Malles Venosta
Malles Venosta (Mals in German) is the westernmost municipality of the upper Val Venosta, in South Tyrol, set on a broad sunlit pl...
Updated 20 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Malles Venosta now
The story
The story of Malles Venosta
The village of the upper Val Venosta between three borders
Malles Venosta lies at the western edge of South Tyrol, where the Val Venosta widens into a broad plateau bathed in sunshine for much of the year. The village stands just a few kilometres from the point where the borders of Italy, Switzerland and Austria meet, a position that for centuries made it a crossroads of peoples, languages and alpine cultures. Surrounded by peaks rising above three thousand metres, the municipal territory includes several hamlets scattered among pastures, woods and apple orchards, with the historic centre of Malles acting as the religious and civic heart of the area. This border location, combined with the notably dry and sunny climate typical of the upper valley, has allowed a thriving mountain agriculture to develop alongside a long tradition of trade along the ancient transalpine routes, still visible today in the local architecture and customs.
The medieval towers and churches
Malles is known throughout the region as the village 'of many towers', for its unusual concentration of bell towers, defensive towers and churches that stand out against its skyline. Walking through the historic centre, visitors encounter religious buildings from different eras, evidence of a layered religious history rooted in the early Middle Ages. Among them stands the small church of San Benedetto, famous for its Carolingian frescoes, among the oldest in the Alpine arc, alongside other Romanesque and Gothic bell towers that dot the village and its surrounding hamlets. This density of sacred architecture reflects Malles' role as an important spiritual and administrative centre along the routes connecting the Germanic and Italian worlds, a legacy that can still be traced today through walking itineraries among the village's lanes.
Monte Maria Abbey (Marienberg)
A short distance from the centre of Malles, perched on a scenic promontory, stands Monte Maria Abbey, known in German as Marienberg: founded in the 12th century, it is considered the highest Benedictine abbey in Europe. The still-active monastic community preserves a historic library, a museum and, above all, a fully frescoed Romanesque crypt, among the best-preserved medieval pictorial cycles in the entire Alpine arc. The colours and sacred figures decorating the vaults of the crypt offer an artistic testimony of rare quality, drawing visitors and scholars from across Europe. The abbey remains today a spiritual point of reference for the whole Val Venosta and a place of quiet set within the agricultural landscape of the plateau, reachable via a short scenic walk from Malles.
The bell tower of Lake Resia, nearby
Not far from Malles, heading south down the valley, one reaches the famous bell tower of Lake Resia, near the municipalities of Curon Venosta and Graun. The Gothic tower, the only visible remnant of the old village of Curon submerged in the 1950s to create the artificial reservoir, rises from the frozen waters in winter and has become one of the most photographed and recognisable symbols of the entire Val Venosta. Its image tells a story of alpine landscape transformation and of communities that had to reinvent themselves, and it is today a destination for walks along the lakeshore, in a strikingly scenic natural setting, particularly dramatic on winter days when the lake freezes over completely.
Apple orchards, the Via Claudia Augusta and Stelvio National Park
The territory of Malles Venosta is marked by extensive high-altitude apple orchards, often cultivated organically thanks to the dry, sunny climate of the plateau, which allows quality apple production even at altitudes unusual for this crop. The historic route of the Via Claudia Augusta also passes through the village, an ancient Roman road now transformed into one of the most beloved cycling routes in Europe, linking Bavaria to the Adriatic Sea across the entire Val Venosta. Malles is also an ideal base for exploring the nearby Stelvio National Park, with its glaciers, high altitudes and extraordinary variety of alpine environments, a destination for hikers and mountain lovers in every season of the year.
Not to be missed
- Marienberg Abbey (Monte Maria) and its frescoed Romanesque crypt
- A walk among the historic towers and churches of Malles' old town
- The submerged bell tower of Lake Resia in Curon Venosta
- Cycling the Via Claudia Augusta through orchards and villages of the upper Val Venosta
- Hikes into the Stelvio National Park
To see
What to see in Malles Venosta
Routes · Trovido Route
