St. Florian's Church

Since early medieval times, thousands of pilgrims crossed the Alps every year to get to Rome.
While wealthier travellers crossed over the mountains, ordinary pilgrims had little choice but to negotiate the footpath through the treacherous swampland in the Etschtal Valley basin, on a day-long crossing. One of these pilgrim routes led from Bolzano/Bozen to Laghetti/Laag near Egna, at the foot of the Madruttberg mountain. Here, the St. Florian Hospice welcomed the travellers, providing them with lodgings. In contrast to today's sense of the word, a hospitium in the Middle Ages referred to a monastic pilgrims' hostel. The 13th Century Romanesque edifice, known as the "Klösterle", remains standing. Besides St. Florian's Church, it is not only one of the most beautiful Romanesque structures in the entire Alpine region, but also one of the few hospices in Europe that has remained intact.

It’s curious to note that in 1494, St. Florian’s Church pilgrims' hostel hosted its most illustrious guest; German painter Albrecht Dürer, who is said to have spent the night here on his way to Venice. What used to be the pilgrims’ path, was later named after Dürer. The former St. Florian pilgrims' hospice has been transformed into a cultural venue, where summer concerts and other performances are staged in the "Klösterle".