Glurns

Glurns is in the upper Vinschgau valley of South Tyrol. It is the smallest town in the region with around 900 inhabitants with the overwhelming majority of them being native German speakers.

Understand
Glorenza was incorporated as a city in 1309. It was completely razed to the ground in 1499, after the battle of Calva, during the Swabian war. After the war, the Emperor Maximilian decided to rebuild it and constructed its city walls - which have survived to the present day, and are one of the main items of interest in the city. Later on Glorenza experienced long centuries of prosperity as a mercantile city, thanks to the trade of rock salt which originated from the region.

When the Fascists were in power, writings praising Fascism were carved into the city walls, with the attached signature of Mussolini. These sentences were removed in 1945, but are still partially legible. Since the end of the twentieth century, the place has grown in importance as a tourist attraction

Get in

 * From Bolzano, the state highway 38 (SS38) will take get one into Glurns via road. The SS40 also connects Glurns to other towns in the Vinschgau region.
 * From Bolzano, the state highway 38 (SS38) will take get one into Glurns via road. The SS40 also connects Glurns to other towns in the Vinschgau region.

Get around
The town is small enough to see everything on foot. An unusual aspect of the town is that the parish church is located outside the city walls, but even so, it's quite easy to get to on foot.

Buy
Locally sourced produce includes speck and a bread made from spelt (called calva bread).