villanders steinbock ansitz
villanders steinbock ansitz

Santo Stefano

The main village of Villandro with its alleys and the most beautiful cemetery in South Tyrol is also well-known among gourmets

The districts of Villandro are named after their church patron saints: San Maurizio, San Valentino and Santo Stefano, the main village. In fact, you can find two churches there. The St. Stephen Church, which seems oversized in this hamlet with its narrow streets, is the parish church. The St. Michael Church at the cemetery next to it is flanked by the most beautiful cemetery in South Tyrol.

It's not an everyday sight - the grave crosses stand close together and face east. There, the sun rises every day over the Isarco Valley. Ten hairpin bends lead from Chiusa on the valley floor to Santo Stefano (St. Stefan), also known as Villandro village (Villanders Dorf). A famous spot in the village is the Franz von Defregger Alley, which was used by the artist Franz Defregger as the model for his most famous work "The Last Contingent". In this picture from 1874, the procession sets off on the Tyrolean Rebellion. Villandro with the "Ansitz zum Steinbock", a residence in the village centre and today a gourmet restaurant, forms the background in the picture. In the same alley is the Archeoparc Villandro with its finds from the Plunacker field.

Hiking is on the agenda in Santo Stefano in all seasons: From here you can reach the neighbouring village of San Valentino and the Villandro Silver Mine on foot. Above it towers the Villandro Alp, a wonderful and spacious hiking area. With a bit of fitness, the 10 km long route is also doable by mountain bike. In winter, the plateau turns into a wonderful cross-country skiing area.

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