An ideal starting point for exploring the surrounding area - the Valgiovo, leading up to the Passo Giovo, begins at Casateia
Image gallery: Casateia
Val Ridanna, Racines, Passo di Monte Giovo, and the town of Vipiteno: Casateia is a popular base for exploring the Upper Valle Isarco, as it is strategically located at the entrance to the Valgiovo. It lies just below the 1,000-metre mark, which ensures pleasantly clear summer days and often snowy winters. You can reach the village by driving from Vipiteno towards the Val Ridanna.
The primary school, the community hall and the artisan zone are on the left of the Rio di Mareta brook, while the industrial estate is on the right. The road into the Valgiovo turns off by the Casateia (Gasteig) community hall: Its eleven hairpin bends lead up to the Alpine pass that connects the Upper Valle Isarco with the Val Passiria in the Merano area.
In summer, the pass road is popular with motorcyclists and cyclists alike. With an average gradient of 7.6% and wonderful views of the Stubai and Sarentino Alps, this pass, called Jaufenpass in German, is one of the highlights for cyclists in the Alps. In winter, the Racines-Giovo Skiing Area is popular with skiers, snowboarders and tobogganers. The high-altitude cross-country ski trail from Racines also crosses the Passo di Monte Giovo road and extends to the Monte Piatto area.
In the other direction lies the centre of the Upper Valle Isarco: The bus journey to Vipiteno takes just eight minutes. The Fugger town has a host of attractions, from the Multscher Museum with the late-Gothic winged altarpiece by the famous Ulm sculptor Hans Multscher, to the shopping street in the historic town centre and the summer toboggan run on the local mountain, the Monte Cavallo. Alternatively, a cycling and walking path runs along the Rio di Mareta, leading from Casateia via Stanghe, with its famous Stanghe Gorge, to Mareta. It is also popular with runners.
