Background information
Just behind Naturns in the sun-drenched Vinschgau Valley, the alpine mountain landscape of the Schnalstal Valley opens up a hidden, at first glance, unspoilt world. Juval Castle, the summer residence of mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner, sits enthroned at the entrance to the valley at around 900 metres above sea level, flanked by lush orchards and vineyards. The former castle complex from the Middle Ages has been home to the Messner Mountain Museum since 1996 and is dedicated to the myth of the mountain. The Schnalstal Valley then continues uphill for 25 kilometres. It nestles between green mountain meadows and dense larch forests, flirting with fragrant mountain flowers and alpine roses, until it reaches the foot of the mighty mountains and their majestic glaciers at 2,011 metres.