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    Golden autumn in Val Senales

    Autumn adventures in the heart of nature
    Autumn has a lot to offer in Val Senales! From pleasant hikes through golden larch forests, to a cosy stroll through the town of Merano, to adventurous skiing fun on the glacier – sports enthusiasts can look forward to wonderful autumn moments! Thanks to its enjoyable autumnal temperatures, the Val Senales is also suitable for top athletes seeking to prepare for the upcoming season. What’s better than a morning session on the glacier and some afternoon training in the surrounding area with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures?

    Glacier Skiing

    Skiing fun on the Val Senales Glacier
    Val Senales has its very own charm due to the pleasant and diverse temperatures. From mid-September you can ski, cross-country ski and enjoy the first snow on 3,200 m. Top ski athletes from all over the world regularly choose the Val Senales ski resort to train. The black Leo Gurschler training slope for slalom and giant slalom, with an inclination of almost 60%, chosen from the elite of alpine ski athletes, provides a special challenge mainly for professionals. Cross-country skiers and biathletes enjoy their first tracks on the autumn snow.

    Waalweg Paths

    Strolling along the water channels
    The ancient water courses were originally built to irrigate the surrounding fields. The small paths used to maintain and control these irrigation channels are still a real highlight today! Particularly families appreciate the numerous Waalwege in Val Senales and the surrounding area!

    Transhumance

    The traditional return of the sheep
    Every year in September, a very special experience known as trancehumans takes place. For centuries, shepherds and their sheep travelled over the Oetztal Alps in June. When they return in autumn, the sheep are warmly welcome by the local population with several festivities, including music, typical specialities, grilled lamb and sheep.

    Culture

    Culture highlights
    Near the Hotel Gerstgras you can visit the archeoParc, an archaeological open-air museum, where visitors acknowledge how Ötzi the Iceman lived in the Alps 5,300 years ago. Just a few kilometres from Val Senales you can explore the Alpine-Mediterranean village of Naturno. The most important sights in Naturno include the St. Proculus Church and Juval Castle, dedicated to the Magic of the Mountain and home of the extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner. The charming spa town of Merano is only a 30-minute drive from our hotel. The combination of Mediterranean lifestyle and traditional customs is omnipresent. Nestled amidst high mountain peaks, palm trees, cypresses, vines and olive trees and thanks to the pleasant weather, Merano was already appreciated as health resort in the 19th century. When in Merano, you can’t miss the Terme Merano, the stunning Mediterranean
    Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle and the historic town and the arcades, including Via dei Portici alley.