Discover St. Johann: Churches, Mountains and the Meditation Trail

St. Johann combines ecclesiastical history, art, mountains and a special path through the landscape. A holiday apartment in St. Johann therefore offers a destination where cultural discoveries, nature observation and peaceful stretches of trail can be combined. Depending on your travel group’s interests, you can focus on local history, minerals, the landscape or regional specialities.

Church history and art in the village

San Giovanni was already the ecclesiastical centre of the valley around the year 1000. This long ecclesiastical heritage can be seen in several buildings. The Mühlegg Chapel (Costa Molini) was built in 1734 and consecrated on 19 August 1743. The parish church of St. John the Baptist in San Giovanni was built between 1783 and 1788.

Art and collections are also part of the village’s character. The frescoes in the cemetery arcades of St. Johann were created by Johann Baptist Oberkofler. The Oberkofler Museum is located directly in the village centre of San Giovanni. At the Kirchler Mineralogical Museum, you can see 1,000 mineral specimens in an exhibition area measuring 300 m². During a stay, this allows you to combine art, ecclesiastical architectural history and minerals as different cultural perspectives.

The Meditation Trail through forests and meadows

The Meditation Trail from San Giovanni was created to mark the 200th anniversary of the Tyrolean Sacred Heart vow, made in 1796, in the period from 1796 to 1996. It leads from the church of San Giovanni to the festival hall through forests and meadows and offers views of the village of San Giovanni. The trail thus brings together exercise, landscape and a thematic connection to regional history without focusing the excursion solely on a museum or a building.

In San Giovanni, bus route 450 and the Steinpent or Kirche stops provide access to the Meditation Trail. For planning purposes, you can therefore consider this trail as a separate excursion or combine it with the cultural stops in the village.

Mountains and water in the surrounding area

Rotberg, Steiner Holm and Kreuzkofel are located near San Giovanni. All three are mountains and provide a scenic setting for days when you want to focus more on the surrounding area. Cascate Di Riva, a waterfall, is also located near San Giovanni. The mountains and waterfall therefore complement visits to the village with further specific nature destinations.

A regional flavour

Ahrntaler Graukäse is part of the culinary context. It belongs to the family of sour-milk cheeses and is produced without the addition of rennet through the coagulation of sour milk. For anyone interested in regional products, this production method offers an insight into the distinctive features of the area that is just as specific as the churches, museums and landscape trails.

Choosing a holiday apartment based on your travel focus

When choosing between a holiday apartment and a holiday house in St. Johann, you can first focus on the experiences that should shape your trip. Those who want to focus on churches, frescoes and museums can combine several cultural themes in the village. Those who prefer walking through forests and meadows can include the Meditation Trail in their plans; for a stronger focus on the landscape, the nearby mountains and Cascate Di Riva as a waterfall in the surrounding region are available. This distinction helps you assess the preferred location of your accommodation according to your own daily rhythm and the interests of your travel group.

More destinations for orientation

For further orientation in the region, you can also explore Lazfons, Ahornach, Sankt Gertraud, Burggrafenamt, Riomolino, Laag, Wahlen and Rina.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bolzano.