Schlandrauner Höhenweg: Reinhard Jakuboswki’s holiday report

From St. Martin im Kofel to Schlanders

(Photo: Reinhard Jakubowski)

The Sonnenberg in the Vinschgau is ideal for hiking trips in spring and autumn.

It stands out due to the beautiful view into the Vinschgau and to the opposite Ortler Alps.

The Vinschgau Sonnenberg in South Tyrol with its veld-like vegetation is particularly recommended for hiking trips in spring and late autumn.

In summer it gets hot and sticky here and even the wonderful view from the mountain- and panoramic paths loses its charm if the hiker has to fight with the heath.

While on the other side of the valley, the green Nördersberg, there is still snow to be found in lower sites, are the paths on the Sonnenberg at the beginning of April quite often up to 1.700 or 1.800 meters to a large extent free of snow and walkable.

The Schlandrauner Höhenweg is one of the most beautiful observation paths of the Vinschgau and is especially in spring almost deserted.

Although the hiking trip leads at the beginning from St. Martin im Kofel to the Höfen Egg (a stop for a snack) and Forra over a road that is partly asphalted, the fantastic view down into the valley and to the opposite glaciers of the Ortler Alps makes up for it at all times.

All together, this path is not at all boring, as one might mistakingly assume at the beginning, on the contrary, it is very diverse and interesting.

Meadow-trails and rock-paths, farmyards and ruins, forest tracks and a wonderful view are characteristic for this hiking trip on the Vinschgau Sonnenberg.

Latsch in the Vinschgau

Starting point of our hiking trip is Latsch (639 m), spoiled with plenty of sunshine and low rainfall, in the lower Vinschgau. For approx. 4.500 inhabitants fruit culture and tourism are the two main economic factors.

The municipality Latsch (with St. Martin im Kofel), to which the fractions Goldrain and Morter as well as Tarsch belong, is rich in culture.

Furthermore, a number of ancient castle complexes and estates can be found here. As an example Jörg Lederer’s winged altar in the Spitalkirche (Hospital Chuch) Latsch, the Burgkapelle (Castle Chapel) St. Stefan in Morter with its marvellous painted walls and the Kultur- und Bildungszentrum (Cultural and Educational Centre) Castle Goldrain should be mentioned.

Waiting for the cable car to St. Martin im Kofel

Photo: Reinhard Jakubowski

Fresh milk is delivered from the alps down to the valley to Latsch with the first descent of the cable car at 7 o’clock in the morning.

We have parked our car at the valley station of the cable car (immediately at the eastern entrance to the village of Latsch towards Kastelbell at the round-about behind the Etsch Bridge).

There one can find ample parking space free of charge. Now, at the beginning of the season at 8.55 hours it won’t be a problem in any case.

We were hoping for a journey of need at around 9 o’clock, but this seems to be a bit of a problem, since other hikers, who want to go up, are not yet in sight.

It now means that we have to wait for the next scheduled journey at 9.30 hours and we therefore sit for a while in the sunshine and wonder about the many milk churns standing in front of the cable car station.

They were brought down at 7.00 o’clock with the first descent from the alps and are waiting to be collected.

Words by Reinhard Jakubowski from Gladbeck. Pictures by Bärbel and Reinhard Jakubowski. They are being used with the kind permission of the authors.

Reports and wordings of guest authors are not necessarily the opinion of the owner of the media.

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