The San Sigismondo Village Path starts at the parish church with its magnificent high altar and then turns into the Butterfly Trail
Image gallery: San Sigismondo
West of Chienes another district of the municipality is located, one of the larger ones: It is the village of San Sigismondo (St. Sigmund), which is called "Zimmatn" by the locals. At the entrance to the locality, the historic inn "Zum Treyen" welcomes you before the path leads into the village centre. There you will find the parish church dedicated to "Unsere liebe Frau im Stöckl" (Our Lady in the Wayside Shrine). It is a highlight for culture lovers: The church is one of the most beautiful architectural monuments in South Tyrol, its high altar of the Danube School from 1440 one of the oldest and most important winged altars in South Tyrol. The "Master of San Sigismondo", a well-known painter from the late Gothic period, was involved in its creation.
You can take a leisurely walk to relax on the circular village path, which then - for a slightly longer hike - connects to the San Sigismondo Butterfly Trail. The themed trail follows the sunny slope of the village and also motivates children to go on a journey of discovery on foot. At the Gugge Farms, a legend tells them about the Giants of Casteldarne, who collapsed the nearby Guggen Castle with large stone balls. If you prefer cycling, the "Pusterbike" cycle track will take you to the shopping opportunities, sights and culinary delights between Fortezza, Brunico and San Candido.
By the way: Campers may already be familiar with San Sigismondo. One of the widely scattered campsites in the "Green Valley", as the Val Pusteria is also called, is located on the banks of the Rienza. In winter it is not far to the famous Plan de Corones Skiing Area, which is a superlative area with more than 100 km of slopes. It is connected to something even bigger, the Dolomiti Superski carousel, and also has sledge runs and cross-country ski tracks for a bit of variety.
