Munt da Rina Hut, Prato Croce Hut, Chapel of St. James: The hamlet of Valletta is the starting point for numerous hikes
Image gallery: Valletta
Valletta, Italian for "little valley", is the fitting name for one of the hamlets of Luson: A road branches off from the main street and takes you three kilometres to Valletta (Flitt). In the past, only a single farm stood here, from which the settlement takes its name: It derives from the Romance word "ovile", meaning sheep pen. The track to the mountain hamlet was only developed into a road just over half a century ago. However, the existence of the village itself is much older, as it was mentioned seven centuries ago in a document by Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia.
Several pleasant mountain pasture hikes begin at the Schwaiger Böden car park. This is the starting point for the classic tour across the Luson Alp to the Prato Croce Hut, with its mountain dairy, as well as the hike across the wide alpine meadows to Lake Rina, or Glittner. This pond, with its wooden boat and the graceful swans often seen here, is a popular subject for photographs.
Another tour is the three-hour Valletta circular route, a hike on the steep, forested slope that begins in the valley. It leads up to the hamlet of Valletta and its chapel, a lovely spot for a rest. From here, you can enjoy a wide view of Pezzè and the head of the valley with Mt. Sasso Putia.
In winter, the previously mentioned Prato Croce Mountain Hut is a popular destination for snowshoe hikes, as is the St. James Chapel, a chapel also known by the locals as "Joggilestöckl".
