Mythical Places

Virgins and devils, wild men, and mountains shrouded in legend: read on for a small selection of eerie, astonishing tales and curious places to visit

Wild Man in Brixen/ Bressanone

Look up as you stroll through Brixen and you may be surprised to spot the statue of the Wild Man staring down at the bustling town centre from the façade of an old town house. Like Cerberus, the hound of Hades, guarding the Underworld, nothing escapes his view – why else would he have three heads and six eyes? Dating from the 16th century, the Wild Man may even have clapped eyes on Mozart! The mysterious wooden figure is said to spout gold on Good Friday when the bells ring out for midday. How odd then that the church bells are always silent on that day...

Location: Brixen old town, on a corner house where the Säbentorgasse and Kleine and Grosse Lauben arcades meet

The Three Virgins: Mühlbach/Rio di Pusteria to Meransen/Maranza

The magical Jungfrauenrast (Three Virgins Rest Stop) hike to Meransen traces the footsteps of three royal Virgins called Aubet, Cubet and Quere. As you walk through mystical forests and across sundrenched meadows, you’ll enjoy views down over the village of Mühlbach and pass a memorial dedicated to these three pious Virgins, who are said to have taken a break at this spot while fleeing from Attila, King of the Huns. The story goes that it was a very hot day and the three prayed for something to drink. Their prayers were answered when, miraculously, a spring burst from the rock so they could quench their thirst.

Change in elevation: 650 metres

Walking time: approx. 3 hours and 45 minutes

Level: intermediate, very steep

Processions honouring the memory of the three pious Virgins still take place in Meransen today.

Devil’s Stone in Terenten/ Terento

Legend has it that the Devil once planned to roll a boulder down onto the farmers living in the village of Mühlwald/ Selva dei Molini to the north of Terenten. But thankfully for them the huge stone proved too heavy. What a stroke of luck! Today, the legendary stone marks the end point of a varied hike through an area shrouded in mystery. Starting at the Nunewieser car park in Terenten, the route takes you up to the Devil’s Stone near Sankt Sigmund/San Sigismondo. Here you are rewarded with a beautiful view across the Pustertal valley, and you can even spot the Devil’s footprint, which remains visible to this day.

Change in elevation: 120 metres

Walking time: 30 minutes

Level: easy

Legendary tales on the Lüsner Alm

Lace up your walking boots and immerse yourself in the curious and surreal world of the Lüsner Alm mountain pasture. Starting from Herol near Lüsen/Luson, the hike passes by a scenic viewpoint and continues on to the Kreuzwiesen mountain lodge, which is the perfect spot for a bite to eat. The route follows in the footsteps of a Salige, a mythical female spirit who was said to astonish people with her prophetic advice. Once, this strange, shy creature is believed to have told a farmer from Lüsen to harvest his unripe hay within the next three days. He hesitatingly did what she said – and thank goodness he did because just one day later his entire meadow was buried in thick snow.

Along the Schabmer theme trail: in this mural from 1974, the sorcerers Lauterfresser and Tschaföger conjure up a thunderstorm, while the church bells of Viums, Raas and Rodeneck ring loudly to protect their villages against it.

The Three Mysterious Chapels of Barbian/Barbiano

Set off on a hike from Barbian and you’ll discover a strange, crooked church tower, spectacular waterfalls and a viewing platform offering magnificent village and mountain views. But perhaps most mysterious of all are the three small interconnected chapels locally called Dreikirchen, built on the site of an ancient sanctuary on a spring. Their origins remain unknown, but step inside and you’ll find Gothic winged altarpieces and frescoes. Legend has it that the village’s dead will stand in front of one of the three doors for three days waiting for their soul to ascend to heaven.

Change in elevation: 300 m

Walking time: approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

Level: easy

Including waterfalls:

Change in elevation: 560 m

Walking time: approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes

Level: family-friendly circular walk

A legendary trail in Schabs/Sciaves

The new Schabmer trail above Sonneck in Schabs features 11 display boards all about the area’s history. Fascinatingly, it also tells the story of a wizard by the name of Matthäus Perger, a merchant from Tschötsch/Scezze near Brixen: a real-life historical figure, who was executed in 1645. According to legend, he had a love of all things mysterious and a penchant for playing tricks on people. But did that really make him a wizard? There are many stories about him. In one, an acquaintance asks him to use his magic to get her hens to lay eggs. But unfortunately, his powers are only strong enough to conjure up a few laying hens from another village.

Change in elevation: 100 metres

Walking time: approx. 45 minutes

Level: easy