To the Timmelsjoch | To Moos im Passeier | Travelling south

Travelling south

The onward journey to Meran offers a remarkable contrast. The River Passer forces its way through deep gorges between the villages of Moos and St. Leonhard before the valley opens out at the hamlet of Gomion and the climate becomes considerably milder. Walnut and chestnut trees flourish here alongside fields of buckwheat. The main town in the Passeiertal valley, St. Leonhard (689 m), is situated at the turnoff to Sterzing via the Jaufen Pass (2,097 m). It was here in St. Leonhard, at the foot of the Jaufenberg mountain, that the last battle between the Tyroleans and the French took place on the occasion of the Tyrolean Uprising in 1809. More than 200 French soldiers lost their lives and lie buried in the so-called “Franzosenfriedhof” (French Cemetery) at the western edge of the village. The Gasthaus Sandwirt, situated two kilometres further south, is the birthplace of Andreas Hofer. A memorial chapel built in 1899, as well as a museum, serve as a reminder of the legendary freedom fighter who led the revolt of the Tyrolean peasants in 1809.

St. Martin, the smallest of the villages in the Passeiertal valley, has a distinguishing feature, namely the castle-like farm building, the “Schildhof Steinhaus”, situated above the village. Further down the valley, past the rural settlements of Kalm and Quellenhof, you come to the hamlet of Saltaus which consists of only a few houses built around the mighty “Schildhof Saltaus” farmhouse. The building, which has served as a hotel for centuries now, was first mentioned in records dating back to around 1230. The landscape around the village of Riffian, a well-known place of pilgrimage, is characterised by vineyards and huge fruit orchards. Just short of the town of Meran, there is a turnoff to Dorf Tirol, home to “Schloss Tyrol” (Castle Tyrol) from which the region derives its name. The Passeier road continues through the flourishing cultural landscape passing beneath the old Zenoburg castle into the spa town of Meran (330 m). The former capital of the Tyrol has a charming character with old-town archways, palm trees and gardens in bloom.

From here it’s only a short drive to Lake Garda or to the holiday resorts on the Adriatic Sea.