Discover Latsch – Churches, Menhir and Waalweg
Accommodation in Latsch
Latsch combines historic churches and works of art in the village with the Latsch menhir and Latsch Castle. The Latschanderwaal runs along trail number 3 to Kastelbell; a cycling tour starts in Latsch and extends via several stops to the Martello Valley reservoir at an altitude of 1,843 metres.
Churches, Frescoes and a Menhir
A cultural village tour in Latsch includes visits to the Church of St. Nicholas, the Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit and the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul. The Church of St. Nicholas is a small Romanesque choir-tower church from the late 12th century.
Its southern façade features remnants of frescoes depicting the Crucifixion as well as Saint Nicholas and Saint Christopher. The architectural form and the fresco remnants thus offer two different points of observation within the same church visit.
The Latsch menhir is located in the Church of St. Nicholas in the centre of Latsch. It was discovered in 1992 during restoration work in the Church of Our Lady on the Bühel and dates from 3300 to 2200 B.C. The Bichl Church is the oldest church in Latsch. The menhir adds a find from prehistoric times to the Church of St. Nicholas.
Art History and Latsch Castle
The Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit contains a winged altar created in 1524 by the Swabian master Jörg Lederer. Its fresco cycles from the first decade of the 17th century were created by Adrian Mair. The church thus brings together a clearly dated altar and fresco cycles created significantly later.
Latsch Castle dates from the 13th century, was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Annenberg and is the only moated castle in the Vinschgau. The castle is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside.
Hike Along the Latschanderwaal
The Latschanderwaal runs along trail number 3 from Latsch to Kastelbell. To hike along the Latschanderwaal, you can take the train from the direction of Mals or Merano to Latsch and start there on the Waalweg. Starting in Latsch connects arrival from both directions with the beginning of the hike.
Cycling into the Martello Valley
The “In the Footsteps of the Giro d’Italia” cycling tour starts in Latsch, leads via Goldrain and Morter towards the Martello Valley and continues via Burgaun and Gand to the Martello Valley reservoir at an altitude of 1,843 metres. Along the way, it passes the Maria in der Schmelz Chapel and the biathlon centre.
Culture and Routes in Latsch
Latsch is the starting point for the cultural village tour, the Waalweg to Kastelbell and the cycling tour towards the Martello Valley. The village tour and the two routes already differ in their course: the churches and the menhir are in Latsch, the Waalweg leads to Kastelbell and the cycling tour heads towards the Martello Valley.
Discover More Travel Destinations
Graun in the Vinschgau, Burgeis, Taufers in the Münstertal, Kapron, Schlanders, St. Valentin auf der Haide, Kastelbell-Tschars, Prad am Stilfserjoch, Kapron
To the higher-level travel overview: Vinschgau.
