Hiking in the Vinschgau Valley -
a pleasure for body, mind and soul

The Vinschgau Valley lies in the National Park Stilfserjoch and offers plenty of hiking trails surrounded by landscapes of magnificent beauty. Due to the low annual precipitation, the many days of sun and a refreshing mountain breezen the Vinschgau Valley offers ideal weather conditions for hiking or for just taking a walk.

The hiking tracks of the Vinschgau Valley lead you to tarns, high routes at 3.000 m height and mountain tops with amazing panoramic views. Down in the Vinschgau Valley paths along the ancient water channels, called "Waale", invite you to take a dreamy walk. Whereever you go you will enjoy the sunny and mild climate of the Alps which is refreshing during the summer and provides you with cosy warmth in spring and autumn.

Find out yourself and check out upper Vinschgau's excellent hiking tracks on the interaktive hiking map:

We have collected some of the best hiking tracks in the Upper Vinschgau Valley:

A stunning panoramic view in all directions..>

Not far from our Hotel St Jakob you can hike to the "Glurnser Köpfl" or take a chair-lift to Mount Watles and enjoy a truly memorable panoramic view! In Sulden you can follow the footprints of the Austrian alpine explorer Julius von Payer.

Following the smugglers' trail through the Uina Canyon...>

In the Uina Canyon there is a path that smugglers blew into the rock in the 70's when they illegally carried tobacco, coffee and saccharin over the border. Follow the smugglers' footprints through the Uina Canyon to the Sesvennasee, the Furkelsee and to the close "Fuorcla Sesvenna" with a spectacular view on the glaciated Piz Sesvenna.

The "Signalkopfweg": Touching history meets tender landscape...>

This path is often referred to as "Kriegsweg" (path of war) as it was a channel of supply in World War I. At the foot of the glaciers, the Signalkopfweg guides you through limestone moraines and edelweiss meadows up to the Tibet cottage on the Stilfserjoch.

The "Stundenweg": from monastery to monastery..>

The "Stundenweg" offers a great mix of cultural, historical and spiritual themes. The hiking tour will take approximately 6 hours and connects a track between the monastery Marienberg Burgeis (South Tyrol) and the monastery St. Johann/Müstair (Switzerland).

The roots of Reinhold Messner: The "Neue Vinschger Höhenweg"..>

Starting at Castle Juval, Reinhold Messner's residence, the "Vinschger Höhenweg" leads up to the sources of the Etsch river at the Reschen Pass and unites several hiking stages to a memorable experience.

Higher and higher? Visit the highest mountain of South Tyrol...>

In the Vinschgau Valley lies the Mount Ortler, South Tyrol's highest mountain with a height of 3905 m. Its challenging high routes make the Mount Ortler one of the most prestigious mountains to climb in all the Eastern Alps.

There are also many interesting guided theme trails available, including themes like galcier hiking, wild game observation and fitness walking.