Sightseeing in the Ortles region
The former mountaineers’ hostel next to the Hotel Post at the foot of the Ortler, also known as the 'Flea house', is now the site of a museum of Alpine sports curiosities, created by the top mountaineer Reinhold Messner. A collection of thirteen legendary mountaineering tales, ranging from Yogi Milarepa to Reinhold Messner himself, provides an informal history of Alpine sports. About 10 minutes distant to the hotel.
The "Museum for the Ortles Region" is an outpouring of passion and love of the Ortler region; it is a place where people are reminded of their roots and where the lives of both the great and the lesser pioneers of this part of the country are celebrated. A stroll through the history and the culture of the Ortles region, together with a special exhibition commemorating the 1915-1918 World War and also a rare and beautiful collection of minerals from the area. The museum will transport you back through 100 years of tourism in the Ortles region with its Alpine refuges, its sponsors and its pioneers from the history of this Alpine village at the foot of the Ortler. The greater part of the work of setting up these displays was carried out and financed by volunteers from the local Association and in particular by Konrad Knoll, who had undertaken the laborious task of finding, sorting and repairing many of the exhibits where necessary and who had also invested a considerable amount of his own money in the venture. About 10 minutes distant to the hotel.
The MMM Ortles is one of the four offshoots from the MMM Mountain Museum of Firmian: At Solda in Ortles, at the start of the village, there is an underground site with an area of 300 square metres housing an exhibition on the subject of Ice and Ortles. Using descriptions, historical records and examples of graphic arts, Reinhold Messner introduces such topics as glaciers, the ice, the South Pole, the North Pole, abominable snowmen and above all the great mountains of ice. Symbolically, the Ortler is at the heart of this exhibition. The location – the farm with its yaks, the Ortler as the highest peak in southern Tyrol directly above and the ice of the glacier almost within touching distance – is ideal. Further information can be found at www.reinhold-messner.de, or telephone +39 335 6081205 or e-mail ortles@messner-mountain-museum.it for information on guided tours and opening times. About 15 minutes distant to the hotel.
A stroll through the history of a mountain village. Twelve separate stations form a bridge from the early beginnings of a remote mountain village right up to the present day. A gentle walk around Solda along the new Panoramic Path, which is also suitable for prams and buggies, gives an insight into the emergence of a tourist resort and which, at the same time, acknowledges its patrons and visionaries. About 5 minutes distant to the hotel.
Was constructed in 1822 to provide the quickest route between Veltlin and Venosta. Today, the Stelvio Pass Road still numbers among the most impressive mountain roads in the Alps. On the South Tyrolean side there is a height difference of 1870 m with 48 hairpin bends and on the Veltlin side, the height difference is 1530 m with 34 hairpin bends to manoeuvre. About 5 minutes distant to the hotel by car less.
.. are pure magic. This little place of pilgrimage is located in splendid isolation at the end of a small valley carved out in between the glaciers. The long valley has the effect of a tunnel and at the end of this tunnel a wide belt of spruce trees forms an entrance. The three peaks of the Madatsch and the Ortler encircle and seem to stand guard over the surprisingly wide end of the valley. These dark sentinels seem to be protective yet at the same time menacing. They represent the forces of nature and at the same time highlight the crests of the surrounding peaks. Unexpectedly you will come across a waterfall, rushing down the mountainside. This is nature’s playfulness or possibly a sign of liveliness and a sign of life "below" the level of our awareness. It is easy to visualize the tongues of the glacier way up between the craggy rock formations. About 30 minutes distant to the hotel by car.
The visitors’ centre "naturatrafoi" lies in the centre of the Stelvio National Park, in Trafoi, directly on the Stelvio Pass Road. The exhibition in this centre focuses on "Life on the Border" and offers fascinating insights into the geology of the Ortler mountain range and into the survival of flora and fauna under the extreme climactic conditions of the mountain countryside. Details of opening times and other information can be found at www.naturatrafoi.com. About 30 minutes distant to the hotel by car.
The National Park centre "aquaprad“ (14 different aquaria with indigenous fishes) is located in Prad on the Stelvio Pass. The visitor centre with its main theme of water was opened in 2003, the International Year of Water. The centre contains a wealth of graphic insights into Life in the Water. The visitor is immersed in the nearby yet unfamilar world of indigenous fishes. Details of opening times and other information can be found at www.aquaprad.com. About 35 minutes distant to the hotel by car.