This tiny hamlet in the Pennes Valley offers hiking on the Monte Cervina and a legends trail for children
Image gallery: Sonvigo
In the lower Pennes Valley, stretching up to the imposing Passo di Pennes and transitioning into the Upper Valle Isarco, lies the small hamlet of Sonvigo. The road branches off to the left on the way into the valley and leads you up the slope to the mountain village. The centre itself consists of only seven buildings, including the Church of St. Bartholomew and St. Ulrich and a small school.
Here, at a considerable 1,325 metres above sea level, people gather in South Tyrol's smallest village, under the watchful eye of the mighty Punta Cervina. This peak is also well-known in Merano. Centuries ago, a mule track connected the mountain village with the town via the Giogo di Pietramala saddle. Today, the area is popular with hikers who climb the Punta Cervina, the highest peak of the Sarntal Alps, via the saddle and Lake San Pancrazio. The picturesque lake can be reached via an easy mountain path in about 2.5 hours. Afterwards, you can climb the summit or hike back to the starting point via the Antran Hut and Lahner Farm.
A somewhat longer hike starts in the Pennes Valley and leads towards the San Pancrazio Hut. Families with children might prefer the Sonvigo Legends Trail. Legends are adapted by children for children and imaginatively presented along the way. You can get the trail brochure, which includes a quiz, at the Wippingerhof farm above Sonvigo, before heading to the Durr Mountain Hut.
The adventure also leads you to the wild Rio della Sega Gorge. The Rio della Sega and the Felderbach streams form the mountain waters of Sonvigo (Aberstückl) in Sarentino - idyllic to look at, but not to be underestimated. In the past, they have caused considerable damage.
