South Tyrolean Speck and Danse Macabre: That’s the village of Plaus between Merano and the Val Venosta
Image gallery: Plaus
Between Merano and the Venosta Valley, just before Naturno, lies Plaus in the Valle dell'Adige valley. It's easily accessible by bus or train from Merano. The Rio della Sega stream, a man-made channel diverted from the Adige River, flows through the small village. The old village fountain, beneath a gnarled maple tree, was recently renovated, and a new tree planted.
On one side of the stream are the kindergarten, the town hall, and the church. On the other, towards the Adige River, are inns and the Plaus train station on the Val Venosta railway line. The Parish Church of St. Ulrich, with its massive Romanesque bell tower and 15th-century Gothic nave, houses two beautiful paintings by Simon Ybertracher (1694-1772), a Tyrolean Baroque painter born in Naturno as a son of a blacksmith.
The church is particularly known for its cemetery. There, you'll find 18 scenes of the Plaus Danse Macabre, called "Plauser Totentanz". As the original scenes couldn't be fully restored, the Val Venosta artist Luis Stefan Stecher created a new work some years ago: the "World Theatre of the Val Venosta", with drawings and verses in the local Val Venosta dialect. Next to it stands the new parish church, a simple building dedicated to St. Monica.
Plaus extends up to the Colle Scabro hill (Rauher Bichl) on the Monte Tramontana mountain, where the municipality reaches its highest point at over 2,000 metres. Plenty of space for excursions and hikes, for instance, on the Knights' Path of Naturno. The Val Venosta Cycle Path runs through the valley. Several protected areas surround the village, including the Plauser Lack, Reasler Au, and Melsbach-Au biotopes, popular destinations for school trips.
Plaus is also known for its speck production. You can find mildly smoked South Tyrolean Speck at Schmid Speck, Moser Speck, in the Plauser Speck Ladele, and in the AlpenFein delicatessen shop.
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