Enzbirch viewpoint

Starting from the Steinerhöfe farms, trail no. 10 towards Enzbirch initially follows a short stretch of the high altitude trail of Laives/Leifers. After passing the Hochegg Winery, it turns left and reaches a forest road. The route follows this road for about 500 metres, before a narrow path branches off to the right into the forest.

From here, the path climbs steeply in sections. During the final ascent, it crosses the municipal boundary between Laives and Deutschnofen/Nova Ponente. Once the trail reaches another forest road, turn right and continue to a bench – the perfect spot for a well-earned rest after just under two hours of walking.

Shortly afterwards, the Enzbirch trail leaves the forest road, descends briefly across a saddle, and then climbs to the ruins of the Enzbirg hillfort. Behind the remains of the structure, a breathtaking panoramic view opens over Laives and the surrounding valley.

The return to the Steinerhöfe farms follows the same route and takes about one hour. Alternatively, from Enzbirch it is possible to continue in around two hours to the mountain village of Deutschnofen, from where a bus connection to Laives is available.

The archaeological site of Enzbirg

The Enzbirg site (from which the dialect form “Enzbirch” and the more recent variant “Trensbirg” are derived) lies at 1,273 m a.s.l. – over 1,000 metres above the valley floor.

It is characterised by large piles of stones that once formed two concentric ramparts. Finds suggest that between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age, Enzbirg served as a defensive structure to control ancient transhumance routes, along which livestock was driven at the change of season. However, its original function has not yet been determined with certainty.