As the name reveals, Monte Ponente encompasses the entire mountain slope on the west side of the Bressanone valley basin
Image gallery: Monte Ponente
Several scattered settlements nestle on the slopes of the Monte Ponente (Pfeffersberg), all belonging to the municipality of Bressanone. They are called Tiles, Gereut, Perara, Pinzago, Tecelinga, Scezze, Untereben and La Mara, and are mountain villages that benefit from the mild low mountain climate of the Isarco Valley. On the opposite side of the valley towers Mt. Plose. There is no centre, in the largest village of Pinzago the houses gather around the Church of St. Ulrich and St. Valentine. The local music band Peter Mayr Pfeffersberg, which looks back on a long tradition, is one of the most outstanding music bands in South Tyrol.
The public bus connects Bressanone in just a few minutes with Scezze (Tschötsch), Tiles (Tils) and Pinzago (Pinzagen). The area is also popular among the locals as a nearby hiking area. Especially in autumn, a walk through the colourful nature can be perfectly combined with a stop at one of the traditional wine taverns, called Buschenschänke. These farm inns spoil guests at the Toerggelen with roasted chestnuts, hearty delicacies and a good drop of South Tyrolean wine.
The hiking trails here include the Chestnut Trail at Tecelinga, more precisely stage 4 of the trail between Chiusa and Bressanone, the Gareto Farm Trail and the Pinzago Circular Path, which passes by four idyllic churches in about two hours. The hamlet of La Mara, on the other hand, known for the "Wirt an der Mahr"tavern, offers a sunny climbing garden. In winter, the ski shuttle takes you comfortably to the valley station of the Plose Cable Car, 11 km away.
