Round tour in S. Cristina

Even though tourists in Val Gardena usually spend as much time as possible hiking in the mountains, it is worth keeping a day or two free for excursions to the villages of Val Gardena.

With a distance of just under four kilometres and an estimated walking time of one hour and ten minutes, the walk is also suitable for inexperienced hikers. However, thanks to the numerous sights and inviting refreshment stops along the way, considerably more time should be planned. After all, there is nothing better than forgetting about the time on holiday and simply letting yourself be.

Coming from the Brenner motorway (A22), drive through Val Gardena (SS242) to S. Cristina. There are plenty of parking spaces available: you can easily park your car at the community square or the car park below the gym.

Val Gardena is also easily accessible by public transport. Line 350 runs every half hour from Ponte Gardena or Chiusa to S. Cristina. Timetables can best be found via SüdtirolMobil.

The S. Cristina village walk is a circular route. Therefore, it is possible to join at several different points. If you don't want to use your car, get off at the Town Hall bus stop. From here, it's about a ten-minute walk to the starting point of the trail.

We start at the Parish Church of S. Cristina. At the end of the 12th century, there was probably already a chapel on this site, built in honour of Santa Cristina. The church, which today has a significant influence on the townscape of S. Cristina, has been repeatedly altered by additions and renovations over the centuries. Gothic style elements are still clearly visible in the choir, for example. The overall appearance of the church, however, was shaped by a comprehensive renovation in the 1840s - a time when the building was significantly extended towards the west. The high altar, made in 1690 by the Vinatzer family of sculptors, is particularly worth seeing. From the church, the village loop leads past the children's playground along the former railway road.

Very earthly delights await tourists in the Café Cales with its large sun terrace. With a view of the waterfall on the opposite side, homemade cakes, apple strudel, ice cream and hearty delicacies can be enjoyed here. Why not stop off for a leisurely break?

On the promenade, there is also a lovely playground with swings and slides for children of different ages. If you have a ball with you, you can let off steam on the fenced-in football pitch, which is located directly adjacent to the playground.

Now it's off to the other side of the valley. Even before crossing the Val Gardena stream „Derjon“, it is worth taking a detour to see the life-size nativity scene on display at the Iman Sports Center. A group of 18 sculptors from the region joined forces to create this impressive work of art, which is considered the largest nativity scene in the world. The Virgin Mary with Child was the first figure with which the project, initiated in 1988, went public. Since then, Mary has been joined by Joseph, the Three Kings, sheep, an angel and a shepherd, as well as a camel. Anyone who wants to get an impression of the sculptural tradition of Val Gardena and is interested in handicrafts will immediately fall in love with the nativity scene.

Now we cross the stream to the waterfall. The Tervela waterfall originates from the Sassolungo and goes over Monte Pana, from where it falls 50 metres and flows into the Val Gardena stream. After a mudslide, the rest of the route was changed. Now it goes between the valley station of the Monte Pana lift and Plan dala Sia along the river.

The final part of the trail leads through the forest back to the parish church with a view of S. Cristina.

The S. Cristina village loop is ideal for a relatively quiet day between two strenuous hikes. With the parish church, the children's playground, the life-size nativity scene and the waterfall, the walk is extremely varied and perfect for anyone who also wants to get to know the culture of Val Gardena while on holiday.

Only the stretch in the village is suitable for prams. The 2nd part of the trail from the nativity scene onward is only recommended for families with older children or adult hikers.