Summer

Hiking and MTB in the Valle Aurina / Ahrntal | Summer holidays

Peaks, alpine huts and trails – Your outdoor playground

Sometimes, in the Aurina Valley it can snow even in May. This is because the Aurina Valley is so cool.
And incredibly varied. With countless adventures and experiences, and many places to recharge your batteries or to relax deeply. No matter the weather. The well-being of nature in its most engaging form! Boredom? Never. And to make sure it stays that way, we have some special tips for your hiking and mountain biking holidays in the Aurina Valley.

 

Not quite a hundred,
but the 80 peaks over three thousand metres is a good start

View from the top

Mountains

You don’t have to climb all the mountains to really get to know the Aurina Valley.
But some of them are definitely worth going up to see the Aurina Valley from a different perspective and take in views that will remain forever etched in your mind.

Circular route to the Giogo Lungo hut

Casere car park after Santo Spirito | 6 h (3 h to the mountain hut) | 15 km | 975 m difference in altitude
The path that leads to the Giogo Lungo mountain hut is really special, just like the hut itself. It is considered one of the most beautiful circular hikes in the Valleys of Tures and Aurina! There are meadows full of ruby red rhododendrons and fragrant alpine herbs. The jagged walls and angular rock formations create a striking contrast. The sky seems closer and freedom more tangible in the Valley of the Wind. When you start the climb towards the Giogo Lungo mountain hut (2,603 m), the landscape becomes more arid, but no less impressive. A spellbinding view awaits you at the top: imposing peaks of 3000 metres rise all around, with the Pizzo Rosso glacier in their midst. After a little refreshment with the charismatic host at the mountain hut, you head back down through the Rossa Valley, passing the lakes of the same name, the stream, the Malga Rossa and some tunnels and remains of the Predoi mine, to eventually get back to where you started.

Vetta d’Italia

Visitor Centre of the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Natural Park in Casere | 8 h | 19.4 km | 1,240 m difference in altitude

The silence of the mountains says more than many words. The Vetta d’Italia may appear inconspicuous but the view is what makes it. And the view is truly exceptional. Once you have sweated your way to the top, you can properly enjoy the panorama: taking in the Durreck Group, the Vedrette di Ries, the Pizzo Tre Signori, the Pizzo Rosso and, of course, the Großvenediger. Anyone brave enough to climb the 2,912-metre-high Vetta d’Italia can also proudly claim to have reached the northernmost point of Italy. It is located exactly on the border between Austria and South Tyrol and between the Hohe Tauern National Park and the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park.

Any other suggestions?

  • For keen and expert mountaineers: The Sasso Nero (3,369 m) and Monte Lovello (3,382 m) are both part of the 80 three-thousanders of the Aurina Valley and are among the most beautiful glaciers in the region.
  • For keen hikers who like new and exciting experiences: the “Sun Trail” crosses the Aurina Valley in stages at an altitude between 1,000 and 1,335 metres between Lutago and San Pietro, with the possibility of stopping along the way at various points.
  • For families with children who love to walk: the interactive witches trail, which takes an hour and a half and features a large witch’s chair, bear cave and waterfall, leads from San Giovanni to the friendly Bizat mountain hut (1,416 m). Here you can grab some refreshment, have fun in the playground, and visit a petting zoo.
  • For big and small explorers – and particularly those who love excitement: directly opposite is the Klausberg adventure mountain, a great place to go skiing in winter but also with much to offer in the summer. Things to see and do include: the “Klausberg Flitzer” Alpine Coaster, the zipline, the small lake of Chiusetta, the Family Park with the aquatic world, the Balance Parcours, Dinoland, the hiking trail and much more.
Hiking Alpine climbing View Sunrise in the mountains Sunrise at the summit
Picking berries

Valley

We’re active, not passive: your hiking, mountain biking or sightseeing tour in the Aurina Valley can start directly from our hotel. And there is a bus stop outside the front door with buses that can take you anywhere – you simply decide where to go. Explore the fascinating natural park of the Vedrette di Ries!

A trip …

… to the Waterfalls of Riva di Tures

“Uanfoch lama nö giwaltig!” say those of the Aurina Valley, when they find themselves in front of the imposing waterfalls of Riva di Tures. This means: “awesome” or just “wooooowww”! The waterfalls in Cantuccio, near Campo Tures, are an impressive natural sight, which can be reached via a woodland trail. This leads gently uphill, with steps, jumps and well-marked paths, up to the Tobel gorge. Here you are right in front of the third waterfall, the highest – and you’re so close to the water you can feel a gentle spray! To go down to the valley, you can walk… or take the zipline.

… in the copper mine of Predoi

Have you ever wondered how miners lived and worked in the bowels of the earth? You can find out in the Aurina Valley, in the former copper mine of Predoi. You enter the tunnel with the little train, just as people did when the mine was actively in use. During the interactive guided tour, you can touch – in the true sense of the word – what was the daily work of the miners. A wonderful experience for the whole family!
In the mine there is also a Climate Centre, a place where you can breathe pure air – therapeutic for asthmatics, and greatly relaxing for everyone else.

… by bike on Il Giro dei Tauri

Hotel Sonnleiten | 3 h | 13.8 km | 700 m difference in altitude
The trip from Cadipietra to Predoi, the real starting point of the tour, is a good way to warm up the calves. There begins a truly sensational ride for all mountain bike and e-bike enthusiasts. From Predoi you go up to the Waldner hut at about 2,000 metres, continue towards the Schütt hut and follow a varied and interesting route to the Tauern di Sopra hut, where you can get some refreshment. You go back along the historic Tauern path, up to Casere.

 

Any other suggestions?

  • For health-conscious hikers: have you already heard of the Kneipp method? Yes? In the Aurina Valley, there is the health trail from Predoi and the sculpture trail (also known as San Leonardo) to San Giacomo. Walking in cold water is an experience not to be missed!
  • For those who love the water: the Cascade pool in Campo Tures is a real oasis of wellness, perfectly refreshing and not only on hot days.
  • Wellness squared: after an exciting day outdoors, treat yourself to a period of relaxation indoors – a sauna, a whirlpool tub and an infrared cabin await you at our hotel.
  • Fun and games: just a few paces away, at our Stochas, is the “Play Area for Cool Kids” where your children can have a great time. In the playground there is a climbing tower, a swing and much more.

Sonnleiten summer services

  • Location next to the ski lifts of the Klausberg hiking area
  • Ideal starting point for hiking and mountain biking tours in the Aurina Valley
  • Personalised assistance and tips on hikes by the Hofer family
  • Room for drying wet mountain gear
  • NEW: rental of bikes and e-bikes through the Hofer company in Cadipietra at the special rate of € 25.00 per day instead of the normal rate of € 45.00.
  • Südtirol Alto Adige Guest Pass – museomobil Card included, with varied weekly programme and free use of buses and trains throughout South Tyrol and each a visit to approx. 80 museums, collections and exhibitions throughout South Tyrol
  • Bus stop just outside the door
  • Plenty of opportunities to relax in the sauna, whirlpool and infrared cabin of our hotel
Free cableway-pass for Klausberg and Speikboden in May & June 2024

Gently gliding to the airy heights & 360-degree panoramic views at up to 2,400 metres above sea level! Alpine pastures and mountain chalets, lakes and paths – for walkers and mountain enthusiasts, young and old alike. Free. Unlimited. Inclusive.

Fun for children Mining museum Waterfalls High ropes course Mountain biking Cascade Mountain landscape Rock climbing Downhill by bike Peace in the forest

Wellness delight

  • Sweat in the Finnish sauna (90 °C)
  • Free your mind in the Jacuzzi
  • Enjoy deep relaxation in the infrared cabin (40 °C)
  • Sunbathe on the sun terrace
  • Relax on the rooftop terrace of the Stochas
  • Breathe deeply at the top of the surrounding mountains
  • Go for it on your MTB or e-bike
  • Recharge your batteries in the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina Nature Park