Holiday apartment in Austis: rocks, trails and local culture

Austis appeals to visitors who want to combine nature, local culture and unusual experiences. Granite landscapes, woodland areas, rock formations, trails, murals and traditional customs give the village a diverse character.

Granite landscape and distinctive rock formations

The area around Austis is predominantly shaped by granite. Chestnut, holm oak and centuries-old oak forests alternate with extensive cork oak stands and Mediterranean scrub.

Among the striking natural features are several rock formations. Sa Conca de Oppiane is a hollowed-out rock from which you can admire the landscape. Sa Conca de Su Cannizzu is an eagle-shaped rock formation in the area around Austis. Su Nou Orruendeche is located in the Ghea woodland and consists of two granite blocks lying one on top of the other. Through an opening at its base, you can enter a natural chamber.

Trails for hiking and mountain biking

The trails around Austis include the Austis–Pasa Procu–Sa Perdarba–Sa Pranedda–Borta Melone–Austis MTB loop. The Sa Crabarissa–Austis MTB route, which can be ridden in one direction, is also available. For hiking, there is also the Borta Melone trail, route 511c. The different types of trails offer various ways to experience the landscape on foot or by mountain bike.

Sa Crabarissa can be reached via a walk of approximately 1 kilometre.

Churches, nuraghi and murals

Austis is also shaped by its cultural history. The rural church of Sant’Antonio da Padova was built in 1669 on the Sa Sedda de Basiloccu plateau. The Church of Maria Vergine Assunta houses a wooden crucifix and other works of art. The area around Austis also preserves several nuraghi, which bear witness to its Nuragic past.

The streets of Austis are decorated with murals by Danilo Carta, Ferdinando Medda, Angelo Lai and other artists from across Sardinia. In this way, public art is just as much a part of the village’s appearance as its churches and evidence of its Nuragic past.

Carnival, honey and rural life

Sos Colonganos are the masks of the Austis Carnival. During the Carnival days, they gather every year in front of a bonfire lit for the occasion, strike the ground with their sticks and jump on the spot. This creates an archaic and sombre sound. The masks are distinguished, among other things, by the use of animal bones and strawberry tree wood.

Another side of the village is revealed through the honey experience, which ends with a tasting of various types of honey. At an educational farm in Austis, the experience also includes a day in the countryside among farm animals.

Practical orientation in the village

From the centre of Austis, the route leads via Via Lazio and signs to a small natural clearing where you can park your car and begin the downhill footpath to the rock.

Other places: Torpè, Galtellì, Onifai, Ovodda, Lodine, Lodè, San Giovanni and Bitti.

More about Nuoro.