Mals in the Vinschgau: towers, frescoes and the Malser Haide

The village first appears in documents in 1094 as Malles. The name is not securely explained; a derivation from the Franco-Latin word for a place of assembly is possible. The early Germanisation of field names suggests the area was an early centre of Frankish administration in Raetia Curiensis. Since 1928 Burgeis, Laatsch, Matsch, Planeil, Schleis, Schlinig and Tartsch have also belonged to the municipality of Mals, to which the hotel in Prämajur belongs.

In the Middle Ages the bishops of Chur and the lords of Matsch shaped the upper valley. Two witnesses of that time stand in the village itself: the church of St Benedict and the Fröhlichsturm.

The building of St Benedict goes back to the second half of the 8th century. Until the 12th century the church belonged to the Bishop of Chur as a proprietary church; in the 12th century the hall was encased and the Romanesque tower added. Deconsecrated under Joseph II, it served as a storeroom for a long time and became accessible again only in the 20th century, after its art-historical value was discovered.

Famous are the wall paintings made around 800, one of the few surviving examples of Carolingian wall painting. The altar wall carries Christ, Pope Gregory the Great and the martyr Stephen in three niches; above them is a host of twelve angels. Between the niches are two donor portraits: a noble landowner in Frankish dress, according to Wikipedia the only depiction of its kind in Europe, and a cleric holding a model of a church. The Ferienregion Vinschgau names him as the Bishop of Chur. The north wall shows scenes from the life of Gregory and of the apostle Paul.

The church stands at the edge of the village. In season you can visit it on certain days of the week, partly with a guided tour in German or Italian; it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The days change and are available from the Mals information office and the Ferienregion Reschenpass.

The village is known for its towers. Depending on the count there are five to seven: the tower of St Benedict at the edge, the early Romanesque tower of St Martin, the tower of St John, the towers of the parish church and the Fröhlichsturm. Of St John only the tower remains after French troops destroyed the church in 1799; the nave was turned into a dwelling. The parish church of the Assumption was built in 1292 and has mostly Gothic features.

The Fröhlichsturm is 33.5 m high and was once the keep of a castle of which only wall remains survive; at the start of the 14th century the tower was a court seat. A wooden staircase leads to the viewing platform. A walk between the towers is short and fits well between two appointments.

Around Mals lies the Malser Haide, a cultivated landscape unique in the Alps, with meadows and grain fields crossed by irrigation channels, the Waale. Behind it rise the highest mountains of the Eastern Alps. If you would like to walk a stretch, you can experience the Haide on the way from Marienberg Abbey to Mals, a gentle walk along a Waal that we recommend to our guests; the route description is on the walk's page.

The old Palabira pear also grows in the Upper Vinschgau. The Ferienregion Vinschgau names as a tip the Palabira bread from the Schuster bakery in Laatsch near Mals. And in summer there is a weekly market with a farmers' market in Mals.

Mals is an excursion for the whole year. The Haide is particularly pleasant to walk in spring and autumn. St Benedict is also open on individual days in winter; ask before you set off.

In rain there is the SportWell Mals: indoor pool with panoramic windows, outdoor pool with a 50-metre water slide, sauna world, indoor tennis hall, fitness room and bowling lanes. With children it is the easiest choice, because the leisure pool has a whirlpool, a slide and a paddling pool. Opening hours are on the SportWell site.

In the village the short distances between the towers suit a small walk. For St Benedict: check the visiting days beforehand, the church is not always accessible. Please ask the information office whether dogs may go in.

In the centre of Mals you will find inns and cafés; the information office can tell you which are open. The Ferienregion Vinschgau also lists weekly markets and farm shops. For a meal with a directory, Glurns is a good choice, and its businesses are named on our Glurns page.

On the way lies Burgeis with Marienberg Abbey, the highest Benedictine abbey in Europe at 1,340 m, with Romanesque frescoes in the crypt. Glurns is about ten minutes away, Churburg in Schluderns after a short drive. If you like stone, drive on to Laas.

From Prämajur you drive about 15 minutes to Mals. With line 277 to the station you can reach the village without a car; Mals station is also where you change to the Vinschgau railway to Schluderns, Laas and Merano. In the evening you are back for dinner.

By car: From Prämajur drive down to Burgeis, then follow the main road down the valley to Mals; about 9 kilometres. St Benedict at the edge of the village has its own car park, about 100 m from the Schleis junction.

By bus and train: Bus 277 from Prämajur to Mals station. With the Reschensee Guest Pass, train and bus are included in your stay; from the station you reach the village centre on foot.

On foot: On foot from the house, the irrigation-channel path from Marienberg Abbey to Mals is a quiet tip; the walk is linked below.