Holiday apartment in Villnöss: Nature park, trails and the Dolomites

Villnöss between Alpine meadows and Dolomite peaks

Villnöss combines a gentle cultural landscape with striking Dolomite formations. In Puez-Odle Nature Park, the green alpine meadows of Villnöss meet the pale, rugged towers of the Odle and Peitlerkofel mountains. The nature park covers more than 10,000 hectares and provides a broad setting for nature experiences, walks and hikes. Trip planning can encompass everything from the mountain world of the nature park and easy nature observations along the Zans Nature Experience Trail to culture in Ranui and regional Slow Food Travel experiences. The expansive nature park setting and the varied trails in Villnöss bring together landscape, activity and observation. When planning a trip to Villnöss, the nature park visitor centre can be included as a separate point of interest alongside the hiking trails and the little church in Ranui in the valley.

Hiking trails with varied landscapes

The Adolf Munkel Trail runs directly beneath the vertical walls of the Odle. The Sunnseitenweg is one of the recommended hiking trails in Villnöss. The Mountain Farmers’ Trail leads through a gentle cultural landscape and offers panoramic views of the Dolomites. Along the Adolf Munkel Trail, the rock walls are the main focus, while the Mountain Farmers’ Trail combines the farming-shaped landscape with views of the Dolomites. For a day of hiking in Villnöss, this makes it possible to plan different focal points, including proximity to the rock walls, the cultural landscape and panoramic views.

The barrier-free Zans Nature Experience Trail offers a relaxed way to discover ecological connections. Along the Adolf Munkel Trail, the Mountain Farmers’ Trail and in Zans, different specific themes can therefore shape a day in Villnöss.

Nature park visitor centre and landscape from a bird’s-eye view

The Puez-Odle Nature Park visitor centre is located in the centre of St. Magdalena in Villnöss. An aerial photograph that you can walk through allows you to view the nature park from a bird’s-eye perspective and gain detailed insights into the landscape. A visit to the centre of St. Magdalena thus forms a separate part of a trip to Villnöss, alongside the hiking trails and the little church in Ranui.

Ranui: little church and travelling by bus

The little Church of St. John Nepomuk in Ranui was donated in 1744 by mine owner Michael von Jenner. It features altar paintings by Franz Sebald Unterberger from the Fiemme Valley. A bus runs from Chiusa or Bressanone into the Dolomite valley of Villnöss as far as the Ranui stop; from there, it is a five-minute walk to the little church. When travelling to Ranui, the five-minute walk from the bus stop to the little church is also a separate part of the visit to Villnöss.

Slow Food Travel in Villnöss

Villnöss is South Tyrol’s first Slow Food Travel destination. Slow Food Travel experiences include baking bread in a wood-fired oven, observing the production of cheese, and identifying and processing herbs. Bread baking focuses on the wood-fired oven, cheese-making on observing the production process, and herbs on identifying and processing them. In Villnöss, this makes it possible to combine a day of hiking with regional activities and observations.

Also Meransen, Chiusa, Rodengo, Rio di Pusteria, Villandro, Bressanone, Luson and Barbiano are part of further trip planning.

Further information about the Isarco Valley.