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Val Venosta is the largest and sunniest valley in South Tyrol, near the city of Merano and bordering the Grigioni (Grischun) Swiss Canton. The valley can be easily reached thanks to its highly-efficient means of transport like the “Vinschgerbahn” train.
It’s a perfect destination for tourists and mountain sports enthusiasts.

This valley is surrounded by famous mountain peaks such as the Orltes-Cevedale Range and the Ötztaler Alpen. Val Venosta boasts a remarkable variety and richness of landscapes of priceless value: for instance, the whole valley floor is overlooked by pristine alpine forests and meadows. Inside the valley, there’s the Stelvio National Park (see dedicated page), which offers unique sights and sensations for tourists and mountain enthusiasts in the very largest protected territory in Italy.

The perfect sun exposure for the most part of the year is another peculiar feature of this valley but it’s got a serious drawback: as a matter of fact, drought used to be a serious problem, especially due to the lack of water for irrigation. In the past, artificial canals called “Waale” were built to monitor and control the right management of that priceless commodity. today, only a dozen of the 300 original “Waale” canals have been kept active and preserved; eventually replaced by modern irrigation systems, they only perform a mere cosmetic function.

Several villages in this valley retain an interesting and unique combination of historical, artistic and natural beauty, such as Castelbello, Glorenza, Laces, Lasa, Malles, Martello, Ortles, Prato allo Stelvio, Resia, Silandro, Sluderno, Solda, Stelvio, Trafoi, and Tubre.

In this valley, visitors can also find the so-called “white gold of Val Venosta”: the world-renowned marble from Lasa, often used to build churches, homes, museums, etc.

THE LOCAL FRUIT

Val Venosta offers great food and wine but its delicious local apples are probably the best-ever thing to try along with other small fruits and apricots.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)