The broad flank of the Cima di Terento in the Fundres Mountains towers above Vallarga: It is the local mountain of Vandoies
Image gallery: Vallarga
From Vandoies you head into the Fundres Valley and towards Fundres. A few minutes' drive and an idyllic village comes into sight, consisting of numerous scattered hamlets such as Ausserdrittel, Dorf, Huntsdorf and Hinterdrittel at the bottom of the valley. But that's not all, Vallarga continues along the slopes with old farms and wooden buildings called Schaldern, Kegelberg or Honigberg. But another name can be heard even more often: Hegedex. It refers to Mt. Cima di Terento above the village, the local mountain of Vandoies and one of the peaks in the Fundres Mountains.
Vallarga (Weitental) is an active village: A shooting range and two tennis courts provide variety to the unique hikes that the Fundres Valley offers. At the end of the valley, numerous tours start up into the mountains and lead to the most wonderful spots in nature, such as the Gampiel Alp above the tree line or the child-friendly Boden Mountain Hut. Lake Ponte di Ghiaccio, a glacier lake at an altitude of far more than 2,000 metres, is more rugged. The tour requires some endurance and mountain experience, but is easily manageable for hikers of average fitness.
A detail: In the centre of the village, after the Parish Church of St. Thomas, is the village fountain carved out of stone, which shows bear paws. They have nothing to do with alpine fauna, but are the white bear paws facing each other that adorn the municipal coat of arms of Vandoies. Many centuries ago, they were already depicted on the coat of arms of the Vintler family from Vandoies, which was first mentioned in Bolzano in 1140 AD and became very wealthy.
