Hiking trail Via Monachorum from Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg to Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau

Many pathways of tranquillity lead to Certosa/Karthaus, the former Carthusian monastery where the monks took a vow of silence and which still succeeds in emanating a sense of infinite tranquillity today. This themed trail, with some interesting philosophical quotations about tranquillity along the way, has excellent signage that uses life-sized figures of monks. It traces the paths that the monks treaded in silence back in the day.

The trail (no. 26) begins in Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg, on the left beside the striking hill with the church. It begins with a few small bends and continues downwards along an ever-widening trail. In one of the bends, a sign points to the third section of the “Via Monachorum”, to the “Hof am Wasser” (waterside farm) that had gone to wrack and ruin for years but is now being refurbished. In the valley, we come to the Neuratheis inn that was built when the roads into the Schnalstal Valley were being constructed and was a horse station on the way to Maso Corto/Kurzras. On the opposite side of the road, the trail up to Saxalbhof farm and to Certosa/Karthaus begins below the rockface. The old bridle path, initially gently rising through a meadow and then crossing a tiny stream, comes to a fork. To the right, it leads into the valley at a gentle incline, through two areas with rockfall (rockfall in strong rain!) and up to Certosa/Karthaus, where the old walls already welcome the visitor from afar. After visiting the monastery (the most important information can be had in the square where the bus stop is), we leave the town walking northwards on a gently sloping road. Behind the last houses in the village, after a left-hand bend, the forest path branches off to the right towards Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau (no. 21). Gently rising and falling, the trail continues on through a clearing and through the forest to the three Raindl farms. Passing through Mitterraindl and Unterraindl, the trail leads to pastures and a turn off to the right to Oberraindlhof farm and along the edge of the forest to Pithairerstraße (Pithairerstreet); we continue along this road to the first bend where we go straight ahead along the forest path. At the end of the forest path, we go downhill slightly to the edge of the meadow and then slightly upwards again into the forest, where we meet the pilgrim’s pathway which we follow as far as the “Tonzhaus” inn beside the pilgrimage Church of Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau.

Naturno/Naturns - Schnalstal Valley - Madonna di Senales/Unser Frau

or

Naturno/Naturns - Schnalstal Valley -Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg

Parking places near the church, free, unguarded

With the SAD bus nr. 261 to Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg (bus stop Monte S. Caterina/Katharinaberg)