Sarntaler Alpen

As part of the so-called "Hufeisentour," you can hike the entire area of the Sarntal Alps in seven days and discover new secret places all to yourself. On the well-signposted high-altitude trails, solitude is often your companion, but this ultimately leads to inner contemplation and creates space for new ways of thinking.

The name comes from the fact that the mountain range forms a horseshoe shape around the Sarntal. During your hike, you will pass the two long ridges (Ostkamm and Westkamm) that are connected by the Penser Joch, and you will encounter numerous mountain huts and guesthouses with overnight accommodations.

The Hufeisentour typically starts in the east with the ascent to the Rittner-Horn-Haus and ends with the descent from the Meraner Hütte. The hearts of hikers will beat faster at the sight of the Dolomites, Zillertal Alps, Stubai Alps, Ötztal Alps, Ortler region, and the Brenta Group. Don't forget to collect stamps, as the Golden Hufeisen badge awaits as a reward for your hiking achievement.

Another perfect entry point into this mountain region is the ascent of the highest peak in the Sarntal Alps – the Hirzer (2,781 meters). From Passeier, the Hirzer cable car runs to near the Hirzerhütte (with overnight accommodations and its own cheese dairy) directly on the European long-distance hiking trail E5, where the normal route to the summit of Hirzer begins. Once you reach the top, you will be greeted by an incomparable panoramic view over the Merano basin, to the famous Hahnenkamm and the Vinschgau, all the way to the Dolomites.

Otherwise, the mountain range has only a few peaks that resemble a high mountain range. There are a few higher peaks in the north. To the south, the mountains become flatter and take on the forms of high plateaus. Even though more than 120 peaks rise to great heights, none of them reach the three-thousand-meter mark.

Another highlight is the mysterious earth pyramids on the Ritten, a mountain ridge north of Bolzano, which rise like an army of pointed heads from the forest and are considered a geological phenomenon.

Equally legendary are the Stoanernen Mandln near Sarnthein. These bizarre stone formations are located in a magical power place that is said to have been a cult site for witches in earlier years. It is unclear whether it was really the Celts who first built the stone men here. You can reach the site via a leisurely family hike from the Sarner Skihütte guesthouse. Easy forest paths and alpine meadows lead to the destination in about 1.5 hours.

Also worth seeing is the pilgrimage church Latzfonser Kreuz (2311 meters) – one of the highest pilgrimage sites in Europe, on the southern flank of the Kassianspitze. To see the cross with the Black Lord (only housed there in the summer months), start the ascent from the Klausner Hütte (about 3 hours walking time). Right next to the church, you will find the Latzfonser Kreuz shelter with accommodations and South Tyrolean cuisine.

In the summer, the Sarntal hiking bus service makes traveling easier: from the end of June to mid-September, buses run daily from Sarnthein to Sterzing, the Penser Joch, or Weißenbach/Pens.