Fanealm: An Alpine village in the mountains

Alex Filz/Gitschberg Jochtal ©

Day trip destination

Fanealm

Fanealm: An Alpine village in the mountains

Free of traffic and a unique spot for the whole family: Fanealm mountain pasture village features inns, rustic mountain huts and a chapel.

At the end of the valley of Vals, at an altitude of 1,740 metres, lie 35 mountain pasture huts, small barns, wooden dwellings, cowstalls and a little church. Surrounded by mountain pastures, they make up the prettiest mountain pasture village in South Tyrol – Fanealm.

These buildings set in the mountains of Pfunders served as a hospital for victims of the plague or cholera in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, they are a destination excursion and starting point enjoying protected status for popular mountain hikes. Three staffed huts invite people to stop in for a bite to eat and children can roam around and play outside.

A visit to the show cheese dairy and the little chapel, which was built in 1898 in addition to the huts, will interest culture-lovers.

Stopping off and enjoying life

In the old days, the whole population of Vals used to move to the Fanealm pasture, which was simply called Fane by the South Tyroleans. This was a time for heavy work, as the hay had to be gathered in for the winter. To make up for this and reward the hard work, there was lively entertainment of an evening involving dancing and musicmaking.

In winter, when the hay had to be transported down to the valley, the up to 50 carts laden with hay going down to the valley made for an impressive sight.

Still today, some farmers live in the little mountain village during the summer while their cattle are grazing on the pasture. Three to four shepherds take care of around 120 cows and 180 calves at this time of year. A dairy farmer works around 1,000 litres of milk into butter and cheese – a tradition going back to the 16th century. The cheese used to be bear the crest of the Lords of Wolkenstein as a type of quality seal.

Mountain cheese may be tasted right on the pasture, but you should save your appetite for the typical 'Schlutzkrapfen' ravioli and a 'Kaiserschmarrn' or 'Topfenschmarrn' omelette with redcurrants and hope that you still have room for a piece of strudel.

Sinful legends

A few legends are woven around the high pastures of the Fanealm. Locals from Vals tell of how a shepherd on the Labisebenalm pasture was once said to have driven his cattle over the Beistandwand cliff and was doomed to haunt the area until the spell was broken by the construction of the chapel.

A dairy farmer is said to have abused the milk and haunted the pastures during the winter. He was only redeemed when a brave passer-by drank some of the milk that the ghost offered him.

Hiking, sledging and customs

Surrounded by the Pfunders mountains, Fanealm pasture is well worth the trip at any time of year. In spring, the meadows turn into a carpet of colourful flowers and the pastures are farmed in the summer, making for lots of hustle and bustle. In autumn, the green of the larch trees gives way to warm yellow and red tones, before the winter buries the village under a blanket of snow and turns it into an oasis of calm.

Lots of activities such as hiking in the mountains, going on tours to refuges, mountain biking as well as ski tours and sledging await the whole family. Fanealm may also be reached by the 'Milchweg' path, which is a themed path providing information about cattle and milk.

A special custom still upheld today is worth witnessing on the Fanealm pasture – the 'Schelle'. Every year, on the Wednesday before the cows are driven back down to the valley, everyone wears a bell and bids farewell to summer on the mountain pasture as soon as dusk sets in to the sound of bells, whip cracking and whooping.

The high pasture is the starting point of the Wurmaul circuit ski tour race in April. Further special highlights that should not be missed are the Fane Fest and Milchfest festivals.