One of the most beautiful pilgrimage churches in South Tyrol, the St. Martin Chapel, can be found along the Val Venosta High Route
Image gallery: San Martino al Monte
San Martino al Monte (St. Martin im Kofel) is located at 1,740 m a.s.l. and stands for spirituality, witnesses from the past and its magnificent mountain landscape. It is not a district of Laces but a well-known mountain hamlet and pilgrimage site. It is easily to reach: At the edge of the village of Laces, the cable car which takes visitors up to the Monte Sole in eight minutes all year round is located. But it's also possible on foot, because the route from the valley station to the San Martino mountain station is one of the most popular speed-hiking routes in the entire Val Venosta valley.
Centre of the hamlet is the St. Martin Chapel: It dates back to the 16th century and was built above a small grotto that houses its effigy. Much older are only the cavities in the rock still visible today, which are from the Neolithic period. Here you are on the slopes of the Punta di Vermoi and Cima Cermigna, which belong to the southern foothills of the Mastaun Chain in the Oetztal Alps.
The unique hamlet on the Monte Sole, the Val Venosta Sun Mountain, is extremely popular among active holidaymakers with its hiking paths and bike trails. The tours up to the 2,000 metre high San Martino Alp and the surrounding peaks reward you with breathtaking views on the Ortles Alps, the Val Martello and the glaciated Mt. Orecchia di Lepre. Further down, the Val Venosta High Route winds past the mountain farms of Egg and Forra and the castles of Monte Sant'Anna and Monte Silandro to Silandro, and the "Via Vinum Venostis" proceeds towards Castelbello. In the cold season, the Monte Sole is often snow-free and a suitable destination for pleasant winter hikes.
