Prato

Prato, the main village of the National Park municipality Prato allo Stelvio, is situated amidst meadows and orchards in the Upper Val Venosta. Its Latin name "prata" (meadow) also attests to this. In fact, it is the old alluvial fan of the Rio Solda on which the village's houses are built. Prato extends from its railway station in neighbouring Spondigna to the adventure pool at the village entrance. From there, it leads into the village centre, where schools, banks, shops, restaurants, as well as the village dairy and bakery, are clustered around the main street.

One of the buildings houses the aquaprad National Park House, easily recognisable by the large emerald lizard on its facade. Heading up the valley, the Frauwaal, a beautiful Waalwege path, takes you along the banks of the Rio Solda to the neighbouring village of Montechiaro. Heading down the valley lies one of South Tyrol's last remaining wetland landscapes with the Arena di Prato Nature Trails. A fishing pond is also part of it, as are water features and a barefoot path.

When it gets cooler, at the beginning of autumn, the traditional annual fair takes place in Prato - a rendezvous for a relaxed day of strolling, browsing, and stocking up on warm clothes for the winter. Incidentally, the Val Venosta Cycle Path runs through the main village of Prato. It turns into the Arena di Prato east of Glorenza and takes you past the swimming pool through the village centre, before continuing through orchards towards Cengles.

If you're looking for something a bit more challenging, an MTB tour starts into the Solda Valley and leads trained cyclists to the Passo del Madriccio. But the crowning glory is the "Queen of all mountain passes": Prato is the starting point for the cycling tour up the legendary Stelvio Pass.