Intensely tasting mountain strawberries grow in the Val Martello in the Ortles region: They can be enjoyed at the Strawberry Festival
The Val Martello... from the entrance to the valley near Laces to Lake Gioveretto and on to the 3,760 m high peaks of Cevedale and Cima Gioveretto in the Ortles Alps, this unspoilt mountain valley is the perfect place to enjoy a summer break and hiking. Here we are in the middle of the Stelvio National Park, which covers all alpine climatic zones in its size. Ibex, chamois and marmots, snow hares and bearded vultures live in these high alpine regions. The Genziana, Livi, Martello and Nino Corsi Huts are well-known as starting points and resting places for hikes.
If you prefer lower altitudes, you can experience Martello on the valley paths or take a walk around Lake Gioveretto, in whose turquoise waters the glaciers are reflected. There, the Plima Gorge Trail has been created as a family hike for all ages, offering viewpoints on the gorge and a suspension bridge. The lake is at the far end of the valley, out of the valley are the other localities such as the main village of Meiern, Ganda with its riding stable, Montesole and Waldberg (Sun Mountain and Forest Mountain), Transacqua with the well-known Trattla leisure centre, and Val d'Enne.
Martello has a particularly tasty economic model of success: the cultivation of the Val Martello Strawberries. The small cooperative can bring the intensely tasting mountain strawberries fresh to the market due to the late harvest time, when the European season for harvesting the fruit is already all over. Every year, they are celebrated at the Val Martello Strawberry Days, including tasting and the crowning of the Strawberry Queen. In recent years, also other forest fruits and berries have been added. And in the cold season? Then the Val Martello is covered in snow and is known among winter sports enthusiasts for its Nordic Ski and Biathlon Centre.
