All forts and castles

The medieval Schoneck Castle is located 958 meters above sea level and is said to be the birthplace of the famous poet and playwright Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445), although this has not been historically proven . It is believed that the ruins of Pacherhof, birthplace of famous artist and sculptor Michael Pacher, are also nearby. Schöneck Castle was built in the mid-13th century by the Dukes of Rödeneck; The first mention of this complex dates back to 1155 and 1164.

Over time, it became the property of the Tyrolean counts, and Engelmar von Willanders later became the owner of the Schoneck estate. Today, not only the cathedral is preserved, but also fragments of the palace, ruins of the chapel and fragments of the historic wall. In the ruins of the castle chapel there is also a fresco by master Michael Pacher. The castle is private property and inaccessible. Today, there is also a restaurant of the same name nearby.

The castle is private property and may not be entered.

The South Tyrolean Folklore Museum is the oldest of the provincial museums in South Tyrol and offers a view of social life in the past. The noble residence “Mair am Hof”, built in the 17th century, gives you the opportunity of following a striking itinerary through the refined world of local aristocracy. The stately rooms of the landed gentry and the collections of the museum are located inside the residence. Translocated original farm houses, craft workshops and cottage gardens are situated on the three hectares of the green area. A walk through the open air site takes you into the everyday world of various peasant groups of the past: from the self-sufficient farmers to rural craftsmen, cottagers and labourers.

The former Holz Castle, which is mentioned in 1236, has only a few ruined walls. It is located above Prissian in a forested area.

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.

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.

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.

The hydroelectric plant in Töll/Tel was the first large power plant in South Tyrol, built on the initiative of the Mayor of Meran/Merano and Bozen/Bolzano and designed by the Munich engineer Oscar von Miller in 1897; it was connected to the power grid on April 5, 1898. On the site was formerly located the sawmill belonging to the father of the most famous citizen of Partschins/Parcines, Peter Mitterhofer, inventor of the typewriter. The waters from the Etsch river pass through a 16 m long weir at the level of Tel, making it a unique contemporary historical monument. The water enters the surge tank, which is situated at an elevation of 496 m above sea level just above the power station, via a 480 meter long free-flow tunnel with a total volume of 6000 cubic meters. The waters of the Etsch river are dammed here, and the lock house located on three masonry columns covered with porphyry stone, built in 1925 for the operation of the lock. It was renovated in 2003, maintaining its original style, as was the former Zieglbrugg (so named because it was once covered by a roof). There was already an arched bridge built at this site during Roman times, as attested by documents housed in the Johanneum in Innsbruck dating from the 14th and 16th century.

The Peter Mitterhofer cultural trail towards Rabland/Rablà starts next to the two marble plaques commemorating the construction of the power station, as does the Marlinger Waalweg trail as well as the nearby Algunder Waalweg trail; one of the plaques dates from the Austro-Hungarian era and the other from the Fascist era on the occasion of its expansion.

The power plant building is a protected historical monument.

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.

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.

You will soon find more information about the Untertreibgasser-house here

The building in baroque style became the residence of the Venetian Counts Zenobio in 1729, after they acquired it from the Cazan lords. The façade is decorated with the coats of arms of the family that held the court of Enn and Kaldiff between 1648 and 1830. The interiors are arranged symmetrically around a central staircase and have magnificent stuccoed ceilings.

The summer residence (1908 - 1910) of the famous Bohemian Composer Gustav Mahler. The small house of Musical creation is located in Carbonin Vecchia/Altschluderbach.

During the sommermonth between 1908-1910 Gustav Mahler composed some of his most famous works in this simple wooden cabin in the heart of the Dolomites: the 9th and 10th symphonies and the "Lied von der Erde".

“How can people forever think,” cried Mahler “that Nature lies on the surface! Of course it does, in its most superficial aspect. But those who, in the face of Nature, are not overwhelmed with awe at its infinite mystery, its divinity (we can only sense it, not comprehend or penetrate it) -- these people have not come close to it. […] And in every work of art, which should be a reflection of Nature, there must be a trace of this infinity.”

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.

You will soon find more information about the Koflmühle in Prissian/Prissiano here

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 Thurn ruins are located on the right above the Gsieserbach stream, opposite Welsperg Castle on a wooded hill. It can be reached by an easy walk, which can also be combined with a visit to Welsperg Castle.

The square keep of the Thurn ruins is approx. 22 m high and still in relatively good condition. Only a few parts of the walls of the older part (old castle) are still visible, while the newer part (new castle) has some remains of 3m-thick walls.

Thurn Castle was built in the 13th century. However, it was abandoned to its own fate in the middle of the 17th century, with no one taking care of the castle any more. On May 15, 1765, a fire broke out which destroyed the castle and also caused extensive damage to Welsperg Castle. The castle was never rebuilt, but the nearby farm was. Today, Thurn Castle is still owned by the Counts of Welsperg.

Source of information: "Tiroler Burgenbuch - Thurn bei Welsperg, Alexander von Hohenbühel"

You will soon find more information about Josele mill in Gfrill/Caprile here

Birthplace of the famous South Tyrolean composer and provincial director of music Sepp Thaler in the
Oberdorf quarter. Born in Auer in 1901, Thaler, who died in 1982, as a young man worked there as
choirmaster and organist. In 1922 he took over leadership of the local music band, holding the position
for 58 years. After the Second World War, in 1948 Thaler became the musical director of the Association
of South Tyrolean Music Bands and, from 1980, the Association’s honorary musical director.
Thaler composed numerous works for brass instruments and a variety of secular and sacred choral
pieces. A recipient of the Tyrolean Service Cross and other awards, the Sepp Thaler Music School and
the Sepp-Thaler-Weg in the Mitterdorf are named after him.

The lovely big bishop's castle is situated on an easily accessible hill overlooking the town and watches over the buildings of the old town as if it still needed to protect the lives and safety of its residents. The main entrance to the castle is the southern gate, which was once reached via a drawbridge.

The famous  mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, opened the new Messner Mountain Museum "MMM Ripa" in the castle.

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

The octagonal, striking tower of the water station, together with the reception building, the storage shed with loading ramp according to type plans by Wilhelm von Flattich and the railway dwellings to the east planned by Angiolo Mazzoni in 1926, form a railway ensemble steeped in technical history. The water reservoir, a unique landmark of railway buildings from the “k.k. Monarchie” (imperial and royal monarchy), was inaugurated in 1871. It was placed under monument protection by decision of the regional government in 2004 and has been the property of the municipality since 2010. In the era of steam locomotives, the water station had the function of a regular filling station, which was fed by the natural gradient of the high springs, south of the railway line, by means of a gravity pipe (communicating vessels). As the trains had a stopover of around 15 minutes to refuel the locomotives, the water filling of the tenders (storage wagon) and usually the deslagging of the ash box and the re-fuelling of the coal were carried out at the same time.

 

1327 House near the Chapel of Santa Caterina - domus S. Katerina

1600 Thomas Frank of Frankenberg

1618 Erhardt Kurz, Pollinger in Untermais, husband of Caterina of Frankenberg, sells the "Gurtsche Behausung"

1692 Josef Frank of Frankenberg sells the Gurten farm in 1694 to the farmer Rösch Josef Knoll, which then remains in family ownership for 190 years

1884 the Reverend Alois Partolli hands over the property in 1900 to the adoptive daughter Christine Nellböck and her husband Josef Lochmann

1927 Maria Lochmann and her husband Alois Knoll, son of Röschen

1991-2000 Erich and Sabine Knoll restore the protected property


Building description:

Romanesque arch windows of the Chapel of Santa Caterina in the former agricultural building
Living room with late Gothic beam ceiling and Renaissance stove from 1688 Paneled and stucco ceilings Painted corner quoining - fresco angel with crown from the 17th century

The castle has always guarded over the entrance to the Val Casies-Gsieser Tal valley. It was first documented in 1126 and was the main administration castle of Welsperg for about 800 years until 1907. It is open for visitors in summer.

Castel Monguelfo is not only a particular castle complex, but is also the oldes castle of Alta Pusteria. Castel Monguelfo, also called Castel Welsperg, is undoubtedly a particular castle complex and it is a core castle. One of the oldest parts of the castle is the high donjon, which has been constructed in 1126. The brothers Schwikher and Otto von Welsperg had this castle built. In these days the Lords of Welsperg were one of the most significant noble families of Tyrol. Due to their smart commercial activity and administrative work as well as their wedding politics they build up a fortune and increased their importance. For this reason in 1359 Georg von Welsperg purchased the castle on the opposite, Castel Tesido. Consequently both castles were in possession of the Lords of Welsperg. In the 15th and 16th century Castel Welsperg was considerably enlarged and also reconstructed. In 1765 there was a fire which destroyed parts of the castle complex, including the great hall and the commercial building. Despite of the fact that there were renovation works, the castle started decaying and has no longer been inhabited.

Today the castle complex is venue for numerous concerts and exhibitions, organised by the board of trustees.

Prices for visiting the Castel Welsperg 2024:
age 0-6 free
age 6-18 and from 65 3,00€
age 18-65 5,00€

You will soon find more information about the Garber in Prissian/Prissiano.

Saint Joseph Freinademetz, the saint of Alta Badia, is the first South Tyrolean Saint.
He is very popular amongst the people of Alta Badia and the surrounding valleys.

You will soon find more information about the Richterhäusl in Tisens/Tesimo here

The ruin of St. Valentine was the precurser of today's church in Salonetto/Schlaneid. The wooden church was build in the 8th century, but was replaced by a stone church just one century later. In the following 1000 years the church was architecturally changed multiple times, and completely renewed in 1770, when the church was replaced by a new one in the village center.

At the Stallwies farm, one of the highest farms in South Tyrol, is an old mill not far from the farm. The Kornhof, on which rye is still grown today, has processed the grain in the mill itself. Visit the old mill and gain an insight into ancient traditions.

You will soon find more information about the Ansitz Lidl manor house here.

You will soon find more information about the historic buildings on the Gerbergasse/Vicolo Gerber here.