In this harsh mountain world, where the grass is cut on steep meadows and it snows early, finds from the Stone Age were made
Image gallery: Rio Bianco in Sarentino
Rio Bianco in the Sarentino Valley and Rio Bianco in the Aurina Valley are two alpine villages in South Tyrol, both situated at an altitude of more than 1,300 metres a.s.l.: In the Sarentino Valley, Rio Bianco (Weissenbach) forms the heart of the Val di Pennes. The road divides at Campolasta: On the left you reach the Val di Pennes and the Passo Pennes, including the crossing to Vipiteno. On the right, the road leads into the Valle di Valdurna Valley with the Reinswald Skiing Area and Hiking Area and Lake Valdurna at the end of the valley. There it is only possible to continue on foot.
The Rio Bianco stream has its source in the mighty Sarentino Alps which surround the village. It flows down into the small village and then joins the Talvera, the main river of the Sarentino Valley. At the edge of the village is the primary school of Rio Bianco, in the centre of the village, a little below the St. Mary's Chapel, a bus stop. Exactly between the house and the barn of one of the old farms, the Heisshof, runs the border to the neighbouring village of Mules.
Rio Bianco was already settled thousands of years ago. Traces of human settlement from the Middle Stone Age were found on the Giogo Wans, the Giogo di Pietramala and the Passo Pennes, in addition there are the prehistoric settlements of St. Johann and Stallegg. Today, Mt. Punta della Sciabola, which you can reach in about 2.5 hours, offers a particularly beautiful view on Rio Bianco. In winter, snowshoes and cross-country skis become the main actors: The cross-country ski tracks stretch through the Val di Pennes, past mountain farms, through a breathtaking landscape.
