Sehenswürdigkeiten in Sterzing, Pfitsch und Freienfeld

The Town Hall of Sterzing is considered a true gem in the entire Tyrolean region. It was built in the years 1468 - 1473, and the distinctive bay window was added in 1524 during a renovation. The Gothic council chamber, with simple paneling and beamed ceiling, is considered the most beautiful in all of Tyrol. The rooms of the Town Hall have been repeatedly used for historical meetings: in 1525, the emergency council met in the council chamber during the peasant uprising, and from the 15th to the 17th century, several sessions of the Tyrolean Landtag were held there. Additionally, members of the imperial family were received there (Emperor Maximilian, King Philip of Spain, Archduke Ferdinand, Maria Theresa, Joseph II, and many others).

In the courtyard, flooded with light by flat arch windows on the south wall, various museum objects related to the city's history are exhibited. The Town Hall is connected to a citizens' hall, named after Vigil Raber, born in Sterzing and the first theater publisher in the German-speaking world.

In the courtyard at the end of the ground-level gallery, finds from the history of Roman settlement are displayed. A copy of the "Mithras stone" found in Mauls in Freienfeld bears witness to the well-known mystery cult practiced by many Roman soldiers. The adjacent Roman milestone (circa 200 AD) confirms the expansion of the Roman road along the Brenner Route under Septimius Severus.

The courtyard and the historic council chamber are open to visitors during the Town Hall's opening hours.

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 Church of St. Nicholas in Kematen was built despite the pronounced popular hostility between 1801 and 1807, integrating parts of a neogothic construction dating from 1468 into the new building. The Church was consecrated in 1833. The barrel vault was rebuilt in 1861. The main altarpiece is by Anton Sieß (1768) and depicts the patron, Saint Nicholas. The frescoes are by Franz Altmutter of Vienna (1811).

The octagonal construction was built according to a project by Giuseppe Delai between 1729 and 1733, on the site of an older chapel. Matthäus Günther of Augsburg realised both the main altarpiece and the frescoes of the vaulted ceiling, which depict St. Elisabeth and St. George, the protectors of the Teutonic Order. The walls and vaulted ceiling are embellished with the rich and extraordinarily refined stucco decorations by Anton Gigl of Innsbruck. The church can be visited along the H. Multscher and City Museum.

The Moassl Waterfall is a natural recreational area in the rear Pfitschvalley near Sterzing / Vipiteno. The refreshing air and the calmness at the end of the Pfitsch valley is a famous rest zone around the Moassl waterfall, a special place of energy amidst a beautiful natural setting. 

The gentle outlet of the mountain stream offers a natural Kneipp facility: after a long hike, take off your shoes and dip your feet in the invigorating cold water of the stream before warming your feet in the lush green grass. Benches invite you to linger and the forest landscape offers ideal opportunities for adventurous games. Recharge your batteries! 

Castle Reifenstein (Castel Tasso), one of the best preserved and artistic-historically most important castles in South Tyrol, is located in the municipality of Freienfeld / Campo di Trens near Sterzing / Vipiteno. In the castle you can admire the original kitchen, the old bathroom, medieval sleeping bunks in the old tower, gothic panelled rooms, the famous green hall (restored 2013) with the beautiful woodcarved chapel-door and other interesting rooms. Reifenstein Castle has been the private property of the Tyrolean count family von Thurn und Taxis since 1813 and has been lovingly preserved in its original medieval condition ever since. 


Exact times: see below

On the path up to the entrance and inside the castle, we recommend solid shoes and caution since the authentic knight's castle is not barrier-free.

Cost: 9.00 euros per person; children (6-16 years) 7.00 euros; children under 6 years free of charge

Consecrated to St. Oswald, this church is of particular artistic significance and was constructed in 1329. A variety of artists is responsible for the frescoes which were all painted during the 18th and 19th century. The key to the church is available by the vicarage.

The first testimony of this gothic construction is dated 1577. In 1789 a barrel vault ceiling decorated with rough frescoes was built. The modern-day choir was added when the Church was enlarged, after damages caused by an avalanche in 1817.

The "holy ghost church / hospital church" in Sterzing / Vipiteno was built in 1399. In the nave are late Gothik-style frescos (1402) of the Southtyrolien painter Hans von Bruneck, which demonstrate the most important truths of the doctrine. Notable is Holy Sebastian, who was included in the prayer and finally chosen to be patron saint and got his place in the church of "Santo Spirito". The wing next to the church of "Santo Spirito" was in the past a hospital and the care applied to palmers and sick and old persons. The importance of this church can also be seen in the emblem of Vipiteno the picture under the spread eagle demonstrates a palmer on crutches with a rosary.

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.

A Rosetta Stone depicting the Persian god of light Mithras was found near Mules in 1589. The original is conserved at the Bozen Archaeological Museum, while a copy is exhibited in the internal courtyard of the Sterzing City Hall, where there is also a Roman Milestone of Septimius Severus (approximately 200 A.D.), which was discovered in Sterzing in 1979.

Following repeated floods, a monument in honour of St. John Nepomuk (1350-1393) was erected in 1739 in Sterzing / Vipiteno. He is venerated as the protector of waters and bridges and is invoked when there is danger of flood. According to the legend, St. John Nepomuk, who came from the Bohemian town of Pomuk, refused to reveal the confessional secrets of the Bohemian queen. The king ordered him to be drowned in the Moldavian river. For this reason he is venerated as the protector of waters and bridges and is invoked when there is danger of flood.

A small late Gothic church dating from approximately 1.500. The church is constructed on a sunny, east-facing mountain slope between the villages of Mauls and Trens, 1.110 m above sea level.

This wine bar is located on the ground floor of the Wipptaler Hof bed-and-breakfast, directly at the entrance to Sterzing’s New Town, just behind the Zwölferturm Tower. Here a spatial trisection can be found: The wine bar occupies the largest space, just behind the front door. It is characterized by an enormous table made of solid copper oak and seemingly endless shelves of the same material, which are filled with countless bottles of wine from a wide array of different places. Opposite there is a black steel fireplace, surrounded by cozy booths. All of the furniture is made of copper oak. A smaller room follows, with an old Stube parlor paneled in pine; then there is the kitchen, into which the guest can see. Snacks are prepared here to accompany the wine, which can be enjoyed at the outdoor tables in summer. A somewhat different, modern version of a traditional Weinstube.

This Church was cited as early as 1298; today's building, however was built at the beginning of the XVI century. The rich and original reticular vault ceiling is particularly worthy of note. The Church was restored in 1938 following a fire.

The fi rst written testimony of the Holy Cross Parish in Wiesen is dated 1337. The Church is said to have been reconsecrated in 1434. The frescoes on the vaulted ceiling by Josef Renzler, dated 1841, are worthy of note. The first written testimony of the Holy Cross Parish in Wiesen is dated 1337. The Church is said to have been reconsecrated in 1434. Today's construction in granite blocks was built with the supervision of builder Adam Schaiter of Sterzing, who combined late gothic and Renaissance elements. In the XIX century, the Church was nevertheless deprived of the gothic elements. The frescoes on the vaulted ceiling by Josef Renzler, dated 1841, are worthy of note. They depict the adoration of the cross by the Emperor Eraclius and St. Cecilia. The altars date from the XVI century, but were rebuilt in 1824. The alterpieces were also realised by Josef Renzler in 1827. The gothic crucifixion dating from the first half of the XIII century is also very important.

Das Kreuzkirchl wurde 1692 von Peter Dellai erbaut. Im frühbarocken Zentralbau wurde die
Statue des leidenden Erlösers aufbewahrt. Die Kapelle konnte jedoch nur für kurze Zeit genutzt
werden. Sie fiel in der Zeit von 1780 bis 1790 wie viele weitere Sakralbauten den Reformen
Kaiser Josef II. von Habsburg zum Opfer. Nach 1925 nutzte die Sterzinger Bürgerschaft das Kreuzkirchl als Totenkapelle und während des Zweiten Weltkrieges wurde sie kurzfristig in ein
Lebensmitteldepot umfunktioniert.

The church was built between 1821 and 1824 under the supervision of Jakob Prantl. The frescoes were created by the local painter Josef Renzler in 1823.

Along the stream near the hamlet of "Burgum" you can hear the whisper of one of the most beautiful natural monuments in the region. When the sunlight shines on it, uncountable cascades of a filigree waterfall shine in numerous beautiful colours. Between the cascades a dark olive-green moss grows, saturated with crystal clear and fresh water. It is tough to decide from which angle you have the best view of the waterfall. A few years ago, this spring waterfall was placed under conservation and is now a natural monument that should not be missed. Take the chance and come to rest and dream in this magical place. This natural monument can be found in the wooded Burgum valley on the way to the hut “Sterzinger Hütte” on path nr. 2.

The church is consecrated to St. Petrus and the earliest recorded mention of the building dates back to the start of the 13th century. The ceiling frescoes were painted by Christoph Brandstätter and combine with the interior of the church to produce a remarkable example of a room dating from the late Baroque or Classical period. Open all day long.

The basin of Sterzing was once covered with an enormous swamp that extended towards the south to Trens and towards the east to Wiesen. The basin of Sterzing was once covered with an enormous swamp that extended towards the south to Trens and to the east to Wiesen. It was the bottom of a lake that had formed in prehistoric times, fed by local springs, which became a swamp and gradually emptied. The legend that surrounds the Swamp of Sterzing is still told: In ancient times it frequently happened that young women's beauty went to their heads. Regardless of whoever asked their hand in marriage, nobody seemed to be good enough for them. But as the years passed, their beauty waned and they became horrible old maids. In order to punish them for being so pride, they were exiled to live in the Sterzing Swamp, where they cried bitterly for not having wed; and their laments can still be heard today: "hätt' i's gwaggt, hätt' is gwaggt..." (if only I had accepted, if only I had accepted), which only foreigners confuse with the croaking of the frogs, but they are actually the lamenting cries of the old maids.

The first stone was laid for this simple, typical construction of the Capuchin in 1636 and the Church was consecrated just one year later. The altarpieces, presumably realised by Josef Renzler in around 1800, are worthy of note: The Patron Saint Magdalene, together with St. Francis and St. Anthony, can be seen on the main altar, while St. Felix and St. Anthony of Padua are depicted on the lateral altars.

This pool complex with its sweeping views connects nicely to the surrounding mountain landscape, creating an added attraction for visitors. At first glance the entrance façade looks closed as the result of the masonry curtain on the upper level, but the prominent glazed entrance area and long horizontal bands of windows on the ground floor also allow for a welcoming peek into the pool from outside. Apart from that, floor-to-ceiling glass facades girdle the structure, opening generously onto the outdoor swimming pool and the views. Through a recess in the roof, a shielded roof terrace for the sauna was created on the first floor, which also affords views into the distance. Light-flooded during the daytime, the wooden ceilings inside also lend the spaces a warm light and nice atmosphere when artificially lit at nighttime.

The parish church "Our Lady in the Moss," located in the south of Sterzing, is considered one of the largest in the Alpine region. It is a late Gothic structure (choir 1417-1451, nave 1497-1524). White marble was used for the massive pillars inside. Significant is the winged altar by the Ulm master Hans Multscher (details in the nearby Multscher Museum) and many other artworks. Particularly richly decorated is the south portal of the church designed by Mattheis Stöberl, with a  commemorative inscription marking the laying of the foundation stone for the nave by Maximilian I in 1497. The Baroque frescoes date back to Adam Mölk and were completed in 1753.

Postumia Viktorina stone: Roman tombstone found in 1497 during excavations for the foundations of the parish church. It is now located inside the church on the north side.

The school is located in the immediate vicinity of the parish church and the Deutschordenshaus (House of the Teutonic Order), which were built outside of the old part of town in what used to be marshland. The groundwater table lies a mere 1 meter underneath the site’s surface. In order to prevent a dangerous rise in groundwater levels that could compromise the historic buildings while the school was being built, the new structure was constructed on top of a “raft” positioned 80 centimeters above the terrain. In due consideration of the historic neighboring buildings, the school was designed as an elongated, single-story structure that – while it is not meant to compete with its surroundings – has its own special character. In front of the façades, between the large cantilevered roof and the floor slabs encircling the building, the architects incorporated a “forest” of tree trunks that lets in enough natural light, but becomes more dense when viewed from an angle. As a result, the building can appear either more or less conspicuous, depending on the observer’s point of view and the amount of daylight available.

Castle Sprechenstein / Pietra is a castle located in the municipality of Campo di Trens in Sout Tyrol. The castle is located in a higher position than Reifenstein Castle to the southeast of Sterzing; it belonged to the Trautson family and is made up of a lower fortress and an upper keep and palace. It has been restored a number of times. A document dating 1241 speaks of the re-built castle. In 1775 the castle was inherited by the Auersperg family. During the Second World War it was seriously damaged by bombing, but thanks to the owners and the superintendence for the historical and artistic heritage of Trento, it was later restored meticulously.

The castle can be visited only from outside.

The first written testimony of Moos Castle in Wiesen is dated 1325. In 1950 the South Tyrol Winegrowers Association purchased the castle and restored it. Since then it has been used as a retirement home for the elderly. The first written testimony of Moos Castle in Wiesen is dated 1325. It was then owned by the Trautson family, although it changed hands many times in later years. We owe the current state of the castle to the restoration commissioned by Christoph Geizkofler in around 1600. Moos Castle is not one of the classical castles of the Tyrolean highlands; it was rather effectively defended by the "Sterzinger Moos" [Swamp of Sterzing], which extended to the east until it reached Wiesen. In the XIX century the condition of the building was cause for concern. In 1950 the South Tyrol Winegrowers Association purchased the castle and restored it, without changing its original character. Since then it has been used as a retirement home for the elderly. Wiesenheim Palace, which is now the City Hall, stands beside the castle, with its distinctive corner tower and bow window. In the surrounding area there are many such palaces, which once belonged to ancient guilds and owners of customs rights.

The Church of St. Margaret in Sterzing / Vipiteno was built between 1678 and 1680 in early baroque style, according to the design of Peter Delai. The bell tower, however, dates from a previous construction, which was cited as early as 1227. The altarpiece of the main altar, dedicated to the Patron Saint of the Church, St. Margaret, was realised by Josef Renzler in 1822.

The octagonal building was built by Daniel von Elzenbaum, who was the administrator of the curacy of Sterzing. It was consecrated in 1631. A space arranged as a choir accommodates a simulacrum of the Holy Sepulchre, which is still opened and decorated every year for Easter.

Die den beiden Apostelführern geweihte Kirche liegt gegenüber der Kapuzinerkirche und ist
ein Anbau des Ansitz Jöchlsthurn. Sie wurde von der Familie Jöchl erbaut, welche auch nach
damaliger Zeit selbst den Kaplan auswählten. Mit Aussterben der männlichen Linie wurde die
Kirche vom Hofgericht der Stadt übertragen. Die Erben der Familie Jöchl erhielten die Empore
zugesprochen, so dass sie der Messe beiwohnen konnten ohne sich unters Volk zu mischen.
Hierfür hatten sie sogar einen eigenen Zugang über das Wohnhaus. 1787 wurde die Kirche mit
dem schönen spätgotischen Flügelaltar des Tiroler Meister Friedrich Pacher von der Familie
Enzensberg, welche inzwischen Eigentümer des Jöchlsthurn war, zurückgekauft. Sie ist bis heute
im Privatbesitz und wie der Ansitz Jöchlsthurn selbst derzeit nicht zu besichtigen.