Farm Holidays in Hafling - holiday flats and rooms in South Tyrol

to the farms ▼A Farm Holiday in Hafling, the home of the gentle Haflinger pony, means getting involved in daily life on the farm and hiking amidst untamed nature.

Hafling is a sunny spot surrounded by meadows and conifer forest. It lies on the Tschögglberg high plateau, high above the Meran valley basin. As well as the central mountain village of Hafling, the municipality comprises St. Kathrein, a little village with a population of 50, Hafling Oberdorf with its scattered farms amidst quiet landscape and Falzeben with its skiing and hiking options at Meran 2000. The mountain community can count around 700 inhabitants, ten kilometres away from the spa town of Meran. Anyone taking a Farm Holiday in Hafling will not just witness rural culture, but enjoy views stretching as far as the peaks of the Texelgruppe mountains.

Farm Holidays in Hafling: on the back of a pony
Just like in Vöran, there are some farmhouses in Hafling with roofs thatched with straw. But the place is not famous just for that – it is famous for the blonde, good-natured Haflinger ponies that carry its name far and wide. One of these ponies adorns the municipality crest still today - along with a fir tree standing for Hafling's altitude of between 1,200 and 2,500 metres above sea level. Haflinger ponies have influenced life on the Tschögglberg for centuries. Over the course of time they have adapted to their environment, making them particularly robust and popular workhorses in agriculture. They used to be employed in ploughing fields and as beasts of burden. That's why this horse breed is closely tied up with the culture and customs of the local people even today. As they are so placid they are now mainly ridden by families and amateur riders, which why horse lovers will really appreciate a Farm Holiday in Hafling. Children can get to know daily life on a farm in Hafling and go on pony rides or have lessons in the riding stables. Horse-drawn carriage rides are a great experience and 'Skijöring', a sport from Norway that involves people being drawn by a horse on skis, is an increasingly popular winter activity. The first Haflinger pony, however, was not reared here, but in Schluderns in Obervinschgau.

Hiking and skiing in Hafling and Meran 2000
There is a wide range of hiking destinations to choose from in Hafling, such as the Sulfner Weiher lake with its white water lilies or the Salten on the Tschögglberg plateau. There is great hiking to be had in nearby Meran 2000, where Haflinger ponies may be seen grazing in summer. There are easy stretches that may be done even with a pushchair, as well as routes for keen mountain hikers, of course, who would like to feel challenged. Families with children can expect to find an interesting children's programme in Meran 2000 with an Alpin Bob toboggan run open all year round and Haflinger ponies are suitable for rides out and tours. Meran 2000 is also popular in winter, when the ski resort features pistes of easy to medium difficulty for families and a snowpark for snowboarders and freestylers.

A brush with culture – St. Kathrein's church
A circular walk with lots of oases of tranquility leads from the village centre to St. Kathrein's church perched on a hill visible for miles around. A stay in a holiday flat in Hafling has to include a trip to this attraction. The 14th-century chapel has a late-Gothic winged altar and well-preserved frescoes. It was built on an originally pagan site and is now a little symbol of Hafling. Views from the hill stretch from near to faraway mountains, which is why the place has also been described as heavenly. The 13th-century parish church of St. John with its large 17th-century fresco depicting St. John, and Gfrarhof farmstead, one of the oldest farmhouses in Hafling, are worth a visit, too.

Why take a holiday in Hafling?

• Home to the famous Haflinger ponies
• Near the ski slopes of Meran 2000
• Pleasant hikes and attractions