Travel guide: tips for your holiday in St. Lorenzen and the Puster Valley

In winter the ski season at Kronplatz runs from late November to mid-April. January and March are quieter than the Christmas holidays and February, when many families travel. For skiing at Kronplatz and cross-country skiing in the Puster Valley, the farm is a peaceful base.

June to October is hiking season, and the huts in the Dolomites usually open from mid-June. September, with clear views and fewer people, is one of the most beautiful months. On a summer holiday at Kronplatz you hike and bike straight from the farm.

You will find groceries, a bakery and a pharmacy in the centre of St. Lorenzen, and larger supermarkets and shops in Bruneck. For a meal out, the Saalerwirt inn is right next to the Maria Saalen pilgrimage church.

Be sure to try South Tyrolean speck, Schlutzkrapfen, dumplings and Kaiserschmarrn, and chestnuts in autumn. For a special evening, book a table at Atelier Moessmer in Bruneck, awarded three Michelin stars.

A tourist tax applies to holidays in St. Lorenzen: €2.50 per night for each guest aged 14 and over, paid on top of the rent. Children under 14 are exempt.

Included in the price of your holiday apartment is the South Tyrol Guestpass. During your stay it lets you use buses and regional trains throughout South Tyrol at no extra cost, for example the Puster Valley railway to Bruneck or the ski bus to the Kronplatz lifts. To find out how to reach us by train and bus, see Getting here.

In an emergency in South Tyrol, dial 112, the single European emergency number. It puts you through to the ambulance service, fire brigade, police and mountain rescue, including after an accident while hiking or on the slopes.

For medicines, sun cream or plasters for minor scrapes, your local pharmacy in St. Lorenzen is the Sebatum pharmacy (opens in a new tab) at Josef-Renzler-Straße 46. You’ll find more pharmacies in nearby Bruneck.

Most people in the Puster Valley speak German and Italian, and in nearby Val Badia and St. Vigil also Ladin, one of the oldest languages in the Alps. That is why many place-name signs are bilingual or trilingual.

In summer, the farmers’ and crafts market and the Puster Valley summer evenings bring life to the centre of St. Lorenzen, and around St. Lawrence’s Day in August the village celebrates its patron saint. The St. Lorenzen tourist office has the latest dates.

The St. Lorenzen tourist office (opens in a new tab) is in the village centre at Josef-Renzler-Straße 9, in the same building as the Mansio Sebatum museum. Here you’ll get up-to-date dates for festivals and events in the Puster Valley and tips for day trips around St. Lorenzen.

You can reach the tourist office on +39 0474 538196 or by email at info@st-lorenzen.com. Opening hours vary with the season; you’ll find the current times on the tourist office website.