Culture & attractions along the Alto Adige Wine Road

The history of the Psenner Distillery is indelibly characterised by that of the company's founder, Ludwig Psenner, born in 1920 in the famous South Tyrolean wine village of Tramin, the place which has given its name to the world's favourite aromatic grape variety, Gewürztraminer. Ludwig Psenner's life story is one of a straightforward and sincere man who emanated a catching vigour. At an early age he threw himself into the craft of distilling, delving into the recondite processes and mysteries involved. Then at the age of 27 he founded his own distillery, installing his first bain marie still.

The wine trail was strategically created in the shape of an eight, with its crossing point at the PUNKT Winehouse on the village market square, and leads you past vineyards and wine estates all the way to Lake Kaltern. White limestone road markers provide information on the unique names of the vineyards - such as Puntara and Palurisch, Salt and Plantaditsch. There are four resting stops along the way, marked by bronze plated information tables.

Patronal feast: November 25th

The church had a late-Romanesque preceding building, which has now disappeared. The new construction dates back to the 15th century, the choir Fresco (Marientod), to about 1400. Agnes von Werdenberg, the widow of Henry of Rottenburg, donated the fresco to the side altar. The church was built by architects from Como, around 1517.

Source: Parrish office Kaltern

The castle's castle consists of an older Gothic castle dating from around 1450 and a western annex from the Renaissance around 1530, in which today's hotel is housed.In the core of the house are remains of a late medieval fortification tower.

The romantic courtyard with fountains and old cedars is framed by 17th and 18th century buildings.

Englar is considered the best preserved gothic castle in South Tyrol The castle was not designed as a defensive castle, but as a noble nobility, it was intended to underline the social position of the then-builders of the Counts of Firmian.

The square building is completed by an imposingly steep Gothic roof and was at that time a revolutionary technical achievement.

Today, our house opens its hospitable gates for travelers and recreation seekers who are sensitive to the generous and stylish ambience of a historic building and appreciate a special and comfortable atmosphere.

The ensemble with ancient trees is rounded off by the Gothic church church of St. Sebastian near the house as well as the adjoining estate with fruit and wine cultures, a small duck pond, an extensive chicken farm and animals lovingly farmed by our

The Jewish business family Schwarz founded the steam-powered brewery in 1849. It was the largest in South Tyrol. In 1897, an electric power plant was added. The plant was equipped with the latest, state-of-the art turbine model, Pelton. Many parts oft he plant were made of steel casting which are still perfectly preserved today.

In 1924, the brewery was sold and transformed into a malt brewery. Pilsner, Münchner and Caramel malt beers were produced.

The electrical power station was in use from 1897 until the malt brewery closed down in 1986. The whole area then became the property of the Autonomous Province of Bozen. The regional Fire Brigade school was built on the site, but a few of the original buildings have been preserved. At Heinrich Erschbamer’s instigation and his untiring commitment, the electric power plant has been professionally restored and has been open to the public since 2014.

The chapel Saint Cosmas & Damian in Glen/Gleno was built in the 17th century. The architectural character is quite simple, but the chapel contains numerous artworks on the inside. One of the artworks is the votive picture marked with the year "1691." It may indicate the year of construction of the chapel.

The parish church of St. Gertrude in Magrè sull Strada del Vino is one of the most curious churches in Bassa Atesina, since the church tower is separated from the nave by a street. This, however, was not always the case. The church was first documented in the year 1343; at this time, the nave was located next to the tower and was considerably smaller than it is today. In 1466, the church was rebuilt and the church tower, which contains two beautiful bells from the 16th century, was made taller in 1513. At the beginning of the 17th century, the rectory was built and building on a larger parish church was begun. For lack of space, the church was built on the other side of the street, which led to its separation from the tower. The new church was dedicated to St. Gertrude and the old building was torn down. The baroque interior of the St. Gertrude parish church is one of the most beautiful in Alto Adige. It is very bright and clearly structured. The altar wall is made of stucco marble and shows a fresco of St. Gertrude. The only original furnishings which remain are the side altars, certain sculptures and some paintings.

Approaching the Rastenbach gorge, on your way down from Altenburg/Castelvecchio to Lake Kaltern, it suddenly gets really cool and dark. Your steps become more cautious, as if you’re being careful not to disturb the peace. Silently, you look around and enjoy the wonderfully refreshing ambiance. How reassuring to know that the wooden stairs and bridges are reinforced and properly secured. When you get to the bottom of the trail, you are welcomed by a sunny field and Lake Kaltern.

The wonder of walking! So much has already been written and said about the marvel of walking and if you're a hiker, you already know what we mean. Walking grounds you and keeps you gently connected with nature. The pace is just right and leaves space for your thoughts; it also gives you the chance to observe details in nature and make necessary life adjustments.

The Lago Santo (Holy Lake), situated in the Cembra Valley in Trentino, near the South Tyrolean border, sits at approximately 1,200 meters in altitude and is enveloped by dense alpine forests. Its crystal-clear waters make it a popular spot for anglers and hikers seeking peace and breathtaking mountain landscapes.

As early as 1891, there were plans to construct a railway between Ora and the Val di Fiemme Valley in order to improve accessibility and stimulate the economy. The Val di Fiemme railway line was built during World War I. Between 1918 and 1936, it was used mainly for transporting goods. It connected Auer/Ora with Predazzo. The segment between Auer and San Lugano is still in good condition. Nowadays, it is a very nice hike and cycle path which leads through the beautiful mountain landscape of the Trudner Horn Nature Park and is especially worthwhile due to the views of the South Tyrolean Unterland region.

Church near the graveyard. If you like to visit the church, you get the key in the Tourist Office - we need a deposit.

The little St. Joseph Church in Ronchi - “Kirche St. Joseph in Rungg” in German, “Chiesa di San Giuseppe a Ronchi” in Italian - is, compared to the other churches in the surroundings of Lake Caldaro, a more recent construction. The building was planned in 1900 by Ferdinand Mungenast, an Austrian architect, who designed also other significant buildings in Bolzano and the Oltradige area, such as the Grandhotel d’Appiano or the St. Joseph Church in Frangarto. Seven years after its edification in 1901, the St. Joseph Church was embellished with a steeple.

Nowadays, the sacred building presents itself with a two-bay groined vault, a polygonal choir termination and a church tower with a pointed spire. In 1977 the church was placed under monumental protection. Worth seeing are above all the artworks by Ferdinand Stuflesser (1855 - 1926), a famous sculptor from the Val Gardena valley in South Tyrol: the altar with the statues of St. Joseph with Jesus the child and St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and deaf people, as well as St. Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, the national patron saint of Spain.

Above the church entrance there is the statue of St. Anthony of Padua, venerated as the patron saint for the recovery of lost items. It is located in the hamlet of Ronchi (Rungg), which can be found along the South Tyrolean Wine Road after the centre of Termeno and before the wine village of Cortaccia. Also the public bus stops there.

The medieval core, near the Kirchplatz, was rebuilt and considerably altered in the late-Gothic and Renaissance eras of the 16th and 17th centuries. Original staircase as well as rib-vaulted hall. The remains of late-Gothic murals from the early 16th century were uncovered on the second floor.

 

A rustic circular hiking trail along the Schwarzenbach/Rio Nero torrent to the waterfall offers a breathtaking natural spectacle offer. The "Katzenleiter" is a stone staircase consisting of 540 steps carved into the rock. The waterfall plunges into a 120-meter-deep gorge and offers a magnificent view of the entire south of South Tyrol all the way to Lake Kaltern. If you continue climbing the steps, you will reach the Brückenwirt inn in Montan/Montagna after a two-hour hike.

The St. George church in Graun/Corona stems from the 14th century. The tower is decorated with a newly restored fresco of St. Chritopher.

The Peace Path, which leads from Kaltern to St. Peter in Altenburg, was developed from 1995 to 2000 in a joint project of the Maria Himmelfahrt Parish, Project Tau and the village municipality of Kaltern.It meanders from St. Anton through the Rastenbach gorge to the church ruins of St. Peter in Altenburg. Along the way, artists have created five sculptures that serve as points of reflection. The sculptures represent the themes of Moderation, Wisdom, Justice, Faith and Hope. The Rastenbach gorge represents Courage and the St. Peter church ruins represent Love.

Andrian's parish church is dedicated to Saint Valentine. The patrocinium of St. Valentine suggests that it was a place of worship here very early on. The first documented mention of a church dates back to 1231. The oldest part of the present church consists of the lower part of the tower with the three-part ogival spire windows. Unfortunately, the nave of that time has not been preserved, but it is part of the building erected in the early 16th century, which today forms the choir of the church and has preserved its late Gothic elements with its ogival windows and star-ribbed vaulting. Some frescoes from that period can still be seen in the present-day sacristy, as well as the statues of Mary with Christ Child, St. Sebastian, St. Anne, St. Barbara and St. Catherine (late 15th/early 16th century) in the neo-Gothic winged altar, which was only made in 1904. All the rest of the church, including the nave and the upper part of the tower, was not built until the 19th century (nave 1852-1854, tower 1883) and in 1864 the side altarpieces were painted by Anton Psenner.

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The old church of St. Michael | Eppan is located on the St. Michaels square next to the church "Maria Heimsuchung".

Medieval winery and estate on the Kiechelberg hill which, together with the associated Church of St. Daniel, was until 1785 in the possession of the Benedictine Sonnenburg Abbey in the Puster Valley. The free-standing farm building dates back to the late Middle Ages and the Gothic style of the 15th century.

North of Wolfsthurn Castle, on the hiking trail from Andriano to the Bittner farm, on a flat slope called Schlosspichl you will find a magnificent chestnut grove.
Chestnut trees of different ages stand on the green meadow and have a special aura due to their fresh, light green foliage. One large oak tree dominates the chestnut grove majestically, which thanks to its position is much warmer than the surrounding forest and radiates vitality through its radiant colours.

A place to fall in love! A place that allows hikers to rest and that is a natural playground for children.   From the chestnut grove a short path leads to a small hill with a cross and several benches, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of Andriano and the Adige valley.

The people all have totally different personalities, there are no two alike. And this fact is worth studying. The best time is the morning, when your mind is still quite fresh. And the best place is Kaltern's main village market square. Just simply observe, with perhaps a cup of espresso, and - slow down the pace a bit.

Enjoy some ice cream near the fountain, no, here it's called gelato. Or perhaps even a cappuccino. But if you want to continue doing as the locals do in the afternoon, then it should be a glass of lightly chilled Kalterersee wine.

Maultasch Castle Ruin (Neuhaus) was probably built in the early 13th century as a double castle, but shows only ruined walls today. These have been carefully restored so that visitors can imagine the castle life at earlier time.

Event venue of Kurtatsch/Cortaccia with stage and seating for 200 people

Three-storey building in neo-Romanesque style; adjacent park with high trees. Single-run outside staircase to the first floor on the northwest side of the palazzo-like main building, with corner pilaster strips to the side, topped with a small turret. An aedicule with the Queen of the Rosary faces the main street. The courtyard entrance features portal pillars in the Mannerist style dating from 1612.

Two-storey building from the 17th century. Stone-framed, round-arched portal on façade with sandstone-
framed double-arched window (bifora) above. A marble plaque with Latin inscription and chronogram at

the entrance to the courtyard recalls the 1765 encounter of Francis I and his royal daughter-in-law
Elisabeth, the Infanta (princess) of Spain.

Historic inn on the northeast side of the main square, formerly also known as the Gasthof Post as horses
would be changed here. In its present form the three-storey Renaissance building dates back to the

early 16th century, as indicated by the outside staircase, double-arched window with rosettes, stone-
framed rectangular windows and stucco ceilings.

Lourdes chapel at Egna. The construction of the little Marian Chapel is attributed to the will of the parish priest, Johann Giuliani who, at the end of the 19th century, wanted it to complete the “Institute for the Protection of Children”, which he had founded. Inside the chapel, there is a reproduction of the grotto in Lourdes made of tufa rock from the Trodena Creek; the statues of the Madonna and Bernadette adorn the interior of the grotto. The ceiling is decorated with five medallions representing the four evangelists with their insignia and, at the center, the Annunciation. The chapel is still part of the foundation “Asilo infantile di Egna” (Egna kindergarten). In 2014, it was restored at the hands of a local restorer, Lucia Giacomozzi.

Ansitz Freienfeld was built in 1521 by the Earl of Indermauer. (Courtyard surrounded by embattled walls.) In the large windows of the Trinkstube beautiful frescoes can be seen.

This small and cosy chapel was built in 1702 by order of the Commander Johann Jakob Count Thun. It was the second chapel, after the one in Klobenstein that was devoted to the Saint who was greatly revered by him. It is also the crowning conclusion of his building activities carried out at the manor of the Teutonic Order in Siebeneich which began in 1664. The altar with two columns and statues of St. John and St. Jacob, who are the patron saints of the Commander, is credited to the sculptor Cristoforo Benedetti from Castione.