Valgiovo, the quietest of the three Racines valleys, connects Vipiteno with the Val Passiria in the Merano area
Image gallery: Valgiovo
The mountain village of Calice (Kalch) will be familiar to television sports fans: Alex Schwazer, the Olympic champion in the 50-kilometre walk, hails from there. The eight-kilometre-long valley stretches from Casateia up to the Passo Giovo. The northernmost pass entirely within Italy is an important transit route, but also a scenic road that is very popular with cyclists and motorcyclists.
As winter here at over 2,000 metres in altitude usually brings plenty of snow, the Racines-Giovo Skiing Area around the Passo di Monte Giovo is one of the most snow-sure in the region. Snowmaking facilities also compensate for any lack of snow here. The pass road itself is open all year round, although there is a night-time closure in winter. The entrance to Valgiovo (Jaufental) is quite narrow and gorge-like before the valley widens in its further sections.
Casalupa, Val di Mezzo, Sant'Antonio and Caspineto, Gospeneid and Fontanefredde - these are, among others, the names of the hamlets and side valleys of Valgiovo, which have a population of only a few hundred. A century ago, the mineral talc was mined at the entrance to the valley and processed in Vipiteno: It is added to materials to give them water-repellent or sealing properties.
The Cresta del Giovo ridge is a popular hiking destination: Following trail no. 12, you can reach the former Jaufenhaus, which is overlooked by Mt. Punta di Monte Giovo and Mt. Saxner. In Valgiovo, there are also numerous serviced huts that invite you to stop: The Rinner Hut, which has a toboggan run and is on the Racines alpine pasture trail in summer, the Saxner Hut, and the Calice Hut are just a few of them. Down in the valley, the Valgiovo Panorama Trail shows you the area.
