Stone Age finds in a rugged mountain world - where grass is mown on steep meadows and snow falls early
Image gallery: Rio Bianco in Sarentino
Rio Bianco in Sarentino and Rio Bianco Aurina in the Valle Aurina valley are two South Tyrolean mountain villages, both situated at over 1,300 metres above sea level. In the Sarentino Valley, Rio Bianco (Weissenbach) forms the heart of the Pennes Valley. The road forks at Campolasta. To the left, it leads to the Val di Pennes and the Passo di Pennes mountain pass, with the option of continuing on to the town of Vipiteno. To the right, the road heads into the Valdurna Valley with the Reinswald hiking and skiing area and Lake Valdurna at the head of the valley.
From there, you can only continue on foot. The Rio Bianco stream rises amidst the imposing peaks of the Sarentino Alps, which surround the village. It flows down into the hamlet and eventually joins the Talvera River, the main river of the Sarentino Valley. Rio Bianco's primary school is located on the edge of the village, and the public bus stops in the centre, just below St. Mary’s Chapel.
The border with the neighbouring Mules runs precisely between the house and barn of one of the old farms, the Heisshof. Rio Bianco was already settled millennia ago. Traces of human settlements from the Mesolithic period have been found on the Giogo di Vannes, the Giogo di Pietramala and the Passo di Pennes passes, in addition to the prehistoric settlements of St. John and Stallegg.
Today, Mt. Punta della Sciabola, which can be reached in about 2.5 hours, offers a particularly beautiful view on Rio Bianco and the Pennes Valley. In winter, snowshoes and cross-country skis take centre stage: The cross-country ski tracks wind through the valley, passing by old farms.
