic monastery that once stood here. Carthusian monks in white habits spent their lives in silence in this monastery. Together with a few farms, it formed the core of Certosa until a large part of the village fell victim to a fire in 1924. The monastery, abandoned at the time, was also destroyed.
Today, you can still visit its remains. In summer, exhibitions take place in the beautiful cloister of the Carthusian Monastery, and the monastery garden blooms and fills the air with fragrance - the place is still full of life today. You can visit the cloister, the defensive walls with their arrow slits, St. Anne's Church, and the Crucifixion group. The meditative herb garden then invites you to relax: Here, alongside chamomile, melissa, and lavender, you will also find iris and mullein growing.
If you want to be active: The Path of Silence, also called "Silentium" or Via Monachorum, runs between Certosa and Madonna di Senales - or in the other direction to Monte Santa Caterina.
It leads past panels with philosophical quotes and life-sized figures of monks, which also adorn the village fountain. Above Certosa (Karthaus), you can reach hiking destinations such as the Malga del Convento hut and Lake Sassalbo. In winter, the village transforms into a quiet retreat. You can discover the snow-covered landscape on winter hiking trails, and just 15 kilometres away, in Maso Corto near the mighty Val Senales Glacier, two cross-country ski trails await you.
