Venosta Valley Museum - VUSEUM

The Venosta Valley Museum "VUSEUM" - "Vintschger Museum" in German, "Museo della Val Venosta" in Italian - in Sluderno village is, as the name reveals, dedicated to the Val Venosta and its different fields. The focus is set on ecologic, social and cultural issues as much as on archeology and water management. The latter is highly important in the valley, as this western part of South Tyrol is a rather dry area. The permanent exhibition "WaWo - s'Wosser zum Wassern" (Water to irrigate) with the theme trail Quairwaal which starts behind the building tells about the topic.

"Archaic Venosta", however, is dedicated to archaeology in the valley and the finds made at the Ganglegg. In 1997, at this hill above Sluderno, items of the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period were discovered. Today in this best explored hilltop site of the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period, there is a prehistoric park showing orginal structures and reconstructed buildings.

The museum has also dedicated one section to a highly interesting, buth rather sad subject, the "Schwabenkinder". This term is used for the kids of the Val Venosta valley who went to work to Swabia in Germany in summertime, in order to alleviate poverty at home. In May 2024, a new part has been added to the permanent exhibition: It tells about the stallion "249 Folie", the progenitor of the Haflinger horses, which was born right here in Sluderno 150 years ago. And how to reach the VUSEUM? It can be found in the village centre, the train stops near the village. On foot, the hike along the Sluderno Waalwege paths leads past the museum and the archeologic site of Ganglegg.