Marlinger Waal, 508 m

The hiker"s favorite Waalweg trailThe name "Marlinger Waal" has become established for the twelve-kilometre Waal from Töll to Lana, even though the last section flows through the municipality of Tscherms and is actually called "Tschermser Waal". This makes the Marlinger Waal the longest irrigation canal in South Tyrol and its accompanying trail one of the most popular hiking trails, as it has a particularly varied route: For long stretches, the trail does not run through cultivated land, but on footbridges along the steep and rocky northern slopes of the Vigiljoch and through beautiful and shady mixed forest. As with the Algunder Waalweg trail opposite, the water of the Adige is collected at the Töll and fed into the Marlinger Waal. However, the Waal initially runs inside the mountain and only after about 600 meters does the water shoot out of the mountain into its channel. The idea to build the irrigation channel came from the monks of the Allerengelberg monastery in Karthaus (Schnalstal Valley), who owned the Gojerhof farm and extensive vineyards in the municipality of Marling. The irrigation system was then built together with the Marlengo farmers, who contributed significantly to the financing of this costly but ultimately very successful project, which is now experiencing a new boom thanks to tourism. At the Forst brewery, we reach the first apple orchards and can warm up in the sun after the coolness of the woods. But the Waal soon runs through the forest again, the orchards to be irrigated are a little lower down. Just before Tscherms, below Lebenberg Castle, vineyards replace the apple trees and our path becomes increasingly clear and therefore sunnier. There are numerous places to stop for refreshments along the Waalweg, from fine restaurants to rustic wine taverns.(Automatically translated by DeepL)