Langtaufers/Vallelunga

The village of Langtaufers is located in the largely untouched Langaufer valley, which extends from Graun am Reschensee in the Vinschgauer Oberland into the Ötztal Alps.

The village of Langtaufers, a faction of the municipality of Graun in the Vinschgau region, is located in the long-drawn-out Langtauferer valley. This valley branches off from the Vinschgau near Graun at the Reschensee and extends eastwards. A well developed road stretches about 10 km eastwards from the narrow, steep and deeply cut valley entrance behind Graun. From Pedroß it goes over the broad valley floor moderately ascending to the hamlet of Melag, the highest inhabited place all year round. Along the road, numerous courtyard groups form the valley floor. Many buildings are reminiscent of the former poverty of this remote mountain valley.

The valley end of the Langtauferer Valley is surrounded by the impressive mountains of the Ötztal Alps, such as the Hintereisspitze or the 3,739 m high Weißkugel, whose glacier, including the Langtauferer or Gepatschferner, feeds the Karlinbach. This finally flows into the Reschensee at Graun.

Even today, traditional mountain farming still characterises the Langtauferer Valley.  The small Maseben ski area seems to be the only concession to modern winter tourism at present. However, this ski area is also financially difficult and the continuation of the business is not guaranteed. So far the rather timid attempts to promote tourism have hardly changed the region. At the moment Langtaufers is still a picturesque, partly untouched hiking and recreation area in summer and an insider's tip for ski tourers and snowshoe hikers in winter.