Glurns: City Walls, History and Hiking Trails

City Walls, Gates and the Salt Trade

The Renaissance city walls are fully preserved. They include four corner bastions and three gates: Malles, Sluderno and Chiesa. A section of the rampart walk is accessible from the Schluderns Gate Tower. This makes it possible to include part of the fortifications in your visit without implying that the entire rampart walk is accessible. The historic centre also features patrician houses dating from the 16th century. Together with the city walls, they shape Glurns’ architectural character.

The town’s former importance in trade is also part of its history: Glurns was a transshipment point for salt between southern Germany and Lombardy. This context adds an economic perspective to the story of its gates and fortifications. If you would like to explore the town’s history through different locations, you can also visit the Schluderns Gate Tower, which houses the exhibition “Tappe di una piccola città” on local history.

Church, Mill and Exhibitions

The parish church of St. Pankratius dates from the 15th century. It is also a specific landmark for a hike to Glurnserköpfl: the summit hike starts at the church, initially follows Trail No. 9 and then Trail No. 24 to the summit. The trail numbers clearly distinguish this hike from the route to Tartscher Bühel, which starts at a different location.

Another historic site is the Glurns town mill. The millstream was diverted directly beside the old Etsch Bridge and had served as an energy source for the mill since at least 1330. The mill wheel was renewed, and the mill was fully restored in 2004. One important point for finding your way: the town mill is accessible only on foot from the town centre. Glurns is also home to the permanent exhibition “Paul Flora – Vita e opere”. It opened in 2011 and displays up to 60 works by the artist.

Distinguishing Hiking Trails from the Cycling Route

The hike to Tartscher Bühel starts at the North car park outside the city walls, near the Malles Gate Tower. From there, it follows Trail No. 18 and then the Bichlsteig trail around Tartscher Bühel. The summit hike to Glurnserköpfl, by contrast, starts at the parish church of St. Pankratius and follows Trails No. 9 and 24. The different starting points and routes help you distinguish between the two hikes.

Cyclists also have a route connected with the town: the Etsch cycle path, which follows the ancient Roman road Via Claudia Augusta, passes through medieval Glurns. This gives you different ways to plan your activities: a hike with a set starting point, another route around Tartscher Bühel and a cycling route that runs through the town.

Planning Visits and Getting There

The PUNI Distillery is located outside the city walls in the artisans’ area. The PUNI Visitor Centre offers whisky tastings with a view of the stills. In the distillery’s self-guided tour described in July 2026, a web app guides visitors through the production area. The tasting and tour offer different ways to explore the subject of whisky.

For 2026, the guided tour “Türme, Mauern, Mäuse” is scheduled every Monday from 13 April to 26 October. The meeting point is at the Tauferer Gate Tower. As these dates are for the current calendar year, check before your visit whether a suitable date falls within your travel period.

You can reach Glurns on Citybus 274 from Mals, on Postbus 811, or by taking the Vinschgau Railway to Schluderns and then Citybus 274. Public transport connections and timetables may change; check your route before setting off. This allows you to plan your journey, a visit to the town and the relevant starting points for your activities separately.

Discover more destinations: Burgeis, Kapron, St. Valentin a.d. Haide, Latsch, Laas, Schnals, Martell, Morter.

For the broader travel overview: Vinschgau.