Mölten - Meltina

Mölten is situated in a sunny, wind-protected location on the Tschögglberg and, due to its mild climate, its surrounding coniferous forests and gentle alpine pastures, is a worthwhile destination for hikers and mountain bikers in all seasons.

The municipality of Mölten is situated in the western Sarntal Alps on the Tschögglberg mountain range and is bordered in the west of Vöran in the Burggrafenamt, in the north by the Sarntal valley, in the east by the Flaas faction of the municipality of Jenesien and in the south by the municipality of Terlan in the Etschtal valley. The municipality is made up of the four factions Mölten, Verschneid, Versain and Schlaneid and is known for the first Haflinger horse breeding cooperative, which was founded in 1904 in Mölten. 

The landscape around Mölten is characterised by enchanting spruce and larch forests and magnificent, flowery alpine meadows in the higher altitudes. The highest elevation of the municipality is the "Hohe Reisch". This includes the hilltop of the "Stoanernen Mandln", which is located at an altitude of 2001 m above sea level. 
The geological development of this region is impressive: Mölten lies on a subsoil of volcanic and sedimentary rocks, which originated in the Permian and Triassic eras and which today form a highly versatile soil composition. Among other things, spectacular pyramids of up to 30 metres in height, created by erosion processes, can be admired here. On the other hand, at the foot of the Tschaufen on Salten's porphyry hills, one finds the so-called "cold holes". These are depressions in which - similar to the "ice holes" of Appiano in Überetsch - temperatures can also be found in summer, which are only slightly above freezing point. 

Because of the numerous archeological findings from prehistory and early history, it is assumed that the first settlements of this region can be dated back to around 2000 BC and that the place name is derived from the Langobardic "Maletum". This is a fortress that was destroyed by the Franconians around 590. 
Due to the difficult landscape conditions of Terlan, Jenesien or Meran, the municipality of Mölten can only be reached via Hafling by long distances. It was not until 1922 that a simple cableway was built from a material web dating back to 1901. In 1955, the first passenger cable car was built from Vilpian to Mölten.