Aldein: Bletterbach, Alpine Pastures and Mill Trails

Bletterbach and Earth History

The GEOPARC Bletterbach is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided hikes through the Bletterbach Gorge start at the Aldein Visitor Centre and lead to the large waterfall. The Dinosaur Trail is a short circular trail in Aldein that explores the Permian period 260 million years ago. It is located at the visitor centre of GEOPARC Bletterbach in Aldein, Lerch 40, 39040 Aldein. If you want to combine nature and earth history, this is where a guided route through the gorge meets a circular trail focusing on geological history.

Larch Meadows and Plant Life

The Jochgrimm–Aldein stage leads across alpine pastures and wooded larch meadows known as “Stockwiesen”. Along the stage, these Stockwiesen are a habitat for many rare orchids, wood anemones and paradise lilies. Anyone who pays attention to alpine meadows and plants while hiking will find a clearly defined landscape theme here: open alpine pastures, larch stands and distinctive plant life are all part of this section.

Circular Trails with Mills and Alpine Pastures

The Mill Hike is a family-friendly circular hike through meadows and mixed forest. From July to September, the Aldein Museum Association offers a guided Mill Hike on Saturdays; during this hike, the mills are opened and put into operation. The Aldein Circular Trail starts in the village centre of Aldein and leads towards Thal to the Mill Museum and the Maria Schnee Chapel. The Great Aldein Alpine Pasture Circuit is a circular hike from Schmiederalm to the Schönrastalm, Neuhütt, Auerleger Alm and Lahneralm alpine pastures and back to the starting point. The hiking options therefore differ in their landscapes and destinations: the Mill Hike leads through meadows and mixed forest, while the longer circuit connects several alpine pastures.

Museum and Sacred Art

The Museo Civico di Aldino houses the Thalhof Treasure, a collection of sacred works of art from the Baroque and Rococo periods. The visit is complemented by paintings, coins, medals and portraits from private collections. The collection thus offers another perspective on Aldein, distinct from its landscape and hiking themes.

Getting There and Choosing a Starting Point

Aldein can be reached by train from Bolzano to Neumarkt and then by bus route 142 to the “Aldein, Kirche” stop. For planning your day, it is also important to note that the different hiking options do not all start in the same place: the starting points are at the visitor centre, in the village centre and at Schmiederalm. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation in Aldein, you can match these starting points with your planned activities rather than assuming that all routes begin at a single point. This makes the location of your accommodation a practical part of your travel planning, without mixing up the different routes and their respective landscape themes.

More Places for Your Travel Plans

If you would like to extend your trip beyond Aldein, here are some more places to visit: Laives, Altrei, Frangarto, Kurtatsch an der Weinstraße, Salurn, Tramin an der Weinstraße, Eppan an der Weinstraße, Kurtinig an der Weinstraße.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kaltern an der Weinstraße.