Goldcoated pills

Date: approx. 1780–1900

Size: 3-4 mm

Material: medicinal compound coated in gold or silver leaf

Werner, you were born in Vals and originally trained as a mechanic in Bolzano/Bozen before returning home to become a cross-country ski instructor and later a downhill ski instructor. How did that come about?

Ever since I completed my military service in Corvara in the early 1970s, I’ve loved working outdoors. The army assigned me and a colleague to the ski rescue service, which gave me the chance to really improve my skiing style. I became a ski instructor after the Jochtal skiing area was expanded in 1975 and there was a growing demand for skiing lessons. Nothing beats working outside in the sun and snow on a day like today. Has the job changed over the decades? Yes, it’s changed quite a bit. Nowadays, children are expected to start skiing when they’re just three years old. Personally, I think that’s a bit too young because they’re still at an age when they can quickly feel overwhelmed. They need lessons that focus on play and having fun, so that’s shaped my teaching style. Skiing lessons for adults are also different these days. When I started out, visitors mainly saw lessons as a chance to have fun together, but today they’re really focused on learning and perfecting their technique.

The Gitschberg Jochtal/Rio Pusteria skiing area is ideal for families. Many locals have fond memories of the Lucklift, or Tasalift as it’s known today. What makes this particular lift so special?

Its location and its history. The Lucklift on the Tasa slope, as we now call it, was our village’s first drag lift. It was built in the mid-1960s by a dedicated team of local innkeepers, guesthouse owners and villagers who worked as ski lift operators in the ski resorts on the Zugspitze or in Gröden/Val Gardena in winter and who thought that Vals could do with its own lift. During the Christmas holidays, the lift was used by guests staying in the local inns and guesthouses. And in the