«Lavin, Guarda & Ardez»
Mountaineering village

History of the Bergsteigerdörfer
The initiative was launched in 2008 by the Austrian Alpine Club. In recent years, it has been successfully extended by the respective Alpine clubs to Germany, Italy and Slovenia. In 2021, Lavin, Guarda & Ardez as well as St. Antönien become the first mountaineering villages in Switzerland.
Aim of the Bergsteigerdörfer
The careful treatment of the mountain environment, but also the strengthening of regional value creation is one of the most important goals of the initiative.

Book now.
Long-distance hike from Lavin, Guarda & Ardez to Matsch
This summer there is the first cross-border package holiday between two mountaineering villages.
- 6 stages with overnight stays in Alpine Club huts
- From Guarda to Matsch in South Tyrol
- Price: from CHF 975
Please note: In 2025, the hike was adapted due to the closure of the Sesvenna hut and can be booked in 5 stages (the stage from Schlinig to Mals is covered by public bus and the overnight stay is in Mals).

Listen in.
Podcast Bergsteigerdörfer
Listen and learn more about the Mountaineering Villages Initiative.
News from the project / What are the next steps?
- As a first step, a brochure on the mountaineering village of «Lavin, Guarda & Ardez» has been produced. You can find more information about the brochure here.
- From summer 2024, the long-distance hike from Guarda to Matsch can be booked with Eurotrek, luggage transport included. You can find the route here.
- The alpine history of the village was compiled and written down in 2024. The newly printed booklet is available at the guest information centre for CHF 5 (can also be sent by post).
- The Swiss Mountaineering Villages are growing! In 2025, two more villages in Ticino and the Bernese Oberland will join the initiative. You can find more information about the Mountaineering Villages project here.

Sustainable because...
...the mountaineering villages are committed to preserving tradition and thus offer high-quality natural tourism. The focus of the initiative is on mountain sports and tourism with your own muscle power.