There are various stations where visitors can learn lots about chestnuts. The Chestnut Experience Trail (Kastanienerlebnisweg) is especially recommended for families and those who like a gentle walk. Along the trail one can learn a lot about the tree's wood, its fruit and the various types of chestnut.
Parking is available next to the church in Foiana/Völlan or at the football ground. Follow the Propst-Wieser-Weg trail. After the sporting grounds a Keschtnigl, a spiky chestnut the size of a person, advertises the Chestnut Experience Trail.
Follow the signs past the Weinreichhof farm to the start of the Chestnut Experience Trail. The trail is designed to be easy and interesting for young and old. Ten stations, some of them interactive, await visitors on a hike through the chestnut trees where it is all about the precious fruit.
Directions
After the sports field a huge "Keschtnigl" (chestnut hedgehog) draws the hiker's attention to the beginning of the path. The individual stations then already indicate the course of the hiking trail.
- The Relatives of the Sweet Chestnut
Discover which trees are related to the sweet chestnut and how to tell them apart.
- The Chestnut as a Superfood
Discover why the chestnut tree was once known as the “bread tree” and what makes chestnuts a valuable food today.
- Growing Conditions
Find out what conditions the sweet chestnut needs to grow well and produce plenty of fruit.
- Sweet Chestnut Wood
Discover the special properties of durable chestnut wood and its many uses.
- Chestnut Groves – A Distinctive Feature of the Landscape
Discover how chestnut groves shape our cultural landscape and why they need regular care.
- Conservation Measures – Grafting
Discover how chestnut trees are cared for, replanted and grafted to preserve valuable varieties and chestnut groves.
- Diseases and Pests
Learn about the main diseases and pests affecting sweet chestnut trees and how the trees can be protected.
- The Origin
Follow the journey of the sweet chestnut from its original homeland to South Tyrol.
- Biodiversity
Discover why chestnut groves provide valuable habitats for numerous animals, plants, fungi and insects.
- Threats from Human Activity
Discover why chestnut groves are increasingly under pressure from forests and intensive agriculture, leaving them with less and less space.