Matsch / Mazia

The mountain pasture of Matsch in the Matscher Valley, a rustic side valley of the Vinschgau Valley, is still marked by a mining culture.

The small mountain pasture town of Matsch lies at an altitude of just under 1600 metres in a wonderful location in the Matscher Tal, a quaint and unspoilt side valley of the Vinschgau valley. Next to several small courtyards and hamlets, among them Kurtatsch, Run, Thanei and the Glieshöfe, one finds the castle ruins Ober- and Untermatsch on an elongated ridge. Some chapels, such as the castle chapel of St. Martin near Obermatsch, which was built in the 12th century and preserved its present form around 1650, also belong to the village. The centre of the village is the parish church dedicated to St. Florinus.

The unspoilt Matscher valley stretches from a gorge near Schluderns far into the Ötztal Alps. From Tarsch near Mals you can reach the end of the valley via a narrow, winding mountain road that leads past the village of Matsch, from where several exciting tours lead high up into the enchanting mountain world of the Ötztal Alps. For example, you can circle the valley along the Vinschgau High Trail or climb the summit of the 3,739-metre high Weißkugel on a more demanding high-altitude tour past the Saldurseen. Numerous paths and hiking trails cross the surrounding area and offer the possibility to explore the nature of this region on wonderful excursions of all levels of difficulty.

The landscape in the valley floor and on the sunny slopes around Matsch, the first South Tyrolean mountaineering village of the Austrian Alpine Club since 2017, has always been shaped by the mountain farming culture and, due to its difficult accessibility, has retained its original character and untouched character. The low level of tourism in the valley is developing very hesitantly and is concentrated mainly in the summer months and especially at the end of the valley. In autumn, peace and quiet will soon return here and rural life will return to its usual rhythm