The smallest district of San Genesio presents itself with numerous Earth Pyramids and the oldest larch tree on the Salto high plateau
Image gallery: Montoppio
Montoppio (Nobls) - "by the maple trees" (in opulis) is the name of the smallest district of San Genesio. The few houses and farms are located northwest of the main village amidst the pastures and meadows on the Monzoccolo. The hilltop settlement was already mentioned in the 12th century. It stretches between the farms of Montoppio di Fuori and the farmsteads of Montoppio di Dentro, around the parish youth group house, a place for contemplation, and the village church.
The late Romanesque-early Gothic small Church of St. Valentine with the engraved halos of the 12 apostles in the apse is well worth seeing and stands in an idyllic location with a fantastic panorama on the valley. Another viewpoint can be reached from here via the three Montoppio farms: The hike leads to the Tschaufen, from where you can see Valle dell'Adige as far as Lake Caldaro in the south. The Earth Pyramids are also a popular destination: Surrounded by pastures and woods they rise from the red clay soil of a landslide area, geological formations of the Ice Age.
In the larch meadows near Montoppio grows the most ancient larch of the Salto. The coniferous tree rises 24 metres into the sky, its trunk has a circumference of 6.40 metres. By the way, many hikes start at the Locher car park in Montoppio, right next to the Locher Inn. Together with the long-established Wieser and Tomanegger Inns, it is one of the places to stop in Montoppio, where you can enjoy local specialities, South Tyrolean Speck and delicious dumpling variations.
