Sarentino
Sarentino (Sarnthein in German) is the main town of the Val Sarentino (Sarntal), a secluded alpine valley that opens north of Bolz...
Updated 17 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Sarentino now
The story
The story of Sarentino
A secluded valley north of Bolzano
The Val Sarentino (Sarntal) unfolds north of Bolzano, along the slopes of the Sarntal Alps, and is one of the most secluded and least touristy valleys in South Tyrol. Sarentino (Sarnthein), its main town, is reached along a road that winds through wooded slopes, gradually leaving behind the traffic and pace of the city. The valley stands out for its intimate, almost suspended atmosphere, where the alpine landscape has not been bent to mass tourism but remains tied to the daily life of mountain communities. This secluded character has allowed customs, crafts and a direct relationship with the land to remain intact where elsewhere they have faded, making the Val Sarentino a destination appreciated by those seeking a more authentic and less crowded South Tyrol.
Traditions and craftsmanship: the Sarner jacket and peacock feather embroidery
Sarentino is known throughout South Tyrol for two distinctive craft traditions. The first is the "Sarner", the grey boiled-wool jacket with colourful embroidery, a traditional garment born in the valley that has become over time a symbol of Tyrolean dress, still made today according to techniques handed down through generations. The second is peacock feather embroidery, the Federkielstickerei, a refined and rare craft that uses the quill of peacock feathers to create decorative patterns on belts, braces and leather accessories. Alongside these stands wood carving, another expression of local craftsmanship tied to farmstead life and the decoration of traditional interiors. These crafts, still practised by workshops and artisans in the valley, tell of a cultural identity deeply rooted in the territory.
Farmsteads, alpine huts and mountain life
The landscape of the Val Sarentino is dotted with scattered masi, the typical mountain farmsteads, often standing alone on sunny slopes and surrounded by meadows and woods. Higher up, one encounters the alpine huts (malghe), where summer transhumance is still practised according to age-old customs, with livestock led to the high pastures for the warm season. This agro-silvo-pastoral economy, based on livestock farming and forest management, remains a central component of the valley's identity and shapes its landscape of terraces, wooden fences and paths connecting the farmsteads. For visitors, passing through these places means drawing close to a way of living the mountains still tied to the seasonal cycles, far from the logic of mass tourism.
Hiking: Rittner Horn and the Sarntal Alps
The Val Sarentino is also a starting point for hikes through the Sarntal Alps, the mountain group that closes the valley to the north and east. Among the best-known destinations is the Rittner Horn (Corno del Renon), a peak marking the boundary between the Val Sarentino and the Renon/Ritten plateau, reachable via mountain trails that cross high-altitude pastures and offer wide panoramas over the Dolomites and the surrounding alpine ranges. The valley's hiking network connects farmsteads, alpine huts and mountain refuges, allowing routes of varying length and difficulty, suited both to family walks and to more demanding high-altitude excursions. It is a territory designed for those seeking direct contact with the mountains, in a setting still little trodden compared with other areas of South Tyrol.
Castel Roncolo (Runkelstein) and the surrounding area
At the entrance to the Val Sarentino, in the gorge leading into the valley just outside Bolzano, stands Castel Roncolo (Runkelstein), one of the most celebrated medieval castles in South Tyrol. The castle is especially known for its exceptional cycle of secular frescoes, among the most extensive and best preserved of their kind in Europe, depicting courtly, chivalric and medieval everyday-life scenes. This position, straddling the city of Bolzano and the entrance to the valley, makes Castel Roncolo a natural stop for those heading toward Sarentino, combining in a single itinerary a visit to the castle and entry into one of the region's most traditional valleys. The surroundings of the castle, with the gorge carved by the Talvera stream, also offer a first taste of the wilder landscape that characterises the whole Val Sarentino.
Not to be missed
- The centre of Sarentino (Sarnthein) and its Sarner jacket tradition
- The peacock feather embroidery (Federkielstickerei) workshops
- A hike toward the Rittner Horn (Corno del Renon) and the Sarntal Alps
- The farmsteads and alpine huts of the Val Sarentino
- Castel Roncolo (Runkelstein) with its secular frescoes, at the entrance to the valley
To see
What to see in Sarentino
Routes · Trovido Route
