Day 6 – A Visit To The Neustift Monastery

Oct 13, 2022

Today’s Adventure

Today was a light day for Cindy and I so that we could recharge in preparation for a couple of long days coming up on our calendar. With this in mind we had a relaxed start (slept in, sort of, with no alarm!!!) before wandering into the Old Town to look at the historic frescoes in the cloisters adjoining the Cathedral of Brixen.

After our stroll throught the Old Town we picked up a walking and biking trail running along the Eisack River. We walked north to the small town of Novacella to visit the Augustinian Neustift Abbey. This monastery, with sections dating as far back as 1142, includes a museum, winery, and a charming outdoor cafe. The area around the monastery is part of the northernmost wine-growing region of Italy. Some interesting varietal wines specific to Südtirol such as Schiava, Lagrein, Santa Maddalena, Sylvaner, and Kerner are produced here.

After getting our cultural fix for the day we hiked across the valley floor and up the western side to the small town of Varna. Varna is home to the Hubenbauer (https://www.hubenbauer.com/), a highly-rated and family-run craft brewery, gasthof, and gelateria. How can you go wrong with fresh Tyrolean fare made from farm grown products paired with fresh-brewed beer and homemade gelato???

The sun was shining and there was a light breeze with temps in the low 60s so the courtyard at the Hubenbauer was a most pleasant place to sit back and relax, especially when their handsome black-and-white greeter cat paid us a visit. It was also a good place for our traditional ‘Two Beers With A View’ photo, in this case featuring beer varieties that were made on site.

For lunch Cindy ordered a trio of Tyrolean dumplings – spinach, mushroom, and cheese – with white cabbage slaw. Stuart ordered their house-made sausages with Röstkartoffeln. Cindy’s dessert choice was a custom trio of fig, walnut, and apple gelato while Stuart enjoyed a sampler of jam-filled turnovers and doughnuts. We each finished off our meals with a cappuccino and a taste of the Hubenbauer’s fascinating beer schapps. The schnapps was proudly aged on site for over six years in their casks and packed quite a punch!

The Hubenbauer participates in Südtirol’s ‘Red Rooster’ program, which provides visitors with a benchmark for restaurant and lodging quality at the many country inns throughout the region. They certainly lived up to their commitment during our visit.

After spending a delightful couple of hours under the trees in the courtyard at the Hubenbauer we headed back to Brixen. We only clocked about five miles walking for the day but we certainly didn’t feel too guilty about that.

To return to the main page for Brixen click here.

To return to the main page for the entire trip click here.