Autumn is the ideal season for regenerating walks in the mountains. We witness the magic of the changing landscape, with colors changing from bright green to warm shades of orange and red, enjoying still clear days and pleasant temperatures. Specifically, there is an area that is worth visiting at this time of year, a true pearl of our country where you can take unforgettable excursions and discover unique stories, culture and traditions. We take you to discover the wool region.
Walking through Lana and its surroundings
Located on the southern side of the Merano basin, at the entrance to the Val d'Ultimo, Lana is the The largest fruit town in South Tyrol (a spectacle even when in bloom). Together with the neighboring villages of Cermes, Pavicolo, Postal, Monte San Vigilio, Foiana and Gargazzone, it occupies a sunny area where the Mediterranean flora meets and mixes with the Alpine, thanks to the favorable climate created by the natural barrier of the Tessa. Group, which prevents the penetration of northern frosts.
Apple trees, cherry trees, orchids and palm trees thus coexist with chestnut trees, larches and beech trees, also in harmonious concert with the history, the deep-rooted culture and the peculiarities of the lively inhabited centers.
In this splendid area you can try your luck on difficult excursions or pleasantly walk along flat paths between apple trees, immersed in a nature that always changes and surprises with the foliage season. Here it is very easy to combine a beautiful walk in the mountains with the discovery of a unique historical and architectural heritage.
The so-called "orchard of Alto Adige" is actually a modern and pleasant-looking city, suitable for families, offering a wide variety of monuments worth visiting. Suffice it to say that you will find around forty churches, chapels and monasteries spread throughout the area, including the legendary castle ruins of Leone, Braunsberg and Brandis.
From Lana to Lebenberg Castle along the Marlengo Canal Path
going through the Marlengo Street, which starts from Lana near the mouth of the Adige in the Valsura river channel, through a simple and panoramic walk through the Merano basin and the Val d'Adige, in about 45 minutes you reach Cermes, where it is located the imposing Castillo Lebenberg (also known as Monteleone Castle).
The mansion, dating back to the Middle Ages (around 1200), is among the largest and most beautiful privately owned castles in South Tyrol, fully furnished. In 1426 it passed from the Lords of Marling to the Lords of Fuchs, who expanded and renovated it. The building remained in their possession until the XNUMXth century. Today, the castle is owned by the van Rossem family and can be visited from April to October. A wonderful place, where past and present coexist, between sumptuousness and humility, richness and simplicity, contrasts that nevertheless generate a unique harmony.
Inside you can admire the armory room, the mirror room, in Rococo style, with sumptuous furniture, artistically decorated wallpaper, oriental rugs and large chandeliers, and the rustic room in Gothic-Renaissance style, furnished with time. And again, the empire hall, built into the rock, and the knights' hall, with heavy dark furniture and the famous fresco depicting the family tree with the 12 generations of owners of the castle. Outside, however, a wonderful French garden is revealed, but the crown jewel of the mansion is the Saint Stephen's Chapel, for its medieval frescoes and its perfect acoustics.
Waalweg Brandis, between nature and a unique work of art
If it is covered in its entirety, bordering the town of Lana in its entirety, immersed in nature, among chestnut and apple trees, the brandy street leads to the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta di Lana di Sotto, where the jewel of the South Tyrolean city is located: the'Altar de madera en Schnatterpeck. This is a work of art known far beyond the borders of South Tyrol. The altar is the largest in the entire Alpine region and one of the five largest altars in the German-speaking area. It was built between 1503 and 1511, it was carved from chestnut wood and richly decorated with pure gold. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it survived when the Church decided to eliminate all Gothic altars in favor of baroque ones.
It was the population of Lana that opposed the replacement of the Schnatterpeck altar, who claimed ownership through documents proving payment of it for a very high sum, equivalent to 1600 Rhenish florins (about 3 farms and 8 loads of wine per epoch). ). It can be admired from April to November (with a guided tour) in all its grandeur, with its 7 meters high and more than 14 meters wide, filled with 33 statues, many of which are life-size.
The other unmissable itineraries to discover the surroundings of Lana
From the station to the top of Monte San Vigilio (also famous for "forest bathing"), accessible by cable car from Lana, unspoiled nature welcomes hikers who, along the simple trail no. 34 and then no. 3, in less than an hour you arrive at the famous Church of San Vigilio. Dating back to the year 1278, it was built on a point where there was once a place of pagan worship and is perhaps the most emblematic testimony of this entire territory because, despite the passage of time, it has remained almost intact in its original form. appearance . Inside you can admire beautiful frescoes from around 1500 and a Gothic choir. You can visit all year round, but only by reservation.
Finally, it's worth watching. Torre Kroll, located above the city of Gargazzone. It can be reached with a very simple walk, also suitable for families, with several stops, some with sun loungers, others with comfortable seats to admire the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the splendid views of the Adige valley. Before the tower, you encounter the fascinating Aschler Creek Waterfall (Rio Eschio), which impresses with a 47-meter waterfall.
It is assumed that around the Kröll Tower, which in the Middle Ages served as a border control and which is today the symbol of the city's coat of arms, there was once a residential structure, but of the probable palace and the surrounding wall today only mass of stones. Near this interesting monument there is a platform from which you can admire a stunning view. In short, if you want to treat yourself to an unforgettable autumn walk through an area full of surprises, Lana and her entourage are willing to surprise you.
