Villanders: Between Archaeology, Village Center and Villanderer Alm

Villanders between village history and alpine pasture

A vacation in Villanders can be organized around archaeology, village history and the high alpine pasture. The Archeoparc Villanders, the old village center and the Villanderer Alm each set different accents. This gives you four clearly distinguishable perspectives for planning: early settlement history, historic village scenes, landscape and hiking, as well as traditional refreshment stops at the alpine pasture.

Archaeological and historical traces

The Archeoparc Villanders is an archaeological site on the Plunacker. Remains from the Stone Age, Copper Age, Bronze Age and Roman period are located there. Archaeological settlement traces and burial sites show that people were already living there more than 7,000 years ago. Reconstructed buildings can be seen at the Archeoparc Villanders: a Mesolithic dwelling, a Neolithic hut and a Rhaetian house.

In the mining complex in the Tinne Valley, 16 tunnels with a total length of 25 km were excavated. The scale of this complex adds the subject of mining to the view of the past.

Historical features in the village center

The old village center of Villanders comprises narrow lanes and two towering Gothic towers. St. Michael's Church at the cemetery was consecrated in 1344. In the cemetery beside St. Michael's Church, the front sides of the exclusively wrought-iron grave crosses are positioned facing away from the burial mound. The old village center, the narrow lanes and the two towers served as the backdrop for Franz von Defregger's painting “The Last Contingent.”

The Villanderer Alm as a landscape experience

The Villanderer Alm is an extensive high alpine pasture above Villanders between the Tinnebach and Zargenbach streams. Lush green meadows, moors, lakes and grass-covered mountain peaks characterize its landscape. Numerous mountain huts on the Villanderer Alm offer hikers traditional dishes and refreshing drinks. Nature and regional culinary culture thus come together here in a shared travel experience.

Hiking with specific route data

The “Villanders–Flor–Dreikirchen–Villanders” hike follows trails 4, 10 and 11, is 10 km long and includes 638 meters of elevation gain and 640 meters of descent. The route length and the separate elevation figures provide a clear framework for your personal tour planning.

Finding your way between village and alpine pasture

Bus route 345 connects Klausen, Villanders and the Villanderer Alm. For planning your travel between these three places, the bus route provides a specific point of reference. When organizing your days, you can choose between different focuses: the historic village setting, the archaeological past, a mountain hike or the alpine pasture with its huts.

When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore first decide what should shape your Villanders vacation: culture and village history or hiking, landscape and the alpine pasture. This way, the daily rhythm remains aligned with your own interests.

More places for planning your trip

Klausen, Rodeneck, Natz-Schabs, Laion, Barbian, Funes, Maranza and Bressanone

For the overarching travel overview: Isarco Valley.