Kultura a památky - Klausen, Barbian, Feldthurns & Villanders

The church of Barbian was built in the 13th century consecrated to the apostle and patron Saint Jacob. Today the only remaining of the old church is he bell tower. The church was constructed in a Romanesque style and in the year 1472 it obtained Gothic elements. In 1874 – 1877 the Neo-Romanesque nave was added to the Gothic main body (today’s sacristy). The inclination of the campanile is attributed to the different grounding on which the tower was built. The half on the downhill side lies on the unstable soil of the Central Uplands and the other half on solid quartz-phillite-rocks. Ing. Fulvio Pisetta carried out a mechanical intervention in 1985 – 1988 to assure the stability of the church tower. Height: 37,00 metres Inclination: 1,56 metres

The gothical building was established between 1467 and 1470 of master Jörg. From the outside on recognize the simple portal, the small pyramid-shaped ridge turret and that gothical five-eighth choir with the four windows.

Wild stories are around the Radlsee. Is it actually connected underground to Lake Durnholzer and the Mediterranean? Is it really a wheel of devouring and gauntlet-bearing sea:

The parish church exhibits worth seeing works: the high altar from 1884, side altars from 1903, the pulpit from 1867 and the Queen of the Rosary from the Baroque period around 1700. A high artistic value has also the oil painting of Franz Sebald Unterberger which represents the St. Stephen, as well as the glass painting with the subject of the miners of Villandro in 1520.

The castle was build in the 14th century. The lock was seat of the former court of Gufidaun. 1880 the well-known Germanist Ignaz Zingerle bought the expanded castle plant and today she is still inhabited by its descendants and cannot be visited.

The Säben Mountain and its monastery deserve great attention for their archaeology, history, and art.

The artist Sonja Hofer from Klausen describes the fortress above Klausen as follows: "Sublime and striking, yet also slightly cold, the pale, pseudoromantic architecture of the monastery, marked by rigid symmetry, stands out starkly against the sky."

There is much to tell about the historically significant fortress above Klausen: Around the year 1000, the bishop’s seat was moved from Säben to Brixen. Until then, the Holy Cross Church served as the "Cathedral of the Diocese of Sabiona" for nearly 400 years.

The "Holy Mountain" is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in Tyrol, with the well-known Ladin Cloister first mentioned in 1503. For over 335 years, Benedictine nuns shaped the Holy Mountain before leaving the monastery in November 2021. Since September 7, 2024, a new era has begun under Father Kosmas Thielmann OCist: the Cistercians from Heiligenkreuz Abbey have breathed new life into the monastery. Their goal is to reestablish Säben as a spiritual center and significant pilgrimage destination in South Tyrol.

Daily Mass is celebrated at 11:30 a.m. in the monastery church.

With support from the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone and the local community, the monastery aims to provide a space for prayer and meditation, as well as a place for encounter and exchange. More Cistercian monks are expected to join, strengthening the monastic community and revitalizing Säben's centuries-old tradition.

Brown, marshy ground surrounds the three Schwarzseen (black lakes), which lie below the Toten. All around you can admire the abandoned mines with galleries and slagheaps, and the imposing peak of Villanderer Berg rising into the sky. The single lakes of the black-lakes-formation are called black, white and blue lake.

The parish church of Barbian is consecrated to St. Jacobs the Elder and was first mentioned in 1378. The shapes of the windows of the leaning tower are evidence to an even earlier time. Its octagonal top was added during the 15th Century. During this time, the church was renovated and once more consecrated in 1472. In 1874, the nave was re-designed and received in a new-roman form. The vestry, which serves as choir stalls, is the only part left, to represent the old gothic buildings. On the inside of the church, on the main altar, there is a copy of the famous crucifixion group by Wechselburg, as well as 12 glass windows representing the apostles, a rosette window just above the main entrance and several wooden sculptures from the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Holy Mass: To Sunday 03/16/2014 at 10.00 clock, alternately at 8:00 clock (german) and Saturday at 19:30 clock (german).

Three small churches, the church of Saint Gertraud, Saint Nikolaus and Saint Magdalena, built in the 12th and 15th century in an incredibly beautiful location with a fantastic view over the Isarco Valley. Visitors will be surprised by the level of artistic skill of the late-Gothic frescoes. This location can only be reached on foot over beautiful paths. Ask for the key from the nearby Messner restaurant. Guided tours are available on request, please call +39 0471 650 059. Holy Mass: July and August Sunday at 10:30 clock (german). Open from March to Mid Novembre, winter closed.

The sun terrace of Velturno has been visited and populated for more than 7000 years. As the excavation of the Tanzgasse showed, the area was of particular significance during the late Copper Age, around the 3rd Millennium BC: the megalithic structure, which formed the central part of this place of worship with its grave mounds, stretches across the visible area of the Archeoparc. The standing stones that were found within this place of worship offer the chance to place the rest of the megalithic findings within the South Tyrol into a monumental context and to interpret their historical significance. The results of the analyses of the often small plant and animal remnants, but also of non-organic matter, open up insights into everyday prehistoric life.

On the way to Säben is on the way, the St. Anthony Chapel, built in 1670 at the instigation of the telltale Jerome and his wife. The chapel was restored in the Tyrolean commemorative 1984. The altarpiece in the early Baroque high altar dates from Nicholas squint.

The gothical building was established between 1467 and 1470 of master Jörg. From the outside on recognize the simple portal, the small pyramid-shaped ridge turret and that gothical five-eighth choir with the four windows. Inside the church you can find some informations about the building history and the artistic equipment.

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.

Dear Woman Church The building was established by Giacomo Delai between 1652 and 1658. On the inside on can admire the cover paintings of the baroque painter Stefan Kessler, magnificent stucco works of Francesco Carlone and Simon Delai.
This church is open to visiti from july to septembre every tuesday, friday and saturday from 2 to 5 pm. In octobre to mid of novembre is open only on friday and saturday from 2 to 5 pm.

The lake Totensee, literally "lake of death" is less threatening than its name suggests.

The lake is located in a hollow below the well-known Chapple Totenkirchl. Surrounded by boulders and meadows, it is situated at an altitude of 2200 m. The macabre name comes from the agricultural expression "dead", which can be interpreted as unprofitable.

Tasting sessions in the winery, open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 11am – 3pm. Grape varietals cultivated Sylvaner 20% Sauvignon blanc 5% Grüner Veltliner 15% Gewürztraminer 10% Müller Thurgau 20% Pinto Nero 20% Lagrein 10% Wine range Sylvaner “Sepp´s alte Rebe” Sauvignon Blanc Grüner Veltliner Pinot Nero Gewürztraminer Lagrein Sunhong white Sunhong red

One wrote the year 1494 as the young artist ALBRECHT DÜRER made a stop in Klausen during his Italy journey. Today a beautiful walk leads to these slopes from Klausen. From this promising place the painter drew the city of Klausen. The result of its feather was lost later, but a copper engraving "Das große Glück" ( the great fortune) is delivered: Klausen calls itself also the "Small Dürer Town": Who wants to visit this place, goes today to the "Dürerstein".

Another important attraction was not created by builders but by nature: the Barbian waterfalls. The Ganderbach (stream), which is near Kollmann and flows into the Eisack river, which has a length of almost 6 kilometres. At the point of 1,510 metres above sea level, the stream falls over several rock cliffs down into the valley. The lower part of the waterfall with his 85 metres is the highest of the waterfalls at Barbian. From here, you can reach the upper part of the waterfall on a marked, wild and romantic path.

In 1726 a little church was dedicated to the miners of the “Pfunderer” mine. However, it was immediately too small so that today’s construction of the Early Baroque with choir and little tower was built in 1736. The secluded little church was expanded in 1934, though plundered and devastated in 1964. Until the First Wold War there had have been a weekly mass, initially Saturdays, since 1840 every Thursday. The cultural and historical altarpiece is a replica, the original altarpiece is located in the parish church to the St. Stephen. It shows the miners at work and around them the saints of the miners. (St. Daniel, evangelist John, Virgin Mother with the baby Jesus and her mother the saint Anne, as well as patron saint of the mines Barbara)