Jižní Tyrolsko stojí za vidění

The Nature Park Visitor Center of Villnöss brings visitors closer to nature and is the perfect place to dwell on. A walkable aerial photo gives visitors a bird‘s eye perspective of the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. The exhibition area “Touch the mountains” focuses on the key topic - the geology of the Dolomites. The Puez-Geisler Nature Park has been designated the “Dolomites site office” because it is home to all of the rock types, deposits and weathering that are typically found in the Dolomites. The Puez-Geisler Nature Park in the Dolomites is estendet on a area of the 3 valleys: Gadertal valley, Gröden valley and Villnöss valley.  The “Nature’s treasure trove” on the second floor contains plenty to discover: animal fur, bird’s eggs, feathers, footprints, droppings, teeth, antlers, medicinal herbs … all of which - and much more - is on display and can be touched! The “Conquering Mountains” room is primarily dedicated to alpinism. The world’s probably most famous alpinist, Reinhold Messner, comes from Villnöss. He talks about his experiences in the mountains in a short film. The “Puez-Geisler Nature Park film” is also shown daily in the mountain cinema. Leave your stress at home, discover the world of the mountains, and feel like a hunter in the woods.

Witches'spring: adventure path with the witch Curadina to the sulfur springs

First documented in 1180, from year 1600 it has been used as a holiday station by the Agostinian monks from the convent of Muri Gries. All around the little church of S. Magdalene you can find the old master's house, the prelate's house, the 'Stegerhof' with its rural buildings that is nowadays' summer residence of the Benedictine monk of Muri Gries.

Emma Hellensteiner (23 April 1818 - 9 March 1904)

Emma Hellenstainer was a charismatic host, an excellent cook and a pioneer for tourism in the Alpine region. The “Schwarzer Adler” (Black Eagle), as the Hotel Emma was known then, became known far beyond the country’s borders. Her charm captivated guests from all over the world. Visitors from Germany, Great Britain, Italy - they all came to Villabassa because of the beautiful local landscape, but mainly because of Emma and her engaging personality.

About an hour from Seis am Schlern you will find the ruins of Hauenstein on an enormous mountain slope. These ruins were once home to poet and singer Oswald von Wolkenstein, and every so often in the quiet of the night, one can hear the sounds of violins and the mournful song of a maiden who is said to have been bewitched there. Late one evening, shepherds were guarding their flocks around the castle. They sat to rest at the entrance to the castle and recounted one tale after another. All of a sudden, they sensed that somebody in the castle had opened a window. They looked up and saw, through the shimmering light of the open window, a woman combing her long hair. Her head, however, was but a skull, and the shepherds blood curdled at the sight of such beautiful hair growing from a head so fearsome. The woman threw stones and sand at the flock of sheep, who ran in terror. It's believed that the skeleton is the wife of a banished knight, destined to roam the castle until the return of her lost spouse.

"BZ '18–'45: one monument, one city, two dictatorships", is an exhibition opened to the public in July 2014. It illustrates the history of the Monument to Victory, designed by Marcello Piacentini and erected by the Fascist regime between 1926 and 1928. The monument reflects and provides a link to local historical events during the twenty years of Fascism and the Nazi occupation, within the context of national and international events in the years between the two World Wars (1918–1945). The exhibition also covers the radical urban transformations for the construction of a new “Italian” city of Bolzano, from the end of the 1920s. Finally, the exhibition confronts the difficult relationship between the different language groups, caused by the overbearing legacy of Fascism, within the evolving social and political framework of the second half of the twentieth century to the present day.

The castle chapel of Hocheppan with its roman frescos is one of the most important roman art monuments in South Tyrol. The centuries old frescos had been painted over and were only entirely laid open in 1926. Besides religious themes, the hunting scene on the exterior wall can be seen as one of the rarest profane depictions in Tyrol dating from this time period. The wall paintings originate from the first decade of the 13th century and show famous illustrations like the foolish virgins, the dumpling eater - the first proof for Tyrolean dumplings - and the picture of 'Maria Heimsuchung' which is well known far beyond the border of South Tyrol.

Around 1200 the ruins of Rasen ( Neurasen und Altrasen ) were habitation and court of the sires of Rasen. 
The Rasun Nuova Castle in Oberrasen is privately owned and belongs to the Burgfrieder farm.

The Resciesa Alp is part of the Dolomites - UNESCO World Heritage and a popular excursion destination for everyone. Hikers, families, hobby photographers, bikers and connoisseurs are taking advantage of this unique space in the middle of Nature park Puez - Odle. The natural park with an area of ​​over 10,000 ha is bordered in the north by Passo delle Erbe and in the south by Passo Gardena; in the east the area reaches Val Badia, in the west into Val di Funes up to  Val Gardena. The northern part of the area is dominated by the Aferer and the Funes Odle and the Sas de Pütia, the southern the plateau of Gherdenacia, Sassongher, Puez with Vallunga and the Cir Group.

 

You will soon find more information about the Perlmühle mill here. 

Venezian saw has been built in the  year 1847 and restored to 2003

The Ursuline Gate is located near the Ursuline Church at the western entrance of the "Stadtgasse". It was enlarged in 1758 to allow a large fountain to be transported into the town. The fresco was designed by Johannes of Bruneck in about 1420.

At Kaserbach, where hydroelectric power was once used, lies the former artisan zone that characterized village life back then. Our path leads past the smithy, the knitter mill and the old sawmill. At that time, the grain of the Lüsner farmers was ground in the mill. The "Stricker mill", whose historical roots reach back to the year 1645, has remained true to its original function until today.

“DOLOMITES WITHOUT BORDERS” is a unique mountain trail with demanding via ferrata sections that runs, in nine stages covering a total of 108 kilometres, through two countries, along 12 via ferrata and past 17 mountain refuges. It is deeply symbolic, not just from a mountaineering but also from a historical point of view. The route runs partly along old military trails by trenches and galleries from the war, and passes through the areas of Cadore and the Sesto Dolomites in the region of the Three Peaks (Tre Cime di Lavaredo) and as far as the Gail Valley in the Austrian Tyrol. There are also several places where the trail can be accessed: in East Tyrol from the mountaineering villages of Kartitsch and Obertilliach, in Sesto from the Passo Monte Croce Pass, the Prati di Croda Rossa or the Fondovalle Refuge Hut, and in Belluno from the Auronzo Hut, Misurina or the Valgrande near Padola. An adventure for present-day summiteers

castel builded on 1580 - today it is a hotel - special is the "stube" - livingroom with the fenomenal wood wall

First documented in 1159, the ruins were destroyed many times due to fires and battles, and have always been rebuilt. The castle ruin today bears the name “Sauschloss”, which literally translated means “pork/pig castle”, as according to a legend a pork was thrown out of the castle.

The ruins are only 15 minutes walk from the restaurant Noafer in Cologna/San Genesio.

The Witches’ Benches The resting place of the Sciliar/Schlern witches on the Bullaccia/Puflatsch mountain is a truly mythical location. Starting point: Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm

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Stadtgasse, the main shopping street in Bruneck, is fringed on both sides by picturesque houses, some of which still display ancient frescoes; the various gable structures are noteworthy. Stadtgasse Bruneck The buildings in Stadtgasse are exclusively residential houses, in which shops and inns are accommodated in some stories and on the ground floor.

The information center for hikers who wish to begin from the start of the Riesenferner Ahrn Natural Park, is situated at the point where the road ends in the Ahrn Valley. The glass rear wall allows hikers to decide their goal from this point, as though on a huge T.V. screen. The ground floor, flat roofed building is built entirely of plain wood: vertical wooden slats cover the exterior and on the inside well placed windows and doors as well as a wooden counter dominate the room, which then leads down three steps to the panoramic window, flanked by floor to ceiling photographs of the glacial area. The lower floor is a light exposed concrete room in which black display cases contain information about the history of building in the mountains in the Ahrn Valley. A pleasant, simple building.

Around the village of Teis, from the bottom of the Villnöss valley to the Haube mountain at 1260 m above sea level, you can find a line of partly uncovered and partly hidden trenches, shelters and caverns. These are the remains of the extensive fortifications built as part of the “Barricade of Klausen/Chiusa” at the beginning of the First World War. Over the course of the last century, the trenches have been partly destroyed by human activities and partly reclaimed by nature. A group of locals has taken on the task of investigating the history of these fortifications more closely, preserving them and making them accessible to the public.

Montan/Montagna is located at the border of the Trudner Horn/Monte Corno Nature Park and surrounded by vineyards and orchards. Paved alleys and colorful buildings characterize the historic center of Montan. The parish church was built in the 12th century and is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. The Schloss Enn/Castel d'Enna is located high above the village and was built in 1172 by the Lords of Enn. The small hamlets of Pinzon/Pinzano, Gschnon/Casignano, Kaltenbrunn/Fontanefredde, Glen/Gleno, and Kalditsch/Doladizza also belong to Montan. The plateau is characterized by the typical vineyards, where the best Pinot Noir wines of South Tyrol thrive. Montan is a popular starting point for numerous hikes and mountain bike tours.

 

The Hill of the Holy Sepulchre is the most beautiful viewpoint of Tiso. The Holy Grave Chapel was built as a baroque building at the end of the 17th century. In it, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ was worshiped. After the entry of Italy into the First World War in May 1915, fortifications were built here on the order of the Austrian Empire army. They should serve as a defense against a possible invasion of Italian troops in the Isarco Valley, if the Dolomite front should fall. The trenches and a bunker were built by Russian prisoners. However, the defenses were not used during the First World War. However, during the final months of World War II, the bunker was used by the village population as protection against air raids and bombing.

The famous landmark of Sterzing, the city tower, is widely known as “Zwölferturm”. Its name is attributed to the fact that its bell rings the citizens for lunchbreak. Consisting of gray granite blocks from the area, it was erected over the city gate from 1468 to 1472 according to the design of Hans Feur. Two marble tablets above the archway remind us of the laying of the foundation stone by the Duke Sigismund of Austria back in 1469. It became a symbol of the economic and cultural boom in the city in the north of South Tyrol and has established itself to this day as the symbol for the city of Sterzing. 

At certain events, the tower can also be visited also from the inside, e.g. during the Cristmas Market, in summer during the lantern parties or at the famous dumpling festival ("Knödelfest"). 

The scheme to promote mountaineering villages in the Alpine regions supports environmentally-friendly, natural tourism. The network unites villages with a thriving natural and cultural landscape, which have been spared major technical innovations and where mountains and mountaineering are an integral part of the identity.
From leisurely “Waalweg” irrigation-channel trails through to the three-thousand metre climbs – enjoy all the authenticity of the Matsch Valley. The living traditions and customs offer you an insight into the active village community, and a stop-off to wander round the castle ruins at the entrance to the village brings the dreaded Matsch robber-barons back to fearsome life.

The historic bridge of stone in the center of Prissiano (called "Stuanbogen") was first mentioned in 1308. By 1591 at the latest, the bridge was provided with a roof and was used to store the fire ladder.

Further information on the Old Stone Bridge in Prissian will be published here shortly.

The Weiberbödele is a site dating back to the Bronze Age (approx. 2000-1800 a. C) where votive pyres were consumed. Nearby, numerous metal slags and a bronze axe were found, which suggests the existence of a forge. The mineral should not have made a defect if you think that Stelvio - which is accessed after 15 minutes of ascent respecting the marker 9 (h. 1302 )- was built and inhabited by miners working in the mines of the area.

Once known as "Lucke" (or hole), the gate carries a painting by the South Tyrolean painter Rudolf Stolz (1874-1960) which shows Saint Florian, the Bruneck coat of arms and the town's founding bishop, Bruno. In Florianigasse, St. Florian, a work by the Bruneck artist Josef Bachlechner (1871-1923) can be seen.

A paradise for excursions - do not miss walking on the Salto/Salten with its calming larch trees and the panoramic view on the Dolomites! 

Walking through the Gate Raintor you will reach the Oberstadt district where there is located also the Parish Church. Many years ago this gate did not have much importance for the traffic, indeed it was used only to connect the town center with the main cemetery.