Val Venosta

Apple trees and glaciers: The Val Venosta stretches for 80 kilometres from the Merano area to the Passo Resia

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Video : Via bike & train through Venosta
“Castel bello”, the “beautiful castle” at the entrance to the Val Venosta, gave the village of Castelbello its name: It can be visited in summer.
Foto: EMS, © Peer
Chestnut groves are one of the typical elements of the lower Val Venosta landscape: The “Keschtn” (chestnuts) are served during Toerggelen.
Foto: © AdobeStock
Strawberries from Martello, South Tyrolean apples, and Val Venosta apricots: These sweet fruits, with their hard stones, love the mild and dry climate.
Foto: MS, © Peer
Waalwege paths and hiking trails criss-cross the area, including the “Via Vinum Venostis”, which also passes Reinhold Messner’s Juval Castle.
Foto: ED, © Peer
The southern flank of the Val Venosta rises towards the Monte Tramontana: Its slopes are shady and wooded, with farms dotted in between.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The northern flank of the valley is the sunny, very dry, and in many places steppe-like Monte Sole, with its pilgrimage site of San Martino al Monte.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Silandro is the geographical and administrative centre of the Val Venosta: Parts of the municipality are protected within the Stelvio National Park.
Foto: AT, © Peer
In Lasa, marble is quarried: This “Tyrolean marble” is used for works of art around the world and celebrated at the “Marble and Apricots” festival.
Foto: © Peer
Many know the famous road to the Passo dello Stelvio, a dream for numerous motorcyclists and cyclists - almost a century ago, the area was also placed under protection as Stelvio National Park.
Foto: AT, © Peer
It breeds in the Val Martello - the reintroduction of the bearded vulture in the Alpine region, in this case in Stelvio National Park, is a success story.
Foto: © CC0, Pixabay
Europe’s highest cultivation area for these delicious fruits is also located in Martello: A large strawberry festival is celebrated here every June.
Foto: EMS, © Peer
From the Val Venosta High Route, you can catch a glimpse of Glorenza: The smallest town in the southern Alps boasts the only completely preserved fortified walls in the Alps.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Passing the Sluderno Wetlands, you can leisurely cycle along the Val Venosta Cycle Path to the town of Merano or, in the other direction, to Lake Resia.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Returning from a tour can also be done by train: The Val Venosta Railway connects Merano with Malles in the Upper Val Venosta, with a key focus currently on the electrification of the line.
Foto: Manuela Tessaro, © IDM
An entire village sank beneath its waters: Old Curon had to make way for the construction of the Resia Reservoir - today, the church tower and the Upper Val Venosta Museum still recall these times.
Foto: PG, © Peer
Welcome to Solda all’Ortles: The skiing area on the glacier extends up to 3,205 metres and is known for its snow reliability from November to May.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Cross-country skiing dreams come true: The Vallelunga, a Val Venosta side valley in the far west of South Tyrol, offers perfectly groomed tracks.
Foto: © Peer
The Stelvio Pass Road is closed for traffic in winter and can then be used for tobogganing: The Weisser Knott restaurant is the starting point.
Foto: Giacomo Roccabruna, © Peer
A Christmas market takes place during Advent within the medieval walls of Glorenza and in the alleys of Silandro - and mulled wine is a must.
Foto: EMS, © Peer
video : Autumn in Val Venosta
video : Spring in Venosta Valley

Closures Val Venosta Railway: Modernisation work on the Val Venosta Railway is progressing. The project includes electrifying the line, replacing the signalling system, and installing the European Train Control… read more

In the west of South Tyrol, the Val Venosta runs from Naturno to the Resia Pass, where the Adige River rises and a sunken church tower juts out of the water. A valley full of contrasts: here apple orchards and apricot trees, there rugged peaks and glaciated three-thousanders - above all, the highest peak in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the Tyrol region, King Ortles.

Whether it's a discovery hike in the Stelvio National Park around the highest drivable mountain pass in Italy, a visit to the Monte Maria Abbey, a walk along the centuries-old Waalwege paths, or a coffee in a historic village centre - how you shape your holiday is up to you. Far from the hustle and bustle, snow-sure ski resorts in secluded high valleys like Solda enrich the winter season.

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