Above Bressanone there’s Elvas with its orchards and the legendary Witches’ Slide
Orchards and vineyards interspersed with the houses of Elvas, the "Sun Village" - this is the scene that greets you in this small hamlet above Bressanone. A road leads up to Elvas from Kranebitt or across the Naz-Sciaves apple plateau. At the edge of the village stands the Church of St. Peter and Paul, a wonderful spot to let your gaze wander over Bressanone and the Isarco Valley floor.
In the evening, the town sparkles below. Numerous prehistoric finds bear witness to the early settlement of the area. At the Pinàz Hill, an ancient ritual site, a stone slab decorated with small bowls and markings was discovered. It's a so-called Fertility Slide, the meaning of which still puzzles researchers. Another slide, located on the Kreuzplatte rock, is known as the Witches' Slide - Hexenrutsche, in German - and is a popular hiking destination.
Ice Age glaciers shaped the hills around Elvas, such as the Elvaser Köpfl and the Walderer Bühel. In spring, the Pinàz Trail entices you to take a stroll through the flowering apple orchards. Bressanone is also within walking distance from Elvas: Hiking trail number 1 leads down to Stufles, the oldest part of the town, and across the Ponte Aquila bridge, literally the Eagles' Bridge, into the centre, with the Cathedral Square and the arcades.
In addition, some of the area's most interesting trails, such as the Bressanone Vineyard Trail and the Archaeological Trail, pass by Elvas. In winter, the nearby Plose Skiing Area is open.
