San Pancrazio/St. Pankraz– church tower

San Pancrazio/St. Pankraz is the first village as you enter the valley from Val d’Aosta/Etschtal. On an altitude of 736 meters above sea level you will already see slightly different vegetation. Passing through the almost Mediterranean Lana, it takes only a very short while to reach the Alpine wonders of Val d'Ultimo/Ultental, The impressive Gothic church tower looks down triumphantly at the village from a height of 56 meters. Admire the beautifully decorated old clock, statues of the saints on the church gates and the little chapel just next to it.

Imagine waking up, opening the door to the street, and everything is gone: neighbor’s house, rest of the street, all taken away by floods. The only thing left standing is your own house. Unbelievable, for sure, but it happened here in San Pancrazio/St. Pankraz. The legendary "Häuserl am Stein" (house at the rock), miraculously survived the great floods of 1882. The river that was responsible for the disaster, the Valsura/Falschauer, today bears more resemblance to a romantic mountain brook, and it is hard to imagine what a danger it once was to the community.

Just above Pancrazio/St. Pankraz, clearly visible from a distance, you will find Sant’Elena/St. Helena chapel. First mentioned in 1338, the chapel boasts a lovely Baroque altar and an exquisite statue of the Virgin Mary. A relaxing two-hour walk leads up to the chapel past soft, picturesque meadows and forests.