South Tyrol’s smallest municipality - the perfect base for excursions to the Val Gardena valley and the Siusi Alp
Image gallery: Ponte Gardena
Ponte Gardena, nestled in the lower Isarco Valley, is one of South Tyrol's smallest municipalities by area. Only Caines near Merano and Cortina on the Wine Road are smaller. In terms of population, Ponte Gardena is currently the smallest, even amidst its current building boom. The village is favourably located for traffic connections.
The road up to the Sciliar area starts here, and via the bridge over the Isarco River and the subsequent tunnel, you can reach the Val Gardena valley. This location proves advantageous in winter too: The lifts of the interconnected Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi Skiing Areas are quickly accessible.
Above the entrance to Val Gardena sits Trostburg Castle. The Earls of Wolkenstein-Trostburg, closely associated with Ponte Gardena, once resided here - the red wave in the municipal coat of arms commemorates them. The walk up to the castle is worthwhile: From Ponte Gardena, you can reach it in 15 minutes via the Trostburg Path, a medieval paved trail.
Alternatively, there's the Burgfrieden Path - twice as long, but less steep. Once at the top, you can admire Romanesque window arches, magnificent halls, and Gothic fortifications from the time of the minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein, who grew up here. The building also houses the South Tyrolean Castles Museum with its true-to-scale models and the permanent exhibition.
Hikes lead from Ponte Gardena towards Laion - the Walther von der Vogelweide Round Path is particularly recommended in autumn during the Toerggele season - or to Tagusa near Castelrotto. Cycle tours along the Valle Isarco Cycle Path can take you to Chiusa and Bressanone or to Bolzano. Thanks to excellent public transport links, these towns are also easily accessible by train. The railway station is located north of Oswald von Wolkenstein Square in Ponte Gardena.
