Lengstein: Trails and Historic Churches on the Ritten Plateau

Lengstein lies on the eastern edge of the sunny Ritten Plateau at an altitude of 970 metres. The village combines hiking opportunities with churches and chapels whose history ranges from prehistoric traces to medieval building phases. For planning your trip, the Chestnut Trail and the Giro di Longostagno circular route offer different points of reference: one runs through the village and connects Bolzano with Brixen, while the other links local places and takes approximately three hours.

Hiking around Lengstein

The Chestnut Trail runs from Bolzano to Brixen and passes through Longostagno. This makes Lengstein part of a route connecting two cities. The Giro di Longostagno is a circular route linking the local places described here; it is estimated to take approximately three hours. These details help you distinguish between the two trails based on the information you need for planning: the Chestnut Trail has Bolzano and Brixen as its endpoints, while the Giro has an approximate duration for a circuit. No further specific information about walking time, difficulty or trail conditions is available here.

Chapels and churches with a long history

Sant’Andrea near Antlas

The Sant’Andrea Chapel near Antlas is known for its Gothic frescoes from the early years of the 15th century. The scenes depicted include Saint Christopher carrying Christ on his shoulders. This motif gives the chapel a specific art-historical connection: here, you can link a named subject to the period when the frescoes were created. The site lies above the Eisack Valley, almost directly above the Eisack Gorge. Places of worship or prehistoric settlements already stood here before the chapel. The history of the site therefore extends beyond the church building visible today.

Santa Verena near Pietrarossa

The Church of Santa Verena offers an exceptional view of the Schlern massif from above the northern side of the Eisack Valley. Its history is also linked to early traces: evidence of the oldest prehistoric settlements on the Ritten was found nearby. Santa Verena is the only place of worship in Tyrol dedicated to Saint Verena. The church was first officially mentioned in a document in the 13th century. Here, an exceptional view of the Schlern massif, local early history and a specifically named religious dedication come together.

The Parish Church of Santa Ottilia

The parish church in Longostagno is also part of the village’s historic character. It is dedicated to Saint Ottilia; its first documented mention dates back to 1177. The church’s present appearance is the result of a 14th-century construction and an extension in 1876. These dates distinguish the early written record from the later building phases. This helps put the parish church’s long history into context without confusing the dates with the same event.

Plan your visits for 2026

The Sant’Andrea Chapel can be visited free of charge from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays between 1 April and 6 December 2026. During the same period, free visits to Santa Verena are available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, also from 10 to 11 a.m. For both sites, reservations must be made by 11:30 a.m. on the previous day. Saturday is therefore the shared visiting day in the published schedule; Santa Verena is also open on Fridays and Sundays. If you are planning a visit, check the dates and book in good time. For visits after 6 December 2026, check the applicable opening times again.

Discover more destinations: Völs am Schlern, Deutschnofen, Eggen, Ritten, Karneid, Tiers, St. Christina in Gröden, Welschnofen

Return to the regional travel overview: Salten-Schlern.