Villabassa

Villabassa (German: Niederdorf) is located at 1154 meters of altitude; it enjoys many sunny days and of a very mild climate. This is the reason why is Villabassa an ideal mountain resort, one of the oldest and most famous in Val Pusteria; Villabassa is also a thermal resort. In 1871 already Villabassa was comfortably linked up by train with Vienna and Munich. The health tradition of this ski resort in Italy is still alive; an example is the “Kurpark”, which is 5 hectars big and it’s dedicated to wellness. It offers body and face treatments like: facial baths to stimulate blood circulation in your face or the hay bath, particularly suitable for joint disorders. Another “classic” of Alpine wellness present here is the famous Kneipp bath.

Curiosities

Villabassa still conserves many traditional farms and it’s still possible to get acquainted with old South Tyroleans customs and traditions over there. The „Kirchtagmichl“ feast is still very famous and it takes place in autumn. Michl is a straw puppet dressed in a white shirt, leather trousers, a jacket and a hat. He has a bottle of wine in his hand. On Saturday the puppet is tied to a soaped pole and the pole is erected while the „Pöllern“ are exploding. The puppet is overseen during the night, to avoid to be stolen from the other young people village…it will be a dishonor if it happens! During the feast you can taste: sausages soup, typical bread balls,  South Tyrol roasted meat and the famous “Niggilan” dessert or krapfen, with anise biscuits, to be eaten with coffee. The following day at dusk Michl is back on the ground while the pole is on sale by auction. The money raised will be given to charities.

Another very important event takes place in Villabassa at the beginning of summer; it’s the Alta Pusteria International Choir Festival”. At the end of summer, the art event of „Kulturzeichen“ takes place, during which you can admire many artists’ works. Villabassa offers to the architecture fans: the Wassermann Palace and many churches. The most important ones are: the Saint Anna chapel, the St. Stephen parish church, the Holy Trinity Hospital chapel.