Covelano and marble are inextricably linked: Guided marble hikes show you the old quarrying sites
Image gallery: Covelano
Several places are called Covelano (Göflan) here at the foot of the wooded Monte Tramontana: the village itself, the Covelano Hut (Göflaner Alm) and Lake Covelano (Göflaner See), both wonderful hiking destinations in the Stelvio National Park, but also the marble quarry next to it. All these places can be combined in a single hike or MTB tour, which first leads from Covelano up the slopes of the Monte Tramontana to Lake Covelano and then follows the Marble Trail to the highest marble quarry in Europe at 2,250 m a.s.l. The quarrying sites that are still active today are located at the foot of Mt. Croda Jenne and Mt. Hörnele, rock faces that reach up to almost 3,000 m a.s.l.
They are recognisable by the marble blocks that have been cut out. Old buildings such as the Wantlhütte or the machine house are still well preserved and information boards tell the story about marble quarrying. An inclined railway transports the white rock into the valley, from where it is shipped all over the world: The Lasa and Covelano Marble is considered one of the purest and hardest marble stones and is highly valued everywhere.
The small village at 755 m a.s.l. lies on the right bank of the Adige River below Corces and the main village of Silandro. Not only sights such as the St. Martin Parish Church and the late Gothic cemetery chapel contribute to the characteristic atmosphere, but also the orchards on the valley floor and the traditions that are still lived today. One of them is the "Scheibenschlagen", an old fertility custom: A stone pine slice is dedicated to a certain person and, after a prayer, is thrown down into the valley while burning. In gratitude for this, the thrower receives an Easter egg.
