Meltina
Meltina (in tedesco Mölten) è un comune sull'altopiano del Salto (Salten), il Tschögglberg, il pianoro che si distende tra la Val...
17 7月 2026 更新
この季節に · 7月 · 夏
今Meltinaで楽しむこと
物語
Meltina の物語
Meltina on the Salto Plateau, above Bolzano
The municipality of Meltina occupies the heart of the Tschögglberg, the Salto plateau that stretches between 1,000 and 2,000 metres of elevation, between Val Sarentino and Val Passiria, above the towns of Bolzano and Merano. The main village, set in a southwest-facing basin, enjoys sunshine and a mild climate that on some days even surpasses that of the valley floor, despite an elevation difference of almost 900 metres. The municipal territory includes the hamlets of Schlaneid, Verschneid and Versein, scattered among woods and clearings at slightly different altitudes. Meltina borders San Genesio Atesino, with which it shares the Salto plateau, as well as Sarentino, Terlano, Gargazzone, Postal and Verano, each a distinct municipality with its own identity and attractions. This elevated yet intimate position, away from the main traffic routes of the Adige valley, has allowed Meltina to preserve a rural, quiet character, appreciated by those seeking a mountain stay near Bolzano and Merano.
The Larch Forest of the Salto Plateau
Between Meltina and San Genesio Atesino stretches the Salto plateau (Salten), considered Europe's largest larch-tree high plateau: a sea of wooded meadows dotted with solitary larches or small groves, spread across elevations between 1,300 and 1,400 metres. It is a landscape that changes with the seasons: in autumn the larch needles turn gold, while between late April and early May the meadows turn into a carpet of white and purple crocuses, one of the most photographed botanical spectacles in South Tyrol. The best-known access points lie between the hamlet of Valas, in the municipality of San Genesio, and Meltina, where gentle, mostly flat trails suitable for families and walkers of every level begin, with alpine huts offering refreshment along the way. The Salto larch forest is not only a scenic attraction but also a mountain grazing ecosystem, shaped for centuries by the local farming communities.
Hikes and Views over the Dolomites
From the ridges above Meltina, the Salto plateau offers one of the widest panoramas in the whole region: a sweep taking in the Catinaccio, the Latemar, the Sciliar, the Sassolungo, the Odle, the Sella group and the Pale di San Martino, extending on the clearest days to the Brenta Dolomites. Among the most popular hiking destinations are the Stoanerne Mandln, or Stone Men, cairns piled up since ancient times by shepherds and wrapped in local legends, and the Meltina Earth Pyramids, formations rising up to 30 metres above the Rio Meltina stream, sculpted by erosion into an almost lunar landscape. The trails linking these destinations are mostly easy, crossing coniferous woods and alpine pastures, and suit both short strolls of a few hours and longer routes toward the Giogo di Meltina and the ridges of the Tschögglberg.
Farmsteads and Farming Culture
Meltina's economy remains deeply tied to mountain farming, practised on often isolated farmsteads scattered among meadows, woods and high-altitude pastures. The most distinctive trait of local animal husbandry is Haflinger horse breeding, the horse breed native to the historic Tyrol: as early as 1904 Meltina saw the founding of one of the first breeders' cooperatives in South Tyrol, an initiative that helped structure the breed's selection and testifies to the town's long-standing bond with these sturdy, versatile horses, used both for field work and for equestrian tourism. Alongside breeding, the farmsteads of Meltina have always grown fodder, fruit and small vegetable gardens, following a subsistence economy that over the decades has progressively opened up to farm holidays, giving visitors the chance to sleep in a traditional maso and observe up close the rhythms of South Tyrolean rural life.
History and Experiences
The first reliably documented mention of the Meltina settlement dates to 590 CE, when the historian Paulus Diaconus recorded the destruction, by the Franks, of a Lombard fortification called Maletum: the present name is thought to derive from this Latin toponym, perhaps linked to an apple plantation, although some scholars point to pre-Roman Celtic origins, supported by Bronze Age finds discovered in the area. Today Meltina is an overwhelmingly German-speaking municipality, yet it keeps bilingual Italian-German signage and services, in line with South Tyrol's autonomy statute. Among the most distinctive contemporary experiences is a visit to the Arunda winery, Europe's highest classic-method sparkling wine producer, founded in 1979 at 1,200 metres, where the mountain's daily temperature swings favour a slow, steady maturation of the bubbles. Rounding out the cultural offering are the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta and the village's small fossil museum.
Not to be missed
- A walk through the larch meadows of the Salto plateau (Salten), between Meltina and San Genesio
- A hike to the Stoanerne Mandln stone men and the Meltina Earth Pyramids
- A 360-degree panorama over the Catinaccio, Latemar, Sciliar and Sassolungo from the Tschögglberg ridges
- A visit and tasting at the Arunda winery, Europe's highest sparkling wine producer
- A stay at a traditional maso and a look at Haflinger horse breeding
見どころ
Meltina の見どころ
パス · Trovido Route
