D.two valleys with a stone “heart” and a sporty “physique”. The unusual union-vision materializes in South Tyrol: in Val Ridanna and Val di Vizze, in the middle the town of Vipiteno to act as an urban border between the two. In the past, the areas linked their economies to mining, while today the shared peculiarities are the intact scenarios devoted to sporting activities. The heart and body of the two valleys. Common threads, but with different characteristics, to be discovered on the road, on a journey outside the classic South Tyrolean alpine destinations. Because these territories, still little known, are a valid alternative to those of the Dolomites for outdoor sports. Perfect, therefore, to treat yourself to a mountain holiday, to enjoy the first days of spring.
The village of Caminata in Val di Vizze, South Tyrol.
No sooner said than done. THEnforcati boots and skis, in the Val Ridanna collection 18 kilometers long, in Colle (Bichl) you go up on the modern gondola that leads to 2,150 meters above sea level in the Racines-Giovo ski area: 8 ski lifts (open until April 24) and 28 kilometers of immaculate slopes (7 blue, 17 red and 1 black, racines-giovo.it) overlooking the monti Giovo, Saxner, Fumaiolo and other wonderful peaks over two thousand meters. Alongside the alpine ski slopes, there are cross-country skiing tracks, such as the one at high altitude at the Mount Plate (10.5 kilometers long), and the toboggan run (5 kilometers) which starts under the mountain station of the cable car and descends to the valley.
South Tyrol, in the valley of the mines
A glimpse of the Ridnaun Valley, South Tyrol.
The laziest ones, on the other hand, can opt for a romantic carriage-sleigh tour pulled by blond Haflinger horses (the Haflingers) in the soft snowy landscape. Just book the tour at the Oberauerhof farm (oberauerhof.info) close to village of Masseria, the last of the Ridnaun Valley. The strong point of the village is the former mining complex, a notable example of industrial archeology, transformed into a museum center (museominiere.itreopens on April 14) in which the evolution of the silver, lead and zinc mining activity of the territory is deepened, which began in the 13th century and ended in 1985, after 800 years. An incredible story of men, with work and effort on one side and extreme wealth on the other. Still visible in the houses of Sterzing, owned by the families of merchants-noblemen-entrepreneurs who benefited from the proceeds derived from the minerals extracted, especially in the 15th-16th centuries when a thousand workers worked in the mine at about 2,500 meters above sea level. Yes, why the mine was located in Monteneve, one of the highest in Europe on the border with Val Passiria, complete with a village in San Martino (2,355 meters) built specifically to house miners and their families at high altitude.
This castle is a calendar
Wolfsthurn Castle in Mareta, in Val Ridanna.
This metalliferous deposit, crossed by a labyrinth of 150 kilometers of tunnels, was connected to Masseria (here the processing of the stones extracted upstream took place) with an innovative open-air rail transport system built in 1870. At the time with the its 12 kilometers was the longest in the world and still impresses today for its verticality. Monteneve and Masseria can be visited with various guided tours: from a few hours up to a full day. Arriving instead at Maretato catch the eye is the baroque Wolfsthurn Castle (wolfsthurn.itreopens on April 15)impossible not to notice it both for the size and for the delicate pinkish-beige color. The aristocratic residence boasts a numerical curiosity: it is made up of 365 windows, 52 doors, 12 fireplaces and 4 portals, which correspond to the days, weeks, months and seasons of the solar year. Crossing the entrance of the noble residence, you dive into the aristocratic life of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries among frescoed halls and original furnishings. Provincial Museum of Hunting and Fishing, housed inside the castle. While on the outside, at the foot of the manor, the eighteenth century opens church of San Pancrazio with richly decorated interior in Baroque style.
Among the postcard landscapes dotted with churches and bell towers
And it is precisely the churches with the classic thin-pointed bell towers, which seem to come out of a pencil holder of scholastic memory, to outline the peaceful Val Ridannto. Like the delicious little church of Santa Maddalena built in 1480 by the miners of Monteneve near Gasse. Keeper of an interesting late Gothic polyptych, it stands isolated on a relief surrounded by woods, practically an Alpine postcard. From Mareta, on the other hand, take the road that winds halfway up the coast towards Telves di Sopra, with a stop at Telves di Sotto to visit the small church of San Niccolò from 1375not only you get a suggestive glance over the whole valley but you can perceive its character not scratched by city stress: a few houses, trolleys for milk collection at the door of the stables, small villages and lots of silence.
A beneficial massage with silver quartzite
We change scenery in Val di Vizze, about 25 kilometers long and bordering Austria. Embraced by the scenery of the Zillertal Alps, where the Gran Pilastro mountain (3,509 meters) rises, it is a paradise for cross-country skiers with 25 kilometers of pistes. The valley is even quieter than Val Ridanna, a handful of villages like Prati, Caminata and Sasso, a few simple hotels, non-existent traffic, bucolic landscapes; it is a hymn to relaxation and walks in all nature. In this oasis of peace there is no shortage of unique features, such as the silver quartzite still extracted today only in this valley, in a quarry beyond the town of San Giacomo. The metamorphic rock usually used for coatings and floors, in recent years has entered spa treatments for its detoxifying and de-acidifying properties of the body. As well demonstrated by the “ritual” proposed in the elegant Plunhof hotel in Val Ridanna, a composite massage of 105 or 75 minutes, performed with this prehistoric stone. Fantastic.
Buildings along via Città Nuova, in Vipiteno.
Finally, don’t miss a visit to the splendid Vipiteno with the historic center enclosed between the Old Town (11th century) and the New Town (15th century), divided by the Torre delle Dodici (or Clock Tower), symbol of the town. A few steps away opens the Church of the Holy Spirit dating back to 1399, which is not only one of the best preserved Gothic churches in the region, but it houses a cycle of frescoes from 1402 inspired in style by the works of Giotto. Wonderful.
Detail of the fresco cycle of 1402, attributed to Giovanni da Brunico, in the church of Santo Spirito in Vipiteno.
Where to sleep in South Tyrol
Plunhof
Val Ridanna. Four-star superior with the great “Minera Acqua & Spa”. Open until April 24th. Reopening on May 20th. From 141 euros per person, in half board. plunhof.it
Dorfwirt
St. James, Val di Vizze. Three stars at altitude 1450 meters, at the bottom to the Val di Vizze. Double from 87 euros. dorfwirt.it/it
Where to eat
Gourmetstube Einhorn
Mules, Valle Isarco. 2 Michelin star restaurant by chef Peter Girtler, in one stube with 5 tables, in the Stafler hotel. stafler.com
Vinzenz
Vipiteno, Città Nuova 4. Wine bar-bistro with a choice of 30 wines per day to be tasted by the glass. vinzenz.it
What to buy
Wipptal Aromatic Gardens
Meadows, Val di Vizze. Herbal teas, aromatic herbs, liqueurs, digestives, syrups, all products with ingredients grown and dried in Val di Vizze and Fleres. biowipptal.it
Dor Schuachmocher Martin-Carl Kinzner
Vipiteno, via Alta 29. Made to measure shoes made by the young craftsman Martin. dorschuachmocher-kinzner.it
Info: suedtirol.info/it
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