Hike: traditional Farms

On the steep meadows above Santa Cristina in Val Gardena, several farms have survived the centuries and have been preserved in their original form. They are built into the steep surroundings like a nest, testimony to a bygone era when life in the mountains was harsh and full of hardship.

There are numerous informative boards along this hike, which make the tour of traditional farms extremely educational, especially for hikers interested in local history. Because of its low altitude, this tour is recommended from spring to autumn and is also an option for bad weather days.

Coming from the Brennero motorway (A22), drive into Val Gardena through the village of Ortisei (SS242) to Santa Cristina. There are a few car parks available below the gym near the church or in the town square.

Val Gardena is also easily accessible by public transport. Line 350 runs every half hour from Ponte Gardena or Chiusa to Santa Cristina, where it is best to get off the bus at the "Rathaus" stop. From here, follow the municipal road "Streda de Chemun", which runs alongside the town hall and leads directly to the Parish Church of S. Cristina, the starting point of this hike.

From the Parish Church in Santa Cristina, follow the signs for the "Rundgang traditioneller Höfe". At first, the trail climbs slightly uphill along Via Paul in a westerly direction through the village. This leads you to the forest and just behind it the first farms with the "Pilon Farm". From here you can enjoy the view: the Sassolungo rises impressively in the air and there are already glimpses of the Alpe di Siusi.

From the Pilon Farm, Trail No. 32A climbs steeply until it reaches the next hamlet: the so-called "Ulëta Farm". Stay on Trail No. 32A, which leads westwards across the meadows just after the Ulëta Farm. As soon as you reach the forest, you come to a fork in the path where you take Trail No. 33 to the right. After about 200 metres, turn right again onto Trail No. 32, which leads relatively flat to the north-east. Walk partly through sparse forest and across beautiful meadows and marvel at the unique panorama of the Dolomites in front of you.

You soon reach a relatively flat meadow where the hamlet of "Praulëta" is located. After the farmsteads continue uphill into the forest along Trail No. 20B until you reach the forest road (Trail No. 4), which you follow to the right in an easterly direction. After about 300 metres, you will see the next farm, called "Runcaudië", below the road. To find out more, head down to the farm and then return to Trail No. 4.

At the next crossroads, follow the forest road up towards the Mastlé Alp. Leave the gate on the left, take the "Troi dal Scherlates" path and follow it uphill for approximately 500 metres until you reach a fork in the path. Here, turn right downhill towards the Pramulin Hut (signpost), which is located at an altitude of 1,601 metres slightly above the cable car station that leads up to Col Raiser. The Pramulin Hut is an insider tip for delicious food in both summer and winter.

The oldest and most impressive destinations await hikers on the farm hike. Above the Pramulin Hut, continue to the right on Trail No. 1B, where you soon reach the "Insom Farm". The next farms are located on particularly steep terrain; it's fascinating to imagine that these steep meadows were the livelihood of large farming families for generations.

The next farm is the "Paratoni Farm", which appears in documents dating back to the 13th century and is therefore one of the oldest in Val Gardena. Learn more about this farm below.

Stay on Trail No. 1B, where you can marvel at some more impressive farms such as the Crëpa Farm and enjoy the view of the Sassolungo and Sella Group. Finally, you come to the junction with the Plesdinazstraße road, which you follow uphill for about 50 metres before immediately turning left onto Kreuzweg (no. 32). Kreuzweg initially leads downhill until it joins a path that takes you back to the historic centre of Santa Cristina.

As the tour of traditional farms is always below 1900 m, the hike can usually be completed early in the year and well into autumn. Late autumn is certainly the best time. In the middle section of the hike, from the Ulëta Farm onwards, there are many larch trees, which turn a magical golden orange colour from the end of October to the beginning of November.

Another highlight in autumn is Törggelen. This is a Valle Isarco tradition in which some particularly tasty dishes are prepared at the end of the harvest season. These include "Schlutzkrapfen", dumplings, "Surfleisch", sauerkraut and, for dessert, doughnuts and roasted chestnuts. Typical Törggelen taverns can actually be found at lower altitudes near Laion. However, the aforementioned Paratoni Farm is an insider tip. In its cosy parlour, you can enjoy some particularly fine traditional dishes.

If you are interested in the subject further, we recommend the historical photo archive of Santa Cristina.

• Tabacco No.05, Val Gardena-Val Gardena. The Tabacco maps are also available via the app.
• AV map no. 52/I