Egna, once a Mediaeval trading point, is today the cultural centre of the Bassa Atesina
Romantic arcades dating back to the period between 1,300 and 1,600, colourful facades and lordly residences in Venetian construction style are the main characteristics of the particularly picturesque and famous centre of Egna, located at 217 m a.s.l. Since the village was established in 1189, great importance has been attached to it, on the one hand due to its geographically strategic position between north and south, on the other hand due to its role in shipping on the Adige river.
The protected area of Castelvetere is a place that attracts attention. It rises on a 190 m high porphyry hill in the north of Egna, fascinating by its sub-Mediterranean vegetation as well as a ruin of a Romanesque fortress. A visit to the museum can be made in the centre of the village at the Meister Konrad passage, so to speak in the “Museum für Alltagskultur” (Museum of Popular Culture), in which objects of daily use of the people living in this area are exhibited.
Wine connoisseurs, however, might be familiar with the fact that Egna is above all famous for its Pinot Nero, a wine to the honour of which every year the “Giornate Altoatesine del Pinot Nero” (Pinot Nero Days) is staged.
Our tip: a visit to the yearly “Festa dei Portici” (Arcade festival) and a cycling tour on the Adige cycling path, leading to Venice.
