Taufers im Münstertal: Churches, Sacred Art and Hiking Trails

Taufers im Münstertal combines church art and local history with hiking trails to churches and castle ruins. Cultural highlights include the St. Michael Museum of Sacred Art, the Romanesque exhibition and St. John’s Church. When hiking, you can choose between the 8 Churches themed trail, the Turnaunawaal circular trail and a loop in the Avingatal valley—the routes differ in their destinations and landscapes.

Churches, Frescoes and Sacred Art

St. Michael’s Church dates back to the 14th century and has housed a museum of sacred art since 2000. The St. Michael Parish Museum displays more than twenty works of sacred art, most of them from Taufers’ eight churches, as well as valuable Gothic frescoes. One outstanding piece is the late Gothic winged altar from St. Martin’s Church, created around 1520.

St. John’s Church was built around 1220 as a Romanesque structure in the shape of a Greek cross. During its construction, entire sections of masonry from a predecessor church dating to the 9th century were reused. This means that two historical building phases can be distinguished in the church: the older predecessor church and the Romanesque structure of the early 13th century.

The permanent exhibition Romanesque Art in the Vinschgau and St. John’s Church in Taufers i.M. spans three levels of the sacristy building. On the ground floor, it introduces Romanesque art from 1000 to 1300 and explores topics including naming, typical features, the spirit of the age, painting, architecture and sculpture. The top floor is devoted to St. John’s Church, which is known for its valuable Romanesque frescoes.

Church Trails and Archaeological Traces

The well-signposted 8 Churches themed trail connects eight churches from different periods and forms a circular hike back to the starting point. It begins at St. John’s Church at the eastern entrance to the village. There is a parking area or a bus stop there. By linking the churches, this trail offers a way to explore buildings from different periods on a single circular hike.

Another glimpse into history awaits in Puntweil: a Roman settlement stood there from the 2nd to the 4th century AD. Archaeological traces include the remains of masonry houses and excavated utility areas from post-built structures.

Hiking to Castle Ruins and Through the Avingatal Valley

Taufers is the starting point for numerous hiking trails into the Ortler area of Stelvio National Park. The Turnaunawaal Trail begins next to the Romanesque St. John’s Church at the entrance to the village. On the circular route, Trail No. 6 leads to the ruins of Rotund Castle; on the return, the route passes the ruins of Reichenberg Castle before reaching the starting point. The St. Johann bus stop is right at the start of the Turnaunawaal tour.

The circular hike in the Avingatal valley offers a different landscape: it leads through meadows and forest and offers beautiful views. The hiking options described therefore differ clearly in focus: the themed trail connects churches, the Turnaunawaal circular trail leads to two castle ruins, and the Avingatal loop passes through meadows and woodland.

Plan Your Journey

Taufers im Münstertal can be reached from Mals by bus No. 811. As timetables can change, check the latest departure times before travelling. When choosing a hotel, you can plan your stay around whether you mainly want to visit the churches and exhibitions or include one of the hiking routes mentioned above.

Discover more destinations: Latsch, Laas, Morter, Glurns, Kapron, Burgeis, Schlanders, Schnals

Go to the main travel overview: Vinschgau.