At the foot of the Croda di Cengles, the Tschenglser Hochwand, is the village of Cengles in the area of the Stelvio National Park
Image gallery: Cengles
The idyll of Cengles with its apple and apricot trees and the Cengles Wetlands is guarded by a high medieval noble seat: Cengles Castle or Fuchsburg was once the seat of the Lords of Cengles and is now home to a cultural inn. The mighty Croda di Cengles towers above it. Here you are not on the slopes of the Monte Sole as in the other districts of Lasa, but on the other side of the valley: Here it is the Monte Tramontana, which is already protected in the Stelvio National Park.
The name Cengles (Tschengls) probably comes from the late Latin "masi cengiles". Many years ago, the farmers had to give a good part of their harvest to lords who were the actual owners of the farm and field. The school, kindergarten, Cengles Castle and the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church now rise to the right of the Rio Cengles stream, which divides the village. This church dates back to 1500 and its side chapel is one of the most beautiful sacred baroque buildings in the Val Venosta. To the left of the stream are other buildings, such as the "Tschenglser Ladele", one of the few remaining local shops in South Tyrol's villages.
A special feature: In the entire Eastern Alps, Cengles has the greatest difference in altitude within the shortest horizontal distance. In only 6 km, the terrain rises from the valley floor to the 3,378 m of Mt. Croda di Cengles. In summer, beautiful hikes take you to the Cengles Wetlands, which are a protected nature reserve, to the alpine meadows of the Stelvio National Park and to the Marble Railway of Lasa which carries the marble down to the valley. In the cold season, the paths turn into recommended winter hikes with a view on the barren Monte Sole on the opposite side.
