Ancient town of the Upper Val Pusteria with its Romanesque collegiate church, a gateway to the Tre Cime and the valley cycle path.
A short history
San Candido, Innichen in German, sits at 1,175 metres in the Upper Val Pusteria, close to the Austrian border. It is one of the oldest villages in the Alps. Its story starts in 769, when the Bavarian duke Tassilo III founded a Benedictine monastery here to bring the faith to the people of the valley.
The mark of that history is the collegiate church of Saints Candidus and Corbinian, the most important Romanesque church in South Tyrol. Built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it holds old frescoes and a large wooden crucifix. The old town grew around its apse, with arcaded streets, houses with steep roofs and signs that speak of centuries of trade on the road to Austria.
Today San Candido is a small, tidy, well-kept resort town. The cycle path that runs down along the Drava and the Rienza starts here, and from here you climb toward the Tre Cime and the Val Fiscalina. The town stays tied to its historic identity, between German and Italian, and to the life of the valley.
The collegiate church holds two works of the first rank. The first is the wooden Crucifixion group, carved around the middle of the thirteenth century and counted among the major works of late Romanesque Alpine sculpture. The second is the fresco in the dome, telling the story of the Creation: it is the largest surviving monumental fresco of Romanesque painting. In the crypt, under the crossing, a thirteenth-century wooden sculpture of one of the two patron saints is kept.
The monastery was born when the Bavarian duke Tassilo III granted the abbot Atto a stretch of land to Christianise the Slav people of the valley. It is from here that the village took shape. The collegiate church as we see it today is the result of two rebuildings: the first from 1140, the second from 1240, when the vaults, the transept and the dome over the crossing were built.
How to fit San Candido into a three, five or seven day trip: The Dolomites in 3, 5 or 7 Days: How to Plan Your Trip.
What to see
- The collegiate church of Saints Candidus and Corbinian, the greatest Romanesque church in South Tyrol, at the heart of the old town.
- The Val Pusteria cycle path, which from San Candido runs down toward Brunico and up toward Lienz, in Austria.
- The old town with its arcaded streets, an excellent base for climbing toward the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the Val Fiscalina.
How to get to San Candido
By car you leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Bressanone and continue along the Val Pusteria main road eastward, past Brunico and Dobbiaco. San Candido has its own station on the Val Pusteria railway line, with trains from Fortezza and connections toward Lienz, in Austria. From the station the valley buses climb toward the Val Fiscalina and the Tre Cime.
When to go
In summer San Candido is the base for hikes toward the Tre Cime and the Val Fiscalina, with long days and dry trails. In winter it becomes a town of downhill and cross-country skiing, with snow covering the Upper Val Pusteria basin. Spring and autumn are quieter, good for the cycle path and walks in the old town.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in San Candido?
The symbol is the collegiate church of Saints Candidus and Corbinian, the most important Romanesque church in South Tyrol. A walk through the arcaded old town is also worth it. From here the Val Pusteria cycle path and the roads toward the Tre Cime and the Val Fiscalina set off.
How do you get to San Candido?
By car you follow the Val Pusteria main road from Brunico eastward. By train there is the station of San Candido on the Val Pusteria line, with direct connections from Fortezza and toward Lienz, in Austria.
How old is San Candido?
Very old. The town was born in 769 around a Benedictine monastery founded by the Bavarian duke Tassilo III. It is one of the oldest villages in the Alps, and the Romanesque collegiate church still keeps its mark.
When should you visit San Candido?
In summer for hikes toward the Tre Cime and the Val Fiscalina. In winter for downhill and cross-country skiing in the Upper Val Pusteria basin. Spring and autumn stay quiet, good for the cycle path and the old town.
What does the collegiate church of San Candido hold?
Two notable works. The wooden Crucifixion group, carved around the middle of the thirteenth century, among the major works of Alpine Romanesque sculpture. And the dome fresco of the Creation, the largest surviving monumental fresco of Romanesque painting. In the crypt there is also a thirteenth-century wooden sculpture of one of the patron saints.
Is San Candido good for families with children?
Yes. The old town is pedestrian and compact, the Val Pusteria cycle path is flat and suitable for young children, and in season the valley buses reach the Val Fiscalina without the need for a car.