"The Apple Walk" in Parcines

Which apple varieties grow in Val Venosta? What ecological measures do apple farmers implement? And how does the story of bees and blossoms go again? The apple educational trail leads through 12 stages in the apple orchards around Parcines. At each station, marked with an apple-shaped insect hotel, visitors learn exciting facts about apple cultivation in Val Venosta and the work of apple farmers. Not just through information boards, but digitally prepared.

At the 12 stations, visitors take their smartphones, scan the QR code, and gain access to explanatory videos, images, and texts. The direct experience in the apple orchards is thus interactively combined with digitally provided knowledge that would otherwise be inaccessible. All in-depth content is available in three languages. At the end, there is a quiz question with four answer options. Those who answer all questions correctly receive an apple insect hotel as a gift at the Parcines tourism office.

"The Apple Walk" is easy to walk, suitable for the whole family, and stroller-friendly. The trail starts in the center of Parcines. From the church square, go left on Sonnenbergweg, through the apple orchards to the suspension bridge, and continue to the Winklerhof inn. From there, the apple educational trail leads left along path No. 1 past the Texelbahn cable car and across Zielstraße. Below the road, continue following path No. 1 to the bridge. Then turn left and follow path No. 7A along the Mühlwaal (irrigation channel) back to Parcines.

The insect hotels at the stations are already a clear statement: sustainability is a priority for the Val Venosta apple farmers. The insect hotels, given as gifts, are made from the wood of decommissioned trail signs that used to mark the Parcines hiking trails. The insect hotels were made in a workshop for people with disabilities in Val Venosta. In the private gardens of visitors, they are now meant to promote biodiversity, just as the Val Venosta farmers do in their apple orchards.

Val Venosta and apples belong together. Those who live in Val Venosta or spend their holidays there should learn about apples and apple cultivation in all its facets. Therefore, the Val Venosta fruit industry, together with local tourism operators and the municipality of Parcines, developed and implemented the interactive concept for the apple educational trail. The walking trail creates further positive touchpoints with apples and makes the regional product come alive where it grows. A value-added experience for both guests and locals.