The scheme to promote mountaineering villages in the Alpine regions supports environmentally-friendly, natural tourism. The network unites villages with a thriving natural and cultural landscape, which have been spared major technical innovations and where mountains and mountaineering are an integral part of the identity.
From leisurely “Waalweg” irrigation-channel trails through to the three-thousand metre climbs – enjoy all the authenticity of the Matsch Valley. The living traditions and customs offer you an insight into the active village community, and a stop-off to wander round the castle ruins at the entrance to the village brings the dreaded Matsch robber-barons back to fearsome life.

Natural Beauty
With so much variety in its scenery, Matsch an absolute must for nature lovers, and the small area is home to a wide diversity of habitats and vegetation levels, from orchards to glaciers. Some unusual features include the dry grasslands so rich in species, the terraced "Matscher Wiesen" Meadows, the Saldurseen Lakes, highest lake plateau in South Tyrol, and the Matscherjoch Lake (3,188 m), highest mountain lake in South Tyrol.

Mountaineering & Hiking
The sun-kissed valley of Matsch offers hiking tours, mountain and high-altitude tours for a variety of difficulty levels in the summer months. In addition to farms, alpine and lake walks, the Waalwege irrigation channel trails and the Vinschgau High Alpine tour are particularly impressive. The latter are also beautiful in spring and autumn.

Ski Tours & Winter Activities
The Matsch Valley is a popular destination for ski-tourers. Although there are not many short tours, there is a large array of challenging, peaceful ascents and descents. Matsch also offers wonderful destinations for snowshoe and winter hikes and a small ski lift for children and beginners, while the ice tower on the Matsch Alm mountain pasture is an alluring opportunity to try your hand at climbing or sledging.

Added Regional Value
The Mountaineering Village of Matsch promotes regional cycles, as demonstrated by the Mountaineering Village partner farms (farmhouse holidays- Red Rooster), which include the Oberettes Cottage AVS Alpine refuge and the Matscheralm alpine pasture, where you can sample regional products (ventures: The taste of the mountains and Quality in the Mountains).