Opposite the Mara Church church near San Martino, the hiking trail to the secluded alpine pastures and huts in the Valle di Quaira starts
Image gallery: San Martino in Casies
The farms and houses of San Martino in Casies (St. Martin in Gsies) are idyllically grouped around the parish church: As in many South Tyrolean villages, it is dedicated to the saint who gave the village its name, St. Martin. The frescoes in the choir room are by Simon von Taisten, who also painted the beautiful frescoes in the castle chapel of Bruck Castle in Lienz. Today, San Martino, the main village and one of the three villages of the municipality of Val Casies, is divided into San Martino Vallalta and San Martino Valbassa, that's to say in Lower Valley and Upper Valley.
In the middle of the village, near the house where Joachim Haspinger was born, there is also a monument that reminds of him. You may know him as Father Haspinger, because the "martial Capuchin" is always depicted in his habit with the cross raised high. In the historic year 1809, at the age of 33, he made a significant contribution to the victory of the Tyroleans against Napoleon's troops as a comrade-in-arms of Andreas Hofer. The local music band also bears his name.
Above all, San Martino, like the entire valley, impresses with its tranquillity, breathtaking nature and idyllic farms and alpine huts that stand out like little dots against the surrounding greenery. The landscape can best be explored on foot, by bike or on cross-country skis, as both the View-over-the-Casies Valley route in summer and the Casies valley cross-country ski track in winter pass by here. With a length of around 42 km, they take you on a journey of discovery through an unforgettable landscape. In addition, there is a 3.5 km long sledge run in San Martino, called Leachalm. Both are listed toboggan runs resp. cross-country ski tracks in the Val Pusteria.
