The “Silent Village” owes its name to the old Carthusian Monastery, which today includes a herb garden and the Via Monachorum
Image gallery: Certosa
Once you have left Monte Santa Caterina behind you on the way into the Val Senales valley, soon after Certosa (Karthaus) comes in sight. The village spreads out on the hillside and owes its name and structure to the historic monastery that once existed here. Carthusian monks in white robes spent their lives in silence in this monastery. Together with a few farms, it formed the heart of Certosa until a large part of the village was destroyed by a fire in 1924. The monastery - which was already abandoned at that time - was also destroyed, today the ruins can still be visited.
In summer, art exhibitions are held in the beautiful cloister of the "Allerengelsberg" Monastery (or "Monte degli Angeli" in Italian language), and the monastery garden is blooming and fragrant: The place is sometimes still full of life today. You can visit the cloister, the ring walls with the loopholes, the St. Anne Church and the crucifixion group. Afterwards, the meditative herb garden invites you to relax, where chamomile, lemon balm and lavender grow alongside iris and mullein.
If you want to be active, between Certosa and Madonna di Senales - or Monte Santa Caterina in the other direction - there is the Path of Silence called "Silentium" or Via Monachorum. It leads past boards with philosophical quotations and life-size monk figures, which also adorn the fountain in the village. Above it, there are hiking destinations such as the Klosteralm Hut and Lake Sassalbo. In winter, Certosa is a village to relax in: Hiking trails show you the beauty of the surroundings, and 15 km away you will find two cross-country ski tracks and a toboggan run.
