Monte Ganda’s forests, with their Ice Holes and proximity to the Mendola Pass, are a popular destination
Image gallery: Ganda di Appiano
Where the Oltradige area transitions from Appiano to Caldaro, you'll find the hamlet of Gand (Ganda). The hill above also bears the same name: Monte Ganda. The scree slopes at its foot are a special natural phenomenon that attracts many hikers in the summer: the Ice Holes.
Air flows through the quartz porphyry layers of the boulders, cools down, and emerges at the base as a cool air stream. This allows unique high-alpine vegetation to thrive here, amidst the Mediterranean climate. Traces of early settlement have been found in Ganda. The area along the South Tyrolean Wine Route was already popular with the Romans, who cultivated vines here.
However, the earliest traces of settlement in the municipal area, such as pottery shards, date back to 5000 BC. Gand itself has no historical buildings: the magnificent Ganda Castle is located in Piganò, which belongs to San Michele Appiano. Starting in the 1950s, the first residential houses were built in Ganda di Sotto (literally: Lower Ganda), and later Ganda di Sopra (Upper Ganda).
The location is ideal for excursions on foot or by bike. The Caldaro district of Pianizza di Sopra adjoins Ganda, and above it rises the wooded Monte Ganda. From here, a mountain bike tour leads up to the Mendola and the Monte Macaion. Bend after bend, the famous mountain pass road climbs, revealing a unique perspective of Lake Caldaro and the Oltradige area.
