Silandro
Silandro (Schlanders in tedesco) è il capoluogo della Val Venosta, la valle laterale dell'Alto Adige che si apre a ovest di Merano...
Actualizado el 17 julio 2026
Esta temporada · Julio · Verano
Qué hacer en Silandro ahora
El relato
La historia de Silandro
The main town of Val Venosta
Silandro is the administrative and economic main town of Val Venosta, the valley that stretches west of Merano along the upper course of the Adige river, between terraced slopes and peaks approaching three thousand metres. The village occupies a wide stretch of the valley floor, in a sheltered position that gives it some of the highest sunshine levels in all of South Tyrol. It hosts public offices, schools, a hospital and services for the whole valley, from the villages closer to Merano to the border towns toward Switzerland and Austria. Silandro is also a reference point for those heading up Val Venosta toward the Reschen Pass or into the side valleys of Martello and Solda. Despite its administrative role, the town keeps an intimate atmosphere, with shops, markets and cafés animating the arcaded main street throughout the year, especially during apple blossom season and the autumn harvest.
South Tyrol's tallest bell tower
Silandro's landmark is the bell tower of the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, which at around 92 metres is the tallest in South Tyrol. Slender and visible from most of the valley floor, it draws the eye toward the historic centre, where the arcaded main street preserves houses with steep roofs and painted façades typical of Val Venosta architecture. Walking under the arcades you find shops, bakeries and cafés, along with glimpses of inner courtyards and fountains. Despite serving as a hub for the whole valley, the town has kept the proportions of a small borgo, where the bell tower remains the visual and symbolic reference point, clearly visible even to those cycling the valley path or walking the scenic trails climbing the surrounding slopes.
Apple orchards and a dry climate
Wide expanses of apple orchards surround Silandro, covering the valley floor and climbing the first terraced slopes: Val Venosta is in fact one of Europe's largest apple-growing districts, favoured by a dry, breezy climate that is among the driest in the whole Alpine arc. Strong temperature swings between day and night, combined with many hours of sunshine, give the fruit a quality that has made the apple an identity product of the entire valley. In spring the blossoming orchards turn the landscape into a sea of white and pink, while in autumn the harvest sets the rhythm of local life. For centuries the dry climate has also shaped irrigation techniques, requiring a capillary network of channels that still characterises the area around Silandro today.
The Waalwege trails and the Via Claudia Augusta
To compensate for scarce rainfall, in past centuries the people of Val Venosta built the Waale, artificial channels that carried water from mountain streams down to the fields and orchards in the valley. The paths running alongside these channels, the Waalwege or irrigation trails, are today among the most loved walks in the area: nearly flat, they run along sunny slopes offering wide views over the valley floor and the orchards, suitable for families and hikers of every level. Silandro is also crossed by the Val Venosta cycle path, linking the town to Merano and the Reschen Pass, and in several stretches follows the ancient route of the Via Claudia Augusta, the Roman road that linked the Po plain to the Danube across the Alps, traces of which remain along the whole valley.
Stelvio National Park and the side valleys
Silandro is also one of the gateways to the Stelvio National Park, which extends over the mountain massifs north of the valley, among glaciers, alpine lakes and the peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale group. From here, roads and trails climb toward Val Martello, enclosed by conifer woods and rock faces, and toward Val di Solda, at the foot of the Ortles, the highest mountain in South Tyrol. Both valleys offer mountain huts, high-altitude routes and starting points for summer mountaineering and hiking, as well as winter sports slopes in the cold season. Silandro therefore acts as a natural logistical base for those wanting to explore the protected area, combining services, connections and mountain proximity in a single hub, without losing the charm of a valley-floor village surrounded by apple orchards.
Not to be missed
- The bell tower of the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, the tallest in South Tyrol
- The historic centre with its arcaded main street
- The Waalwege irrigation trails among the apple orchards
- The Val Venosta cycle path along the route of the Via Claudia Augusta
- Excursions into Stelvio National Park, Val Martello and Val di Solda
Para ver
Qué ver en Silandro
Rutas · Trovido Route
Rutas en Silandro
Empleos · JobFlow
