Pilgrim walks in Varna

Route: Stilfes - Niederried - Pfulters - Grasstein - Sachsenklemme - Mittewald - Kloster Neustift - Brixen

Siamo sulla diramazione internazionale che dal Passo Resia, al confine con l’Austria, si innesta nel cammino principale della Via Romea Strata a Montagnana (Veneto). Il cammino è molto variegato, attraversa le montagne e le valli del Trentino alto Adige fino ad arrivare al Passo Pian delle Fugazze che attraversa la Catena del Monte Pasubio fino a scendere nella Pianura Padana. Il territorio è caratterizzato da una natura molto selvaggia e verdeggiante. Molti sono i punti di interesse storico e religioso: Bolzano, Trento e Vicenza. Lungo il percorso ci sono molti santuari frequentati da sempre dai pellegrini. L’enogastronomia risente delle varie tradizioni etniche insediate in queste terre.

Vipitenum was a Roman “mansio”on the Brenner Road at 948 m of altitude, which between the 9th and 11th C: took the name of Wibitina. Early in the 13th C. the German population called it Sterzing. The picturesque town, numbers 6.575 inhabitants. The parish Church is well worth a visit, it is called “Madonna della Palude”, (Our Lady of the Swamp) and ha a bell tower reaching 32 m. It was built on the remains of a Romanesque church next to a Roman graveyard, from which a funerary relief was dug up and placed in the present church, which has been restored in the 15th, 16th and 18th C., whereas in the 19th C. it was given a Neo-Gothic character. Older that the latter is the Church of Santo Spirito (Holy Spirit) of the late 14th C., with mural paintings by Hans of Brunich representing the Last Judgment, a Procession of the Magi and scenes from the Passion of Christ. The “Tower of the Twelve”, which divides the old from the new town, is the distinctive landmark of Vipiteno. The Municipal Palace is late Gothic 16th C. building, restored at the end of the 19th C. It recalls Northern styles mixed with local folk architectures. The visitor must also see the Deutschhouse, near the Parish Church, which contains the Civic Museum, the Multscher Museum, the Church of St Elizabeth, the Musical Institute and the Burgerkapelle Sterzing

touren start vom zillertal über pfitscher joch ins südtirol bozen

3. Etappe: Neustift bis Villanders