Surrounded by mountains, I’m in a hunt for panoramic views. With peaks well over 2000 meters above sea level this shouldn’t be too hard. But what if there’s more than just a majestic views? Today I visit the Stoanernen Madln in Süd Tyrol by the hands of Marion, my guide for today.

The Stoanernen Mandln are a big collection of piles of stone. Some of these piles reach as high as the average human length. Collected at the top of the Schöneck plateau it definitely adds an extra dimension to the already spectacular views over the valley and mountains around.

What are the Stoanernen Mandln?

It rises a question though. What are these man of stone doing here? There are at least a 100 of these piles of stones gathered around the cross.

The story goes that it’s a place was used by witches. In fact, there are legal documents dating back to 1540 that claim these practices. The witches would dance around the stone figures, worship the devil and change the weather, sending violent thunderstorms down the valley.

These stories combined with the mystic Stoanernen Mandln gives this place an enchanting and mysterious atmosphere. Combined with the spectacular views this is a hike you don’t want to miss!

Hike to the Stoanernen Mandln

As in many places, there are tons of ways to get up to the Stoanernen Mandln. The good news is that no matter what way, you’ll be presented with wonderful views along the hike. Common places to start are close to Sarentino or Merano.

The route I share here starts in Vöran and will take you on a 21km long journey. With an ascent of around 996 meters, this route will take you a little over 6 hours excluding stops. While the route itself is not hard, you do need a good condition. The experience and landscape are absolutely worth it though!

Other options to start a hike towards the Stoanernen Madln are from the nearby ‘Parkplatz Grüner Baum‘ or ‘Parkplatz Schermoos‘ in Mölten. Starting from there will reduce the duration of the hike to approximately 4 to 5 hours.

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Along the route

Along the route you will pass several restaurants. Note that the opening hours are seasonal. During high season many of these restaurants are open daily while in winter time they may only be open during weekends or even completely closed.

On the map we have marked some of the restaurants so you can keep them in mind while walking around. If you can’t get enough of the beauty in this region, it’s even possible to stay for the night at a couple of these places.

A hike to remember

While it’s not the toughest hike in terms of condition, the hike will still take you a full day to complete. Best of all, in terms of scenery and landscape, it’s one of the prettiest around. If you find yourself in the area in spring time, you’ll be welcomed by lots of flowers as well, giving yet another level of beauty to the hike.

If you are considering this hike or are interested in this region, we’d recommend you to visit the Avelengo, Verano and Merano tourist information website which is part of the region Süd Tyrol.