Home > Culture > History and tradition > History of the smuggler's path
History of the smuggler's path
-
Along the smuggler’s path
There are still a lot of paths from the smugglers and the chamois. Some of them have been turned into hiking paths. The position of the Val Passiria meant that there used to be a lot of smuggling going on between Italy and Austria. Goods were usually transported over the border at night, on foot, in all kinds of weather and at all times of the year. Buckwheat, speck (smoked bacon), various furs and many other things were taken from Passeier to neighbouring Austrian valley and they brought back sugar, saccharin, tobacco (mainly pipe tobacco) and lighters.
The main routes went from Plan over the Scheiberkogel and Häuflerkogel and Rotmoosjoch (3200 m) and from Corvara over the Aperejoch, Ferwalljoch and Königsjoch into the ÖtzValley. The bearers had to carry up to 100 kg on their shoulders and usually made the 10 hour journey without having a rest. Today these paths are often used by hunters, but also by mountain guides who take tourists on a journey into the past.
