Všechny pevnosti a hrady

Located at the southern-western outskirts of Bolzano/Bozen, this castle is considered one of the emblems of South Tyrol. The original name "Formigar" stems from the Latin word "formicaria". From the 10th century a.d. the castle belonged to the Prince-Bishop of Trento, while during the second half of the 15th century Duke Sigismond , Count of Tirol, bought it and transformed it into the biggest and most prestigious of his castles naming it Sigmundskron (Sigismonds' crown). At the present date it has become the Mountain Museum of Reinhold Messner MMM Firmian.

Welfenstein is a castle in South Tyrol between Trens and Mauls in the municipality of Freienfeld near Sterzing. It is located in the Wipptal on the orographic left side of the Eisack river.

The castle can be visited only from outside.

An unique group of holy buildings is standing on Mount Calvary, also called Kofel/Colle at Kastelruth/Castelrotto. From the village a path leads among porphyry rocks and beautiful nature. Several chapels line the pilgrimage, which ends at the Roman tower. The seven chapels show pictures of Jesus and his mother, the Mount of Olives, the scourging, crowning with thorns and the handwashing and the Entombment. (Nice walk - 20 minutes)

The cave dwelling "Mortner Gufl" is located on the old Steinegger carriage road, which at that time connected Steinegg|Collepietra with Kardaun|Cardano and Bozen|Bolzano.  About 500 m from the farm Mortner in the direction of Kardaun, there is an extensive, flat square with a thick stone slab hanging over it, as if it wanted to provide a protective roof for the little place. It is said that a hermit, the Mortner Hias, lived here during the First World War. He even set up a farm oven in this natural dwelling and walled the place up. The hermit wove baskets here. During the Second World War, this place was used as an air-raid shelter for the inhabitants of the nearby farm Mortner. Some remains of the wall can still be discovered and admired today.
In 1951, there is also said to have been an apparition of the Virgin Mary at this special place.
A descriptive board on site tells of these extraordinary occurrences at the "Mortner Gufl".
Route description:
Starting point is the Steinegg village square. From the car park at the Cafè Christl, walk past the Lex Market grocery shop along hiking trail [2] / Rittersteig. Continue along the Rittersteig past the Ebenhof farm until you reach the turnoff to the Mortner farm. Here you walk a short distance in the direction of Mortner farm and then immediately turn left to the "Mortner Gufl".
The way back is via the same path.
Length of the route from the Steinegg village square to the "Mortner Gufl": 3km (approx. 50 minutes walking time)

The anticque Ansitz Lusenegg was built in the 13th century. The noble family, who lived there, was well-to-do. Impressionable are the stone curtain wall, the crenellated gable wall and the wood-paneled room.

Above the village is the Malerhaus. Besides the three fresco paintings that adorn the main facade of the building, nothing reminds us that more than 100 years (1719-1845) have passed since a painting school was located here.

Tip: still-existing works can be found in the Pfarkirche St. Martin parish church and the Turmhaus building in the village square.

The "Jaufenburg" above St. Leonhard was built in the 13th and 14th Century by the men of the Passeiertal Valley and was once a magnificent castle. As well as many picture presentation boards about the history of the castle, you can also visit the court house, shield farms, wall frescoes from 1538, listen to an audio recording of legends and enjoy the unique view.

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

In 1940-41 by the fascist regime was built this bunker for reasons of defence. It is an impressive underground structure made on several storeys with a tight net of tunnels, that joins shooting ranges and inner rooms. In the front area there is an exhibition of photographs (Gampen Gallery), whereas the central part hosts an exclusive collection of minerals. 

The castle was built between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg. It is located between Selva and S.Cristina and was used as a summer and hunting lodge. In 1863, Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg granted the castle to S.Cristina municipality to transform it into a almshouse. The castle has been owned by the Franchetti Barons since 1926, and it is currently closed to the public.

With its 65,000 square metres of space, Franzensfeste is the largest historical complex in South Tyrol. Begun in 1833 under Emperor Franz Josef, this masterpiece of Austrian fortress architecture was opened by Emperor Ferdinand in 1838 after a construction period of only five years. By this time, however, it had already lost its strategic importance and justification. The enormous effort and the horrendous costs - for nothing. From then on, the huge fortress was only of use as a depot and was frozen in the Sleeping Beauty sleep of a strictly guarded military installation for over a century and a half. Since the military left the fortress in 2003, Franzensfeste has been open to the public and was extensively renovated in the course of two major exhibitions in 2008 and 2009. As a South Tyrolean Provincial Museum, Franzensfeste Fortress is now a magnet for tourists and locals alike and a popular venue for a wide variety of exhibitions and events.

January and february: winter break

This magnificent castle, built by Hugo von Montalban in the year 1278, has been the summer residence of well-known mountaineer Reinhold Messner since 1983 and is one of Messner's five Mountain Museums. The castle houses Messner's extensive collection of fascinating items from Tibet and numerous masks from all over the world as well as interesting paintings of mountain scenes.

This year the museum can be experienced without guidedtours. Instead, visitors can download the trilingual“Locandy-App”, on which Reinhold Messner will guide you through the museum and tell you about it (works like an audioguide on your mobilephone).

Nestled in the pristine nature of Bad Bergfall, just a few kilometers from the village center, lies one of the region’s most fascinating natural wonders – the sulfur spring. Known for its healing properties, the spring has been valued since the 16th century. The mineral-rich water that bubbles from the spring contains a high sulfur content, traditionally used for treating skin conditions and promoting overall health.

Tyrol Castle is the most historically significant castle in South Tyrol. Its origins stretch back into the late 11th century.

Since 2003 Tyrol Castle has housed the South Tyrolean Museum of History. Its main focus is the history of the province from its beginnings to modern times.

The oldest structural elements can be found in church excavations in the outer bailey (three building phases, three-apse chamber from the 9th century). The south palace contains the two Romanesque portals. The two-storey castle chapel is dedicated to St. Pancras and is famous for its gothic frescoes. What is believed to be the wedding chamber of Countess Margarethe of Tyrol, known as Maultasch (literally “bag mouth”), is situated in the Mushaus. The keep, which was only completed after 1902, now houses an exhibition of the history of the 20th century depicted over twenty separate levels. The historic estate buildings house special exhibitions.

Ladin Museum - Tor Castle In the very heart of the Dolomites live more than 30,000 Dolomite Ladins whose identity is characterised mainly by two important features: the uniqueness of their language, which derives from popular Latin, and the extraordinary mountain landscape at the heart of the southern Alps. It is only thanks to the physical characteristics of this landscape that the Ladin language has survived today. It is the eldest of all languages spoken in this region and is restricted by the Italian and the German cultural and linguistic areas that surround it. The way through the museum focuses on some significant aspects of the present and past lives of the Dolomite Ladins, highlighting the important influences of cross-regional events on the lives of the population and pinpointing the existing interrelations between landscape forms and lifestyles. The museum is housed in the Ciastel de Tor, a castle dating back to 1230, created as a fiefdom of the Bishops of Brixen.

The castle is available as a wedding venue for couples interested in crowning an unforgettable day and experiencing a fairytale moment in a medieval castle.

The Zeilheim raised hide was built in the 17th century. Since 1977 the town hall is located in this historic building. Since 1977 the town hall of the municipality of Taufers has been located in there. The public library of Taufers “J. A. Jungmann” and the nature park house Rieserferner Ahrn are located in the modern building, built in 2001. The Zeilheim cannot be visited. 

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

In the tower next to the Steifler court were payed the taxes in form of natural materials. During the 17th century some of these taxes was changed in money. Today it's possible to visit this old tower from the outside. 

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.

The majestic Castle of Karneid is located high above the valley basin of Bozen at the entrance to the Eggental valley. The castle, which was built in the 12th century, was once the proud home of the noble Greifenstein family. In the 14th century, the castle came into the possession of the Lords of Völs, then to the later bailiff Heinrich Gessler and finally to the Counts of Lichtenstain. Today the castle is privately owned and is one of the most beautiful examples of medieval architecture in South Tyrol.

Apart from a few minor details, the original form from the 16th century has remained unchanged to this day, and this is one of its special features. The interior of the castle offers a wealth of beautiful architectural and art-historical details of great interest.

A guided tour of the castle will immerse you in history: magnificent knights' halls, an old chapel with valuable frescoes and mysterious corners that will bring you closer to life in the Middle Ages. 

The castle can only be visited as part of a guided tour.
Guided tours are offered in April, May, June, September and October. These always take place on Fridays at 3 pm.
Registration is required: +39 0471 361313
Minimum number of participants: 10 people

Admission price:   
Normal price: 7,00 Euro
Reduced price: 5,00 Euro (pupils/students up to 25 years, senior citizens from 65 years)

The Town Hall of Brixen is situated between the “Portici Maggiori” Street and Cathedral Square.

The present building has a Renaissance façade and a late-Medieval crenellated roof.

The City of Artists and Albrecht Dürer
The medieval city, which is surpassed in height by the mighty Sabiona Monastery mountain, proudly calls itself the "City of Dürer." Here, where the city was the scene of intense artistic activity just a hundred years ago, is where Albrecht Dürer stopped during his journey through Italy. He exploited his portrait of the city as a background for an allegorical copper-plate engraving titled "Das Grosse Glück" ("Nemesis").

Today, Klausen is still numbered among the most-beautiful of Italy's ancient cities: Its tower-studded facades, its wide alcove balconies, and the picturesque signs of its old inns and pubs were all that was needed to convince the club "I borghi più belli d'Italia" of its worthiness. And the "Treasure of Loreto" (a singular collection of works of art) in the city museum has got to be seen to be believed.

The majestic high building shows four corner towers (square at the bottom and round on the top) ...
... regulated rows of windows and a high roof, symmetrical room divisions and huge hallways with vaulted ceilings on the main floor, where the year 1584 can be seen. Upper floors entail flat ceilings where the walls and ceilings in the rooms are wood-panelled. The ceilings in the small oriels are arched and ridged. The wooden statue “ Mary with her sword” (XIV century) stands on the altar in the chapel, which is dated back to the year 1730. Very interesting is the extremely high roof truss, a proof of the superb knowledge of the builders themselves. The residence was begun in 1582 by Hans Fieger, Lord of the Courts of Taufers. The building was finished in 12 months. It was restored in 1864 by Johann von Ottenthal.

The castle is privately owned and is not open to the public.

The History of Commandery Longomoso - a rural branch of the Teutonic Order - is closely related to the hospice, which was built in the year 1200, when the road to cross the Alps led across the Renon. The hospice was used as accommodation for travelers, for changing horses, to care for the sick. The present form of the building as a mighty wall cube with a pyramid roof was built c.1650. The magnificent "Reiteröfen" (fireplaces) in the state rooms are witnesses of domestic potter art. Worth seeing are the stucco ceiling and wallpaper with biblical scenes and episodes from the history of the Teutonic Order. Today the Commandery is the beaming cultural center for the whole Renon. The Board of Trustees of the Commandery Longomoso operates a varied program of events.

The impressive castle stands above Waidbruck/Ponte Gardena. Interesting interior, patly with original furniture. An exhibition shows the life of Oswald von Wolkenstein

Trostburg is open to the public

from the Thursday before Easter until the end of October. A visit is only possible with a guided tour.  Trostburg is closed on Mondays.

 

Season Start of the tour     Thursday before Eastern until end of June 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. July and August 11 a.m., 12 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. September until end of October 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.   The guided visit through the castle takes around 40 – 50 minutes.
For the unguided visit of the exhibition rooms one should plan for approximately 15 minutes, although a stay up to 40 minutes is considered to be very informative and worth it.

Saint Joseph Freinademetz, the saint of Alta Badia, is the first South Tyrolean Saint.

Today, the hamlet of Oies is a much-visited place of pilgrimage, especially the birthplace of the missionary Josef Freinademetz, who belonged to the Society of the Divine Word. The Steyl missionary was born in 1852 and died of typhoid fever in China on 28 January 1908.

He was beatified by Pope Paul VI in Rome on 19 October 1975 and canonised on 5 October 2003.

The cellar of the Oies farm was converted into a chapel and decorated with works by the artists Kollreider from Lienz and Lois Irsara from Badia.

This year Tyrolean Advent in the Castle will be taking place in the historic ambience of Tyrol Castle for the tenth time. Tyrol Castle provides an atmospheric backdrop for a genuine South Tyrolean Christmas experience. Local exhibitors will present traditional handicrafts such as felting, pottery, turning, spinning, braiding, dyeing and the production of ceramics or jewelry in the castle's rooms.
There will be a well-balanced program of events for visitors every day during Advent in the Castle: whilst crackling fires make for a cozy atmosphere, food stands will offer traditional dishes, baked goods and drinks. The Christmas market will also be attended by choirs and music groups, and there will also be all kinds of entertainment for children.

Juval Castle, the summer residence of the world-famous mountaineer, Reinhold Messner and the Messner Mountain Museum.

Medieval Juval Castle is situated on a prehistoric place of worship at the entrance to the pristine Val Senales. The castle was built around 1278 by Hugo von Montalban. In 1540, Juval Castle changed ownership and reached its heyday in those years. In 1913, the Dutch Colonial William Rowland turned up at the dilapidated castle and had it professionally restored. Since 1983 Juval Castle has been the residence of extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner and has turned Juval Castle into the main site of the MMM Messner Mountain Museum. The castle contains an extensive Tibetan collection as well as the Mountain Gallery and the ethnic mask collection with exhibits from five continents. Juval Castle also boasts some Renaissance-era frescoes that can be visited. Alpine fauna can sometimes be spotted wandering about in the castle grounds and there is also a farm with its own vineyards and a winery. The attached winery Unterortl, the organic farm Oberortl, and the Schlosswirt revitalize these small-scale cultural landscape in Lower Venosta Valley.

A trading area grew up to the south, outside the City walls, probably around the same time that the City of Glurns was established. The idea was to provide the new urban Settlement with an economic mainstay other than trade. For this purpose the mill stream was diverted directly at the old Bridge over the River Etsch: it would from now on serve (at the latest from 1330) as a power source for the city mill. The importance of the miller`s craft in those times is shown by the fact that millers had their own handicrafts ordinance (since at least 1615) an in Baroque times there existed here a fraternity of millers. Repeatedly destroyed and damaged over the course of the centuries, the City mill was always rebuilt, since a functioning mill was clearly in the public interest. The waterwheel was replaced by current owner and in 2004 the mill was completely restored.

Andreas Hofer hid for one and a half months with his family at the Pfandler Alm mountain hut, above St. Martin/S. Martino. On January 28, 1810, he was captured and taken to Bozen/Bolzano and Mantova.

The Pfandler Alm is only accessible on foot.