The historic Mendola Funicular takes you from Sant’Antonio up to the lofty heights on the Passo Mendola
Image gallery: Sant’Antonio di Caldaro
Sant'Antonio (St. Anton) spreads out above the main village of Caldaro towards south and the Castelvecchio Forest. The road leads past old residences further and further into the greenery. One of these is the Giovanelli Estate , surrounded by vines. The building with its elements in the traditional Oltradige architectural style presents itself in an impressively fairytale-like way: here in the Oltradige region, in addition to buildings and estates, entire village streets are often built in this architectural style.
At the edge of the village two excursion destinations can be found: one of them is the valley station of the Mendola Funicular. Built in 1903, the oldest funicular railway in Europe and one of the steepest leads up to the Mendola Pass. It only takes 12 minutes to climb the 64% gradient, with a touch of rollercoaster feeling - an ideal solution for all those who don't want to drive up the numerous hairpin bends. Once you have arrived at the top, a historic summer resort and a pleasant hiking area with wonderful panoramic views on Lake Caldaro await you.
Near the valley station is the village church dedicated to S. Antonio of Padua, which was probably built on the remains of a Romanesque church and has impressive frescoes from around 1380 in the nave. Sant'Antonio also has the Caldaro Adventure Park on offer: It is a high rope course opposite the sports fields of S. Antonio. If you don't want to climb up into the treetops, you can relax on one of the paths in the Castelvecchio Forest that lead all the way to the Rastenbachklamm gorge.
