Santo Stefano

The main village of Villandro with its alleys and the most beautiful cemetery in South Tyrol is also well-known among gourmets

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Winter in the Isarco Valley and in Villandro - below the village, in Chiusa, “Chiusa, the Christmas Village” takes place in the Advent period, above it the Villandro Alp invites you to winter adventures.
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The St. Stephen and St. Laurence Parish Church (left), one of the two churches, houses valuable oil paintings by Franz Sebald Unterberger and glass paintings with motifs of the miners of Villandro.
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video : Villandro
Santo Stefano or Villandro village (Villanders Dorf) forms the main village of Villandro - its history dates back to the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, as the Archeoparc below the village centre tells us.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The Church of St. Michael stands only a few metres away from the main church - its cemetery is known for its forged grave crosses: Their front sides are turned away from the burial mound.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The venerable “Ansitz zum Steinbock” residence in the village centre has been here for centuries and is now a well-known gourmet restaurant.
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The holiday resort of Santo Stefano has a pleasant and warm atmosphere - due to the sunny slopes, the climate remains mild until autumn.
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Villandro also enchants with its narrow streets and historic squares, such as the Vicolo Franz von Defregger alley, which commemorates the famous painter Franz Defregger (1835 - 1921).
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At the “Königslacken”, literally the King’s Pond, on the Villandro Alp is the exact centre of South Tyrol, measured according to longitude and latitude.
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St. Anna in Rotlahn can be reached on foot from Villandro: It is the miners’ chapel of the Villandro Silver Mine, one of the most important mining areas in Tyrol in the Middle Ages.
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In autumn, the traditional Toerggelen takes place: Then you can enjoy roasted chestnuts, homemade Schlutzkrapfen (stuffed pasta) and the new wine.
Foto: © CC0, Pixabay

Santo Stefano: offers 4 nights from 449 € per person

The districts of Villandro are named after their church patron saints: San Maurizio, San Valentino and Santo Stefano, the main village of Villandro. In fact, you can find two churches there. The St. Stephen Church, which seems oversized in this hamlet with its narrow streets, is the parish church. The St. Michael Church next to it is flanked by the most beautiful cemetery in South Tyrol. It's not an everyday sight - the grave crosses stand close together and face east. There, the sun rises every day over the Isarco Valley. Ten hairpin bends lead from Chiusa on the valley floor to Santo Stefano (St. Stefan), also known as Villandro village (Villanders Dorf).

A famous spot in the village is the Franz von Defregger Alley, which was used by the artist Franz Defregger as the model for his most famous work "The Last Contingent". In this picture from 1874, the procession sets off on the Tyrolean Rebellion. Villandro with the "Ansitz zum Steinbock", a residence in the village centre and today a gourmet restaurant, forms the background in the picture. In the same alley is the Archeoparc Villandro with its finds from the Plunacker field.

Hiking is on the agenda in Santo Stefano in all seasons: From here you can reach the 3rd stage of the Chestnut Trail, the neighbouring village of San Valentino and the Villandro Silver Mine on foot. Above it towers the Villandro Alp, a wonderful and spacious hiking area. With a bit of fitness, the 10 km long route is also doable by mountain bike with start in Chiusa in the valley basin. In winter, the plateau turns into a wonderful cross-country skiing area.

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