The Pfandler and Pfistrad Alps in the Val Passiria valley are not only beautiful excursion destinations, but also historical sites
Image gallery: Pfandler and Pfistrad Alps
Two alpine pastures in the Merano region have a lot to tell: These are the Pfandler Alm and the Pfistrad Alm, which were built on the slopes above San Martino and San Leonardo in the Val Passiria valley. The Pfandler Alp is connected to the MuseumPasseier, which also tells of the Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer. Andreas Hofer was hiding in the small wooden hut on the Pfandler Alp above San Martino before he was betrayed by the Tyrolean Franz Raffl for 1,500 guilders, captured by French occupying soldiers on January 28, 1810, and executed in Mantua shortly afterwards. After a fire, the hut was rebuilt true to the original as a memorial and is now located at the Pfandler mountain inn, a popular stop for refreshments.
Boards tell of the events of that time. A few km away, above San Leonardo in Passiria, on the other hand, the Pfistrad Alp is located at 1,350 m a.s.l. It is an ensemble of small buildings, also including the St. Anna Church in Pfistrad. The Gothic blockhouse that stands there is one of the oldest wooden buildings in South Tyrol and has been protected as a monument since 1982.
The Pfistrad Alp houses a small museum with old tools and display boards that tell about the interesting history of the pasture and the entire Val Passiria. And how to reach the alps? Both can only be reached on foot. The Pfandler Alm is located above San Martino in Passiria (accessible in an almost 4-hour hike there and back), the Pfistrad Alm above San Leonardo in Passiria (ascent of 1.5 hours). Both are open in summer and are popular hiking destinations.
Contact info
- Prantach 34 - 39015 - S. Martino in Passiria / St. Martin in Passeier
- +39 0473 641841 / +39 0473 659086
Opening times
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.
Admission
free admission to the Pfandler Alp memorial site and the museum at the Pfistrad Alp
More information
The opening hours refer to the ones of the Pfandler Alp: It stays open every year from early May to the end of October, Friday rest day. You can reach it in about 45 minutes via path E5 from the car park above the Pfandler Farm in San Martino. The mountain hut serves hot meals from 11.45 am to 3 pm and snacks from 9 am to 10 pm. The Pfandler Alp remains closed during the winter.
Season start 2025 on the 1st of May.
The St. Anna Pfistrad Alp, on the other hand, is open from May 18 to October 5, 2025, with no rest day. Hot meals are available from 11 am to 6 pm. You can reach the Pfistrad Alp in about 1.5 hours via route 13 from the Schnitzerhof car park in San Leonardo. It also remains closed in winter.
The memorial site and the mountain pasture museum are freely accessible during these times.
