Villandro’s main village, where South Tyrol’s most beautiful cemetery and culinary delights await
Image gallery: Santo Stefano
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The hamlets of Villandro are named after their patron saints: Saint Maurice, Saint Valentine and Saint Stephen. In the municipality's main village, you'll find two churches. The imposing St. Stephen Church seems almost oversized amidst the village's narrow lanes and serves as the parish church. Right next to it, in the St. Michael Cemetery, stands St. Michael's Church. The cemetery itself is considered the most beautiful in South Tyrol - a remarkable place to visit.
Grave crosses stand closely packed, all facing east, where the sun rises over the Isarco Valley every day. From Chiusa on the valley floor, it's a ten-bend climb up to Santo Stefano (St. Stefan, or Villanders Dorf), also known as Villandro village. Particularly worth seeing is the Franz von Defregger Lane. It served as the inspiration for Franz von Defregger, an artist of the Munich School known as the "Painter Prince of Munich", for his most famous work, "The Last Muster".
The 1874 painting depicts a procession heading into the Tyrolean battle for freedom, with Villandro and the "Ansitz zum Steinbock" manor in the background. Today, these venerable walls are home to a gourmet restaurant. Also located in the same lane is the Archeoparc Villandro.
Hiking in Santo Stefano is a year-round activity. From the village, you can walk to the neighbouring San Valentino, to the third stage of the Chestnut Trail, and to the Villandro Silver Mine. Above it stretches the extensive Villandro Alp, a superb hiking and cross-country skiing area. With a bit of stamina, the 10-kilometre route can also be tackled by mountain bike from Chiusa in the valley.
