{"id":506,"date":"2026-08-05T11:23:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T11:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/?p=506"},"modified":"2026-08-12T08:47:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T08:47:44","slug":"three-days-wine-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/three-days-wine-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Three days on the South Tyrolean Wine Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The footpath linking the village of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/montagna-village\/\">Montagna<\/a> to the hamlet of Gleno is 6.4 km long, takes 2 hours and climbs 208 metres \u2014 which means day one of this route needs no car at all. The other two days take you to the warmest bathing lake in the Alps and into a gorge 400 metres deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orientation first: this is South Tyrol, the German-speaking province at the top of Italy, in the Adige valley below the Dolomites, roughly 30 km south of Bolzano (Bozen). Every place name has an Italian and a German form, and both appear on the signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do you need a car for this itinerary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For days 2 and 3, yes. Day 1 is entirely on foot from Gleno. The lake, the market towns and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/bletterbach-gorge\/\">Bletterbach<\/a> gorge are reachable by regional bus, but timetables thin out in the late afternoon and on Sundays, so a hire car turns three half-days into three full ones. By train, the Brenner line runs down the valley from Innsbruck and Bolzano, with stations at Ora (Auer) and Egna-Termeno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 1: the vineyards on the doorstep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/montagna-village\/\">Montagna<\/a>\u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/pinzano-village\/\">Pinzano<\/a>\u2013Gleno circuit covers 6.4 km in about 2 hours, with 208 metres of ascent, graded easy. It starts at the Caf\u00e9 Sportbar in Montagna (Montan) at 410 m and reaches Gleno at 613 m. The return leg follows the trackbed of the dismantled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/old-railway-cycling\/\">Val di Fiemme railway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Waymarks, in order: Via Kaltegg, path no. 5, path 4, path 1, the &#8220;Bahnweg&#8221;, no. 4B. Underfoot it varies \u2014 village lanes, a steep pull through a chestnut grove, then the broad <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/old-railway-cycling\/\">old railway<\/a> line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A shorter option<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/pinot-noir-trail\/\">Pinot Noir Trail<\/a> (Blauburgunderweg) runs 16 km with three circular variants. The one that suits Gleno is Montagna\u2013Gleno\u2013Montagna: 4.1 km, 1 hour 15 minutes, 180 metres of climb, through the vineyards between Mazzon, Gleno and Pinzano, planted up to 1,150 m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to stop for in Pinzano<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Church of St Stephen<\/strong>: a late Gothic winged altar by the Brixen master Hans Klocker, dated 1490, plus a historic W\u00f6rle organ.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pinzoner Keller<\/strong>: an old wine cellar, recognisable from the na\u00efve paintings across its fa\u00e7ades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Saltner Tower<\/strong>: among the vines. The Saltner was the hired watchman who guarded the ripening grapes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>St Stephen&#8217;s Square<\/strong> with its fountain, and the ruins of Castel Caldiff to the south-west.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Give the afternoon to a local winery. Almost all are small and receive visitors by appointment only, often the same day if you ring in the morning \u2014 turning up unannounced rarely works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 2: why is Lake Caldaro the warmest lake in the Alps?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because it is shallow. Maximum depth is just 5.6 metres, so the sun warms the whole body of water rather than the surface alone, and summer temperatures reach 28 \u00b0C. At 147 hectares it is also the largest natural bathing lake in South Tyrol, at 425 m above sea level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Walk around the lake: <strong>7.5 km<\/strong>, roughly <strong>90 minutes<\/strong>, flat.<\/li>\n<li>Lakeside bathing establishments open <strong>mid-May to end of September<\/strong>, among them Lido Lago di Caldaro and Gretl am See, home to South Tyrol&#8217;s only windsurfing school.<\/li>\n<li>Entry runs at about 7.50 \u20ac for adults, less for children and after 5 pm. Prices reset each season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then head into Caldaro (Kaltern) itself, a town of 8,161 people built around its market square. Kellerei Kaltern has a winecenter and a wine bar called 1900, and above the town stands the ruin of Castelchiaro. The Mendola funicular, running since 1903, climbs to 1,363 m. With time to spare, add Termeno (Tramin) to the south \u2014 the village that gave Gew\u00fcrztraminer its name, 28 km from Bolzano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 3: Roman-era hilltop or 400-metre canyon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two very different choices. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/castelfeder-hill\/\">Castelfeder<\/a> is an easy 5 km walk over an archaeological hill of dry meadow and oak wood, comfortable in half a day. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/bletterbach-gorge\/\">GEOPARC Bletterbach<\/a> means about 3 hours inside a gorge and fills the day completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option A: Castelfeder and Egna<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Castelfeder is a 108-hectare protected biotope in the municipality of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/montagna-village\/\">Montagna<\/a>, between 222 and 408 m. The standard circuit is 5 km with 180 metres of ascent, about 2 hours; the path to the acropolis is roughly 2 km. Archaeologists have identified over 160 building foundations from different periods, the oldest settlement being a village of the Raeti, the pre-Roman people of these valleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just south lies Egna (Neumarkt), a medieval market town whose main street runs beneath the Lauben, arcaded porticoes on both sides. Since 2014 it has been listed among &#8220;I Borghi pi\u00f9 belli d&#8217;Italia&#8221;, Italy&#8217;s association of its most beautiful small towns. Lunch here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option B: GEOPARC Bletterbach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/bletterbach-gorge\/\">Bletterbach<\/a> gorge is 8 km long and 400 metres deep, part of the UNESCO Dolomites World Heritage Site. The geological trail takes around 3 hours. A helmet is compulsory, hire included in the ticket: about 9.00 \u20ac for adults, free up to the age of 14. Open 1 May to 31 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Visitor Centre, Aldino<\/strong> (Aldein): 9.30\u201318.00, Lerch 40, 39040 Aldino (BZ), tel. +39 0471 886946.<\/li>\n<li><strong>GEOMuseum, Redagno<\/strong> (Radein): 9.30\u201317.30.<\/li>\n<li>The ticket covers gorge, exhibition, GEOMuseum and helmet hire.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does the season change the plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the three days shrink in winter. The lidos on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/lake-caldaro\/\">Lake Caldaro<\/a> open only from mid-May to the end of September, and the GEOPARC Bletterbach closes from 1 November to 30 April. The lake circuit, the towns and the low-level paths stay open all year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Spring and autumn<\/strong>: the best window for the Montagna\u2013Pinzano\u2013Gleno circuit. Autumn also brings <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/torggelen-explained\/\">T\u00f6rggelen<\/a>, the harvest-season eating tradition, from early October to late November.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Summer<\/strong>: lake early, shaded chestnut-wood paths in the afternoon.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Winter<\/strong>: swap day 3 for Egna and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/castelfeder-hill\/\">Castelfeder<\/a>, both open year-round.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Hermann Hof<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gleno is a hamlet of 69 residents on the south-western slopes of Monte Cislon, split into an upper and a lower settlement along the road towards Trodena. The Hermann Hof apartments sit in a farmhouse surrounded by three hectares of woodland and vines, so day 1 begins where you are standing. Having a kitchen matters more than it sounds: rural restaurants keep short hours and close one day a week. Two things worth finding on foot are the Gleno viaduct, a 73-metre stone bridge on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/old-railway-cycling\/\">old railway<\/a>, and the waterfall on the Trodena stream north of the hamlet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"photo-credit has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photo: Thomas Monsorno<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"transparency-note has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Transparency note:<\/strong> this article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools, based on publicly available sources, and checked by our team.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Day 1 the vineyards on foot, day 2 Lake Caldaro and the Wine Road, day 3 Castelfeder or the Bletterbach gorge. Real data, not estimates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Three Days on the South Tyrolean Wine Road | Hermann Hof","rank_math_description":"Day 1 the vineyards on foot, day 2 Lake Caldaro and the Wine Road, day 3 Castelfeder or the Bletterbach gorge. Real data, not estimates.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"South Tyrol Wine Road 3 days, Alto Adige itinerary, Dolomites wine region trip","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_robots":[],"rank_math_advanced_robots":[],"rank_math_facebook_title":"","rank_math_facebook_description":"","rank_math_twitter_title":"","rank_math_twitter_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-around"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=506"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1116,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions\/1116"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hermannhof.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}