More than just a skiing holiday: experience winter in Val Pusteria!

The Gitschberg Jochtal ski area, which has received multiple awards for being family-friendly, is only a few kilometres away. It is easily accessible by connecting buses and ski buses. (Bus stop 200 metres from the hotel)

But the other ski areas in South Tyrol are also just a stone's throw away – ideal conditions for a ski safari across the most beautiful slopes in South Tyrol! 

Distances to the ski resorts:

    Plose – 20 km
    Kronplatz – 25 km
    Helm – 50 km
    Gröden/Alta Badia/Sellaronda – 40 km
    Ratschings – 30 km
    Rosskopf – 25 km
    Obereggen – 60 km

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

What could be better than making your first tracks in the fresh, glistening snow? Absolutely nothing! Val Pusteria/Pustertal is a paradise for exciting ski tours through a fascinating, untouched winter landscape. Tours of all levels of difficulty promise diverse fun in the snow. Here, you’ll find comfortable and challenging ascents, views over the fantastic mountain world, and dreamy descents. But above all these things, you’ll fall in love with the peace and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of the valley. We would be happy to help you plan your tour or arrange a mountain guide for easier and enjoyable touring. We would like to recommend two particularly beautiful routes:

• Ski tour to Crusc de Rit/Wilde Kreuzspitze
  These striking twin peaks catch the eye from far away. However, the climbs from all sides – Val di Vizze/Pfitschertal, Mules/Mauls, Malga Fane/Fane Alm – are long and not to be underestimated. The starting point is Malga Fane/Fane Alm (1,739m). From here, the trail continues through the gorge, then leisurely through the valley, past the Malga Pfann/Pfannalm (2,141m) to the Brixner Hütte (2,300m). The Brixner Hütte is open from the end of June and the winter room is always open. Following the course of the valley, the trail leads in a broad arc to a ridge (Rauhtaljoch, 2,808m) between the Blickenspitze (2,988m) and Crusc de Rit/Wilde Kreuzspitze. On the left of the ridge, the ascent to the summit can be started in the S flank, it is steep but not too difficult. Ascent time: 4-5 hours. Difficulty level: easy to moderately difficult. This tour only accessible from March to May.
• Cima di Valmala/Wurmaulspitze ski tour
  The starting point of this popular ski tour near Molaris Lodges is in Vals on Malga Fane/Fane Alm. This tour is crowned by an impressive descent through the Stilonbach gorge but requires alpine experience and a good level of fitness. The ski tour to Cima di Valmala/Wurmaulspitze (3.022m) is quite prone to avalanches in winter and should therefore only be done in spring when the avalanches on both sides of the valley have already cleared.
  First, the tour goes up from the car park to Malga Fane/Fane Alm and briefly into the valley until you see the Stilonbach gorge on the right. Through the narrow valley, there is a strenuous ascent to the "Joch der Enge" (2,732m). With a slight descent, the route now continues northwest and then up the magnificent southern slope to the beginning of the rocky southern ridge. There is a ski shelter here. Via easy bouldering and fixed ropes at the end, you reach the summit plateau with a magnificent view. The descent follows the same route as the ascent. For this tour with an altitude difference of 1,403 metres, you need about 4 hours for the ascent.

Isn’t it just wonderful how the fresh snow crunches under your shoes! Around Mühlbach, numerous snow-covered paths and winter hiking trails lead leisurely through the unspoilt natural landscape.

Our tips for the snowshoe and winter hiker:

• The winter trails of the Gitschberg Jochtal alpine pasture region start near Molaris Lodges.
• Alpe di Rodengo/Rodenecker Alm offers endless views and is just a few minutes away.
• Worthwhile destinations for winter hikers can be found in the picturesque Valle d’Altafossa/Altfasstal.
• Winter walks for the whole family can be found in the sunny mountain village of Terenten.
• An insider tip for nature lovers is Malga Fane/Fane Alm, which is closed to traffic.

In Mühlbach and surroundings, there are a variety of cross-country skiing options that you can try out.

• The groomed, 15-kilometre Alpe di Rodengo e Luson/Rodenecker-Lüsner Alm trail offers an easy to moderately difficult, though exceptional, cross-country skiing experience with a 225m difference in altitude.
• There are two other options for cross-country skiing near to Molaris Lodges: the Vals circular trail at the Jochtal valley station, which is 8km long and an easy course, and the Lobenweg-Bacherhütte trail in Valle d’Altafossa/Altfasstal, Meransen which is a moderately difficult trail with a length of 8.5km and a 270m difference in altitude.
• The Valle d’Altafossa/Altfasstal cross-country skiing trail starts from the Valle d’Altafossa/Altfasstal car park and stretches over 8km with a difference in altitude of 150m. The route leads through the wild and idyllic natural landscape of Valle d’Altafossa/Altfasstal and is classified as easy to moderately difficult.

Our special tip: For cross-country skiing fans, a trip to Valle di Anterselva/Antholzertal is certainly a worthwhile experience. Antholz regularly hosts the Biathlon World Cup. So, if you want to get a taste of international competition, we recommend a visit to the Antholz Biathlon. During the rest of the year, the village offers amateur athletes a modern cross-country skiing centre for training at Lago di Anterselva/Antholzer See.

Are you in the mood for an exhilarating toboggan run? Nothing could be easier: Mühlbach and nearby Meransen boast a long tobogganing tradition: some of the best natural and artificial track tobogganers in Italy are based here. You too can really live out your dreams of speedy descents on two blades here. The Gitschberg Jochtal region offers many spectacular toboggan runs and downhill runs for the whole family.

The most beautiful downhill runs in Val Pusteria/Pustertal:

• An easy toboggan run at the middle station of Monte Cuzzo/Gitschberg with a length of 1.5km
• Moserhütte-Altfasstal/Rifugio Moser- Valle d'Altafossa toboggan run with a whole 5km downhill run and quite easy
• Malga Fane/Fane Alm toboggan run is medium-difficulty and at the end of the valley in Vals, 3km long
• Kreuzwiesenalm-Kompatsch/Malga Kreuzwiesenalm toboggan run is in Rodeneck with a 3.5km natural run
• Schilling run is easy with a downhill run of around 1km in Vals

Well-maintained toboggans are available for hire at reasonable prices not far from Molaris Lodges and at all toboggan runs in the Gitschberg Jochtal region.

The winter season in the Val Pusteria/Pustertal generally runs from early December to early April. Ski tours such as the Mt Cima di Valmala/Wurmaulspitze can be undertaken from March to May depending on snow and avalanche conditions, while the Wurmaulspitze is only advisable in spring because of avalanche risk. The most reliable snow is between Christmas and mid-March.

The nearest ski area is Gitschberg Jochtal, just a few kilometres away and easy to reach by ski bus; the stop is only 200m from the hotel. Other ski areas include the Plose (20km), Plan de Corones/Kronplatz and Rosskopf (25km each), Ratschings (30km), Sellaronda/Gröden/Alta Badia (40km), Helm (50km), and Obereggen (60km).

Yes, the Gitschberg Jochtal ski area has been recognised for its family-friendliness on several occasions. It offers easy-to-navigate pistes, ski schools, and plenty of places to stop for refreshments, making it suitable for beginners and experienced skiers alike.

Yes. The ski bus stop is 200 m from the hotel, and connecting and ski buses serve the surrounding ski areas. The Val Pusteria railway is also within easy reach and links Mühlbach with the ski areas throughout the valley.

Within a day's reach of Mühlbach: Gitschberg Jochtal, the Plose, Plan de Corones/Kronplatz, Rosskopf, Ratschings, the Sellaronda with Val Gardena/Gröden and Alta Badia, Monte Elmo/Helm, and Obereggen. All lie between a few kilometres and 60km away.

Recommended trails: the Rodeneck-Lüsen Alm trail (15km), the Vals circular trail (8km), Lobenweg-Bacherhütte in the Valle di Altafossa/Altfasstal (8.5km), and the Altfasstal cross-country trail (8km). Ambitious cross-country skiers will find the trip to the Antholz biathlon centre well worth it, as it regularly hosts the Biathlon World Cup.

There are five toboggan runs in the Gitschberg Jochtal region: Gitschberg middle station (1.5km), Moserhütte-Altfasstal (5 km), Fane Alm (3km, moderate), Kreuzwiesenalm-Kompatsch in Rodeneck (3.5km, natural track), and the Schilling run in Vals (1km).

Yes, there are ski tours of every difficulty level. Newcomers will find the route to Mt Picco della Croce/Wilde Kreuzspitze via the Fane Alm suitable, with an ascent time of four to five hours (easy to moderate). For demanding tours such as Mt Cima di Valmala/Wurmaulspitze a mountain guide is recommended; reception will be happy to arrange one.

Yes. The tourist board of the Gitschberg Jochtal alpine pasture region offers guided snowshoe tours. For independent winter walks, there are paths starting at the hotel as well as in the Rodenecker Almen, the Valle di Altafossa/Altfasstal, Terenten, and around the Fane Alm.