The Val Venosta train, among apple orchards and abbeys
From Merano to Malles, in South Tyrol, a scenic railway crosses the driest valley in the Alps among orchards and the Marienberg Abbey. It is the slow, peaceful alternative to the packed Val Gardena and Val Pusteria.
Foto: Llorenzi (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
When people think of South Tyrol, the crowded Dolomites of Val Gardena or the ski slopes of Val Pusteria come to mind. Few travellers know there is another valley, tucked away and luminous, where the best way to get around is not the car but a train. Val Venosta stretches west of Merano and is the driest, sunniest valley in the Alps: little rain, clear skies, orchards as far as the eye can see. The railway that runs through it, reopened after years of neglect, has become a small model of slow, sustainable mobility, and for exactly this reason it offers a journey the more celebrated valleys no longer provide.
The stages of the route
The route connects Merano to Malles, crossing the entire valley. You set off among the vineyards and apple orchards of the lower Venosta and gently climb, following the River Adige. The train makes many stops in the valley's villages, and that is its beauty: it lets you get off wherever you like and set off again on the next service. Among the stops worth a pause are Naturno, Silandro, and the medieval town of Glorenza with its intact ring of walls, one of the smallest and best-preserved walled towns in the Alps. A little beyond, in the municipality of Malles, you reach Marienberg Abbey, the highest Benedictine monastery in Europe, perched on the slope with its frescoes and its crypt. And in the upper valley, near the end of the line, stands the famous bell tower rising from the waters of Lake Resia, the iconic image of the Venosta.
Train and bicycle
The way of travelling here is unusual: the train is designed to work together with the bicycle. A gentle cycle path runs the length of the valley, mostly on a slight downhill from Malles toward Merano, and it is common practice to head up by train and roll back down effortlessly through the orchards. The trains are equipped to carry bikes. Those who do not pedal can simply enjoy the window: the valley slides by among tidy apple trees, castles, farmsteads and bell towers.
To reach it, you get to Merano by train from the Bolzano hub, and from there continue on the Venosta line; the whole region is well served, and local mobility passes make it easy to combine train, bike and bus. You don't need a car, and in fact letting go of it is part of the pleasure. It is worth checking the timetables, especially off-season when services thin out, and the bike spaces in peak periods.
The Venosta also has a historical and cultural character that sets it apart from neighbouring valleys. Along the slopes you come across Romanesque churches, isolated farmsteads, castles that once dominated the trade routes toward the Resia pass and the lands beyond the Alps. Glorenza, with its walls, towers and arcades, is an intact testimony to an alpine merchant town; Marienberg Abbey preserves medieval frescoes among the oldest in the region. Even the language and traditions here have their own nuances, born of a borderland position. All of this is best savoured at the rhythm of the train, getting off at will and climbing back up without a thought for parking or driving.
When to go
The best time is spring and autumn. April and May bring the blossoming of the apple orchards, when the valley is covered in white and pink, a rare and silent spectacle; October brings the warm light of the apple harvest and the colours of the woods on the slopes. These are also the months when the Venosta stays peaceful: summer and winter concentrate the visitors, while in the shoulder seasons the villages return to their own rhythms and the trains run half empty. That is how you catch the valley's true character, far from the throng of the more famous Dolomite valleys.
Travel tips
A practical tip: don't treat the Venosta as a window-seat transfer, but build your day around the stops. Choose two or three, perhaps Glorenza and Marienberg Abbey, and give them time on foot, without the anxiety of the timetable because another train will come along. If you love cycling, ride up to the head of the valley and let the gentle slope carry you down through the orchards: an almost effortless way to experience an entire alpine valley. Dress in layers, because between the sunny valley floor and the altitude of the monasteries the temperature changes, and keep your camera ready: here the cultivated landscape is an integral part of the beauty.
Practical guides for Bolzano
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Val Venosta train?
The recommended time is April, May and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Val Venosta train?
The Val Venosta train is located in Val Venosta, from Merano to Malles, Bolzano, Italy.
