Summer on the Watles: hiking from the doorstep
At Ferienhotel Kastellatz, your hiking holiday on the Watles starts at the front door. Prämajur lies at 1,740 m, and the trails to the Plantapatsch hut, the Watles summit and the Pfaffen lakes start at the valley station, about 100 m from the house. If you want to go hiking in the Vinschgau, you do not need a car: the Schlinig valley with the Schlinig alp and the Sesvenna hut can also be reached by bus.
All tours on this page are routes we recommend to our guests. Walking times and ascent are guide values and depend on pace and breaks; please check trail conditions and the weather before you set out.
Watles hikes at a glance
Plantapatsch hut
Trail no. 3 from the valley station, 1.5 to 2 hours up and about 400 m of ascent, easy. The hut lies at about 2,150 m.
Watles summit, 2,555 m
From the house 5.9 km and about 828 m of ascent, around 2 hours 48 minutes on trail no. 3. Moderate, no scrambling and no exposed sections.
Pfaffen lakes
Loop from the house on trails 20, 3 and 4A: 10.3 km, about 545 m of ascent, around 3 hours, easy. The two mountain lakes lie at just over 2,220 m.
Plantapatsch hut, Watles summit and Pfaffen lakes
The house walk leads through open larch forest to the Plantapatsch hut, whose terrace looks out as far as the Ortler. Set off after breakfast and you are up for lunch and back in the panorama pool in the afternoon. For the hut's opening hours and refreshments, ask the operator on watles.net.
From the hotel entrance to the summit cross at 2,555 m, without a car: the Watles summit offers a 360° view over the Ortler, Sesvenna, the Engadine and the Ötztal Alps. The cross has stood on the summit since August 1970. The late afternoon is especially atmospheric.
Families with children and grandparents also enjoy the walk to the Pfaffen lakes. The Ortler range is mirrored in the water, and in October the larches turn golden.
Schlinig alp, Sesvenna hut and the Uina gorge
You reach the Schlinig valley from Prämajur by a short drive or by bus. An almost level alpine track, trail no. 1, leads to the Schlinig alp “Alp Planbell”: from Schlinig 5.2 km, about 130 m of ascent, around 2 hours, easy. There are play stations for children on the way and refreshments at the end. The alp is open in the summer season only.
The Sesvenna hut, an Alpine Club hut at 2,256 m, lies at the foot of the Sesvenna group. From Schlinig it is about 5.3 km on trail no. 1, 547 m of ascent and 2 to 2.5 hours. The hut can also be reached by mountain bike. Summit routes lead on from there, for example to the Föllakopf (2,878 m), the easiest of the peaks, up to the Piz Sesvenna (3,204 m). Please agree season and overnight stays directly with the hut.
If you start from the Watles, you can also walk to the hut on the Sesvenna high trail: an almost level balcony path at about 2,300 m, around three hours.
A classic of the region is the route through the Uina gorge into Switzerland: from Schlinig about 19 km to Sur En in the Engadine, 6.5 to 7.5 hours, hard. You need a head for heights; the gallery blasted into the rock is secured with a cable, the tunnels are unlit and a head torch belongs in your rucksack. The gorge is officially closed in winter (roughly end of October to end of April), when the safety installations are dismantled. It is not suitable for dogs on a lead. In summer, guided crossings with return transport are available through the Mals information office.
When which tour is worthwhile
High-level routes and the Uina gorge are best tackled from the end of June to early October. Waalweg paths and cultural destinations suit spring and autumn in particular; the Waalweg paths run level and sunny. For the Pfaffen lakes, October is worth it, when the larches turn golden.
It is best to check weather, trail conditions and hut times the evening before; opening hours of huts and alps are given by their operators.
The Watles in summer
The trails on the Watles are well signposted, suitable for families and offer a wide view over the Upper Vinschgau basin. At the top station at 2,150 m there is a children's playground, the adventure lake and a 3D archery course.
Whether and when the lift runs in summer is up to the operator; current information is on watles.net. The hikes above do not depend on the lift, and the Plantapatsch hut can also be reached on foot.
Cycling, train and day trips in the Vinschgau
The Vinschgau cycle path runs from the Reschen Pass down the whole valley to Meran, mostly downhill. The Vinschgau railway, which carries bikes, takes you back. With the Reschensee Guest Pass, train and bus travel in South Tyrol is included in your stay as a house guest. Mountain bikers find their terrain on the Vinschgauer Sonnenberg.
For rainy days and cultural excursions, Marienberg Abbey, Glurns, Lake Reschen and Müstair are close by. Waalweg paths and Nordic walking start right at the house; you can borrow hiking and Nordic walking poles from us free of charge.
You can reach the Swiss National Park from Mals without a car: PostBus 811 runs hourly over the Ofen Pass to Zernez and stops at the trailheads. Popular is route 17 “Margunet”, 8 km, about 500 m of ascent and roughly 3 hours. Dogs are forbidden in the park.
With a dog, with children, after the tour
Dogs are welcome at the hotel. The Swiss National Park, however, is closed to dogs, even on a lead. The Uina gorge is not suitable for dogs either.
The Schlinig alp with its play stations and the walk to the Pfaffen lakes suit children; you will find more on a family holiday on our children's page. After the tour, the indoor pool, whirlpool and saunas in the wellness area are waiting.
Questions about hiking on the Watles
- Which hikes start right at the hotel?
- From the valley station, about 100 m from the house, trail no. 3 leads to the Plantapatsch hut and on to the Watles summit. The loop to the Pfaffen lakes also starts there.
- How long does the climb to the Plantapatsch hut take?
- On trail no. 3 it is 1.5 to 2 hours and about 400 m of ascent. The trail is easy.
- How do I get to the Watles summit?
- From the house it is 5.9 km and about 828 m of ascent, around 2 hours 48 minutes on trail no. 3. The tour is moderate, with no scrambling.
- How far is it from Schlinig to the Sesvenna hut?
- From Schlinig it is about 5.3 km on trail no. 1, 547 m of ascent and 2 to 2.5 hours. The hut lies at 2,256 m and is an Alpine Club hut.
- Can the Uina gorge be walked in winter?
- No, it is officially closed every winter, roughly from the end of October to the end of April, and the safety installations are dismantled. The summer tour requires a head for heights and a head torch.
- Does the Watles lift run in summer?
- That is up to the operator; current information is on watles.net. The hikes from the hotel do not depend on the lift.
- Can dogs come along on the hikes?
- Dogs are welcome at the hotel; please state it when booking. In the Swiss National Park dogs are forbidden, even on a lead.
- Can I hike in the Vinschgau without a car?
- Yes. The Watles tours start at the house, and with the Reschensee Guest Pass rail and bus travel across South Tyrol is included in the stay for house guests.