Mathon is a great base if you want to combine hiking trails with local history: the Mathon circular hiking trail starts at the Church of St. Sebastian, and the trail to Lake Bergli begins there too. There are also historic churches, a museum in the village centre and winter routes. When choosing accommodation, it helps to consider where your activities are located: the Verwall Panorama Tour, for example, starts in Piel, while the Mathon cross-country ski trail connects Mathon with Ischgl.

Local history and crafts

Mathon was first mentioned in a document in 1173. At the time, Ulrich III of Tarasp gave the Mathon Alpine pasture, then called “Alpem Mutanem”, to his family monastery of Marienberg. The churches also tell different chapters of the village’s history: the parish church of St. Sebastian was consecrated on 20 June 1682 in honour of St. Sebastian and St. Roch, who were invoked against the plague. The Chapel of the Three Kings took its present form in 1772; two years later, a nativity altar by Georg Witwer, who came from Imst, was added.

The Paznaun Farmers’ Museum is housed in the Walserstube inn at St. Sebastianweg No. 4 in the village centre, close to the Chapel of St. Sebastian. The weaving room contains an old, handmade loom that was used to make bed linen, rugs and other textiles from sheep’s wool. The Walserstube serves regional cuisine. Another reminder of Mathon’s past is the tunnel, which is about 20 metres long: together with the name “Knappaschrofa”, it recalls a former mining project.

Hiking trails around Mathon

The Mathon circular hiking trail starts at the Church of St. Sebastian. After about 200 metres along the main road towards Ischgl, it reaches the Chapel of the Three Kings. The same church is also the starting point for the trail to Lake Bergli; the route initially follows the main road for around 150 metres towards Galtür. From Mathon, Lake Bergli can be reached on foot or by bicycle via a forest track. A steep footpath leads through forests and alpine meadows to the mountain lake. The return route to Mathon goes via Larein Alpe and Tschaffein. There are seats and a small barbecue area by the lake.

Another tour with specific route details is the Verwall Panorama Tour: it covers 7 kilometres and 500 metres of elevation gain, leading to a viewpoint below the Friedrichshafener Hütte with views of the Silvretta and Samnaun groups. The start and finish are at the Friedrichshafener Hütte car park in Piel, between Ischgl and Galtür. Geographically, this tour is distinct from the trails that start directly in Mathon.

Winter trails and getting around the region

The Ischgl–Mathon winter hiking trail is 5 kilometres long, takes about two hours and is rated easy. On the way to Mathon, it crosses the Valzurbach stream and then continues to the wildlife park. By comparison, the 5.5-kilometre Mathon cross-country ski trail connects Mathon with Ischgl. The Mathon practice lift is 449 metres long, with a vertical drop of 95 metres.

The Silvretta Wildlife Park is right next to the Wildererhütte on the Silvretta High Alpine Road between Ischgl and Mathon. The Wildererhütte can be reached via the Wildpark Silvretta bus stop. To travel through the Paznaun Valley, bus 260 runs every half hour from Landeck-Zams railway station; Mathon West is listed as the stop for the Mathon circular hiking trail. Check the current timetable before setting off.

For the main travel overview: Ischgl.