Foto © IDM Alto Adige Harald Wisthaler
No matter if you come in winter or in summer, the Val Pusteria is one of the most varied destinations in the mountains!
The Val Pusteria (Pustertal in German) is a popular family destination thanks to its numerous structures dedicated to children.
But don’t forget to visit its secondary valleys, not least: Val di Tures and Aurina, Valle di Anterselva, where the homonymous lake is home to the biathlon center.
The magical Bruneck/Brunico is the largest village in the Val Pusteria and offers all the comforts of a city: shopping streets, nightlife clubs, but also parks, museums and a modern hospital.
Walk along Via dei Bastioni and enjoy a slice of Strudel in the elegant cafés of the city centre. Following the river Rienz and you can arrive at the castle Schloss Bruneck and visit one of Messner’s museums, MMM Ripa.
In summer you can enjoy the beautiful Brunico by bike and discover other places or valleys. In Reischach/Rischach you can show your swing on the beautiful golf field with a view of the surrounding Dolomites.
The Altstadtfest is the event that you can’t miss if you like stands, music, food and beer. It is celebrated every summer at the end of August and Brunico shares it in alternate years with Bressanone.
In winter don’t forget to immerse yourself in the Christmas atmosphere: Bruneck is coloured with magic and the smell of mulled wine runs through all the streets.
From Reischach/Riscone, the cable car to the Kronplatz/Plan de Corones starts, a famous ski resort, but also in summer is able to surprise.
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Alex Filz
The small village bordering Brunico is a vibrant village at the crossroads with Val Badia and has Roman origins: the name derives from Sebatum, an ancient Latin settlement. The panoramic and archaeological trail on the “Sonnenburger Kopf” promontory leads to important archaeological sites from the Bronze, Iron and Roman Ages. A journey through history with a sport key, which your children will surely appreciate! Also for them, we invite you to discover “The path of legends”, a very easy circular path that will allow you to learn about the rich heritage of the legends of the area.
If you prefer different periods, the castles of Sonnenburg (Castel Badia) and Michelsburg (Castello di San Michele) will delight you, as well as the hike to the Bunker di Mantana (near San Lorenzo) in the underground tunnels of the Second World War.
A place really rich of history!
Even smaller is the village of Percha/Pera, which links the Kronplatz/Plan de Corones through the cable car that goes directly to the train station.
The municipality consists of the village of Perca and the locations of Sopranessano, nessano, Rio Liccio, Plata and the villages of the beautiful Val di Vile: Montevila, Vila di Sopra and Vila di Sotto.
Perca is located next to the Natural Park of Vedrette of Ries-Aurina and from here you can take beautiful excursions, for example to Montone or Monte Nalle. Perca is also located along the Val Pusteria cycle path and it is a good starting point for cycling tours with the whole family.
And for young geologists, but also for those who just want to be surprised by nature, a must is the Erdpyramiden/Pyramids of earth: rock formations on whose origin there are many legends …!
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Hannes Niederkofler
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Hannes Niederkofler
Up, down, or in the middle well, Olang’s all beautiful! The lake is very nice and can also be seen from the main road, but, to stretch your legs, go to Kronplatz/Plan de Corones, which can be reached from the cable car in the locality of Gassl/Casola.
If you have children, conquer them by taking them to the Kinderwelt/Children’s world: a natural playground on the edge of the forest with a maxi slide for great adventures! The Kinderwelt/Children’s world can also be reached by bicycle, with the cycle path leading right there.
Do you know that the Val Pusteria is also synonymous with fashion? Don’t you believe it?
In Vintl/Vandoies you will find the Lodenwelt, the Loden Museum, where you can see this precious fabric, produced in the Val Pusteria by the sheep, who will greet you in the outdoor area. A mix of culture and fun that is guaranteed for young and old!
Alpine skiing is certainly the king of winter sports in Val Pusteria, but we also suggest you try ski mountaineering and cross-country skiing: there are those who climb the Plan de Corones every morning on skis! And don’t miss the circuits in the Anterselva Valley, home of biathlon!
And if you are looking for strong emotions, try ice climbing or a nice toboggan ride at full speed!
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Harald Wisthaler
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Thomas Grüner
The excursions in Val Pusteria cannot be counted and the beautiful thing is that they exist for all rhythms and for all ages. Trekking, via ferrata, but also experiences on two wheels such as downhill or the simplest route on the bike path of the valley. In addition, there are numerous children’s parks surrounded by greenery!
For those who are in the mountains and feel some lack of sea, there are always the swimming pools of Brunico and Valdaora.
And why not enjoy the sport of white balls? In Riscone, the Pustertal Golf Club will test your skills.
So, are you still on the couch?
The famous Kronplatz “panettone” is the ideal destination for those who love to lose their eyes on the horizon, between one ski trip and the other. The mountain scenery, surrounding this area, is one of the most beautiful views that you can enjoy in this valley. You can reach this peak from different sides: Brunico (Reischach), Valdaora or San Vigilio di Marebbe.
More than 100 km of slopes for all types of skiing with modern lifts receive more than 25000 guests every day.
Also available is the connection to the Sesto Dolomites by train, which you take at the station of Perca. Alta Badia is also very close with the Piculin skibus, free with the Dolomiti Superski. From here you can enjoy the slopes of the Sellaronda.
Enjoy some sunshine on the top, but be careful not to fall asleep: every day at 12.00 a.m. the Concordia bell rings, and we don’t want you to be scared! And if you’re on top, but skiing isn’t your passion, we recommend a visit to MMM Corones, the Messner Mountain Museum designed by Zaha Hadid, or at Lumen, the old mountain station of the cable car , which now has become the museum of mountain photography.
Restaurants, chalets to delight your palate, sporting events and concerts to wake up even the most boring of spirits. Don’t miss a day of skiing at Kronplatz!
Ah! We almost forgot: if you want to enjoy the breathtaking view with your legs suspended, throw yourself with the Kronfly, every day available!
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Harald Wisthaler
Foto © IDM Alto Adige Manuel Kottersteger
Reachable from Rio Pusteria, the most cosy area of the Gitschberg/Jochtal is an amazing area, perfect for families: in addition to the most common winter activities such as skiing, cross-country skiing and ski touring, here you can enjoy the thrill of tobogganing on one of the longest slopes in South Tyrol.
And if you think that the “big five” are just the animals of the savannah, well, you’re wrong. In the Gitschberg/Jochtal we mean the highest peaks of the area: Picco della Croce, Cima Cadini, Cima Seefeldspitze, Cima Gaisjoch and Astjoch.
And to offer your little ones a few hours of fun ( and to give you some relaxation) we recommend visiting the family parks such as the Jochtal Adventure Park, the Sole Gitschberg Park and the Bunker Spinga recreation area.
In the locality of Valdaora, Gassl, right next to the ski lifts, every winter takes place the FIRE & ICE SHOW: a small presentation of what happens at the Plan de Corones between very special effects!
Every Thursday at 18:00 from the end of December to mid-March.
To reach this area, you will have to drive over Brunico, towards Valle di Tures and Aurina. Europe’s largest nature reserve is here located: the Ries-Aurina Park together with the Austrian Hohe Tauern National Park and the Zillertaler Hauptkamm is a paradise area where you can immerse yourself in nature:waterfalls, lakes and breathtaking views.
It covers an area of 31,505 hectares in the villages of Campo Tures, Gais, Perca, Rasun-Anterselva, Valle Aurina and Predoi. For further information and didactic tours on the flora, fauna and geology of the park, please contact the visitor centre of Campo Tures.