Idyllic mountain villages in the valley, dense forests on the slopes and the eternal ice of the glacier giants shape the landscape of the Schnalstal.
From Naturno, the rustic Val Senales, a side valley of the Vinschgau, digs over more than 20 km through mountain ranges and glacier peaks deep into the Ötztal Alps to the main Alpine ridge on the Austrian border. The landscape of Schnals is uniquely varied: at a relatively short distance, the valley, like few other regions, shows various different climate and vegetation areas, from apple orchards and vineyards to the high alpine glacier.
In the valley bottom, the Schnalser Bach makes its way through lush meadows and dense forests and is dammed in the upper part of the valley to the Vernagt reservoir. From here you can admire the rugged rock formations and the eternal ice of impressive three thousand meter peaks. You can reach this enchanting mountain world from Kurzras with the Schnalstaler Gletscherbahn, one of the oldest and largest mountain railways in South Tyrol.
In 1991, a 5,250-year-old glacier mummy was discovered on the Tisenjoch, a depression of the Schnalskamm between Similaun and Finailspitze. Now known worldwide as "Ötzi", the glacier mummy is the only preserved and preserved body from the late Neolithic era thanks to natural freeze-drying and thus a real sensation. Today, in a 4,000 square meter outdoor area, the archeological museum "Archeoparc" takes visitors back to the time of the "Man of the Ice", enabling them to immerse themselves in their living space.
The Schnalstal is also the starting point of many beautiful hikes in quaint side valleys. For example, a wonderful tour leads through the Pfossental to the Eisjöchl, a transition in the Texelgruppe Nature Park between the Hochwilde in the north and the Hohe Weißen in the south.
The Ötztaler Schaftrieb takes place four times a year in Schnalstal, an ancient tradition that was recognized as a cultural heritage in 2011 by the UNESCO Commission under the name "Transhumanz". In June and September, thousands of sheep are driven across the Ötztal main ridge to the summer pasture areas, where the sheep farmers from Vinschgau can use their grazing rights in the rear Ötztal above Vent.
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