Culture & Sights in the Dolomites Region Seiser Alm

At the foot of the Schlern, between Völser Aicha and St. Konstantin, a path connects seven lakes: Salmseiner Weiher, Gflierer Weiher, Völser Weiher, Huber Weiher, Umser Weiher, Oachner Weiher and St. Konstantiner Weiher.

It leads through a varied, impressive nature and past an ancient and unique cultural landscape. In parts, it runs through the Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The demanding hike can also be done in sections or in the opposite direction. Various connecting paths are available for entry and exit. The trail leads past farms, villages and through private properties. Some of the 7 nature ponds are privately owned. For the return there are excellent bus connections.

Duration: about 4 hours - 13.2 km. 

The 7 ponds trail is not suitable for baby carriages.

The church in St. Konstantin is the most impressive daughter church of Völs and offers Gothic splendor and unique architecture. Its tower with onion dome and charming pointed arch portals is unique. Inside, a beautiful painting of the church patron Constantine awaits you, lovingly recreated by H. Pescoller. From here you can also enjoy a breathtaking view of the Schlern.

The Parish Museum

The parish museum St. Michael was established in 1980 as the first of its kind in the Chapel of St. Michael which had been restored by the Provincial Monuments Office. It was created an exhibition space which was created in order to protect the works of art and to make them accessible to the public.

The exhibition comprises over 20 individual objects or groups of objects, including the winged altar of St. Peter am Bühel (year 1510), the altarpiece of St. Constantine (year 1519) and the former baroque high altarpiece from the parish church (Adoration of the Magi, Year 1742, a masterpiece of the painter Johann Jakob Delai from Bolzano). Furthermore the "Probst Nativity" which was created by the handicapped artist Augustin Alois Probst from Sterzing around 1805 - the so-called Kastengrippe. Worth seeing are the 42 miniature scenes with the entire history of salvation from the birth to the suffering the Passion and the Resurrection up to the Ascension of Christ, among others with more than 240 expressively carved wooden figures.

 

Archaeology Museum:

In the crypt of the St. Michael's Chapel an archeological collection was built, which can be visited during a guided tour. There are findings from the different epochs - from the Neolithic period to the early modern times - are exhibited, such as the crescent-shaped bronze fibula from the 6th/5th century B.C. In addition, there is also a fragment of a Roman gravestone and so much more to discover.

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

The Huber Weiher is an artificial pond that was created for irrigation and goat breeding. The pond is used for private fishing, but guests can also purchase a day ticket here to catch their own fish.

You can fish from April to October.

The day ticket (price €22.00) can be purchased at the Völser Weiher car park or Restaurant Pizzeria Alpin Roof; a fishing licence is not required for the Huber Weiher.

The Laranz Forest between Seis and Telfen is the quintessence of a mysterious fairytale forest: The trail through the forest is a gift of peace, strength and inner contemplation. Settlements had already been established on this hilly knoll in the days of Ötzi the Ice Man, and to this day we can still see the Wallburg fortresses of Gschlier and the pre-Christian sacrificial site at the Rungger Egg. The leisurely loop route leads through dappled pine forests to the Königswarte (the "King's Keep"), a spectacular lookout point. Shortly before the Lanzin farms the trail branches off into another loop route, which will take you to a further lookout point, the Katzenlochbühl.

Witch Martha The Witches´ Chairs remind us of the Schlern witches who met on the Schlern mountain to celebrate their rites. Together with the Witches´ benches they constitute the resting place for the witches. Witches´ Chairs Starting point: Kastelruth Highest point: 1368 Map/guide: Kompass 067 Walking Quide Lift systems: Kastelruth - Schererplatzl - Tiosels - Witches´ Chairs

Völser Weiher Lake: The Völser Weiher lake at the foot of the Schlern mountain is Italy’s most beautiful swimming lake. Whether enjoying a summer evening bathing in South Tyrol, taking a rowing boat out onto the lake or go ice skating in winter; the Völser Weiher lake offers relaxation and recreation.

Chapel of St. Zyprian/S. Cipriano

The paintings on the outer wall of the 17th century represent the wonderful rescue of the "Platzliner" meadow. God father flashes out the clouds, the Saints Cipriano and Giustina protect the meadow and his flook with their coats. This painting shows that the colonization of Tires did not begin in today's centre, but in San Cipriano.

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

The church is of Romanesque origin, and its dedication to the archangel also point to its antiquity. However, St. Michael´s Church is not mentioned in any document prior to an indulgence certificate from 1353. Parts of the masonry above the base of the church itself and in the tower are still from the Romanesque period. Gothic modifications were carried out after 1465. The nave was not provided with a vault until the 17th c.

Kastelruth's exceptionally imposing, free-standing bell tower already beckons to visitors from a great distance. The tower and church form a captivating achitectural ensemble together with the town hall and the houses built around the church square by leading citizens. It is no coincidence that this village's historical core has been selected as one of the most beautiful in Italy.
The Parish Church of Kastelruth – also known as the “cathedral on the mountains” is dedicated to the apostle princes Peter and Paul. The parish church is an example of Viennese engineering.
Open daily from 08:00 - 18:00.
Worship services: Sunday: 10.00 a.m. (in German)
The parish church is open during the day throughout the year

Until 1860 the name of the Zallinger pastures was ‚Sassegg‘ which is Ladin-Bajuwaric meaning ‚hill on the big rock’, hence on the Plattkofel massif. From 1854, Karl von Zallinger-Stillendorf from Bozen/Bolzano with Bavarian origins is mentioned as proprietor. It was he who in 1857 prompted the building of the modest neo-Gothic chapel consecrated to the Virgin Mother. One year later, the little church was solemnly inaugurated. After its restoration in 1993, the Zallinger church needed a new facelift on the occasion of its 150th jubilee. The works were accomplished in autumn 2007 thanks to the generous backing of neighbours and sponsors. On July 28 2008 the accomplishment of the restoration was worthily celebrated.

The sulphur springs are located at the Tirler on the Seiser Alm. They are a geological natural monument. There are two springs that emerge at the upper edge of a marshy forest seal. At the larger spring there is a wooden fountain from which you can drink. The water is not poisonous, on the contrary, it has a purifying effect. The water is not tasty, because it smells like rotten eggs. The water has whitened those objects that are in the springs.

Modern work of art at the Tirler hut.
With golden wings begins your adventure.

The Franziskus Church. The modern church of Franziskus, designed in the shape of a dove, on the Seiser Alm invites visitors to contemplate and reflect. St. Francis of Assisi, who loved nature and God’s creation above everything, is the patron saint of the church. The plan of the church building shows the dove as a contour drawing. The body forms the sanctuary of the church and the wings the side additions. The towering bell tower represents the head in the upright projection. This rises smoothly out of the church sanctuary through a laminated timber construction. The interior of the church impresses with its brightly designed space and an interesting interplay of light and shadow. The slightly raised chancel faces east in accordance with ancient tradition. As it was very important to use simple, local building materials, larch wood and porphyry were used. The subtle fragrance of the wood is particularly pleasant. This conveys feelings of security and warmth to churchgoers.

The small but fine School Museum at Tagusens shows visitors and interested people the life of the pupils between the years 1933 and 1993 and is a unique collection of furnishings and teaching documents that have been preserved on site.

The school life in Tagusens did not mean an encounter with the "foreign" world for the "ABC-Shooters". The children in the lonely place knew each other, only the teacher changed year after year. Furnishings and teaching objects were less worn than elsewhere and thus remained intact. Nostalgic feelings and memories are certainly not absent here and seduce to a bygone era.

On the first floor of the school museum can be visited, the old shoe factory from the `50s, of the master shoemaker "Peterlunger Gustl" from Siusi allo Sciliar.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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

St Anne´s Chapel was built on a slab of rock south of the middle of Kastelruth. This High Baroque structure was consecrated in 1724 by Kaspar Ignaz von Künigl, Prince- Bishop of Brixen. The question of who served as master builder remains unresolved, but there are stylistic similarities to church buildings by the Delai family of master builders from bolzano.

The hamlet of Tisens stretches down a southward slope to the west of Kastelruth. St Nicholas´s Church stands in the middle of the community, and its pointed tower defines the village´s general appearance. Tisens was mentioned for the first time in the urbarium (register of fiefs) of Count Meinhard II of Tyrol. The first written mention of the church , together with other filial churches in the Parisch of Kastelruth, was in 1353 in connection with the granting of an indulgence. It was expanded and given a vaulted ceiling in the 16th c. According to the inscription on the western gable, the roof´s framework was altered in 1712, and the furnishings were supplemented and restored under Dean Bamhack. around 1880. The wooden-shingle roofing was renewed in 2019.

South-west of Kastelruth, below the Laranzer Forest, lies the hamlet of St Oswald, named after the patron saint of its church. The landmark of the church´s high tower can be seen from a great distance. The church is mentioned for the first time in a historical document from 1234, which was produced on the occasion of an exchange of estates between the Benedictine monastery at Georgenberg and Count Albert III of Tyrol. However, it had probably already been built in the 11th c. One piece of evidence for this is the choice of its patron saint, because the cult of St Oswald of North Umbria spread through Europe before and during the period of the Crusades.

The museum, all made of wood in the style of typical Tyrolean huts, is divided into 7 rooms, each one very carefully arranged by Walter Mauroner, one of the members of the Spatzen.

The Power of the milk.
That’s right, we make the best cheese! Thanks to our considerable expertise, knowledge and partners: our good cows.

The fresh mountain air is playing its part; our cheese farm on the Gostner Schwaige is located at 1900 meters above the sea level beneath Mt. Schlern in the Dolomites.  Here are our tasty products crafted from fresh alpine milk:

• Various yogurts
• Mountain cheese
• Tyrolean grey cheese
• Petal cheese
• Mountain saffron cream cheese
• Edelweiss Camembert
• GOLDI our yellow Muscat cream cheese
• First Summer – soft cream cheese from the first weeks of grazing

The South Tyrolean traditional costumes are renowned for their beauty. It is interesting that almost every village and town has its own costume. These pieces of clothing are worn at every festive occasion, such as religious festivities or at processions. During the time of Charles the Great, it was not permitted for farming folk to wear expensive clothing. People of the lower ranks of society were not allowed to wear more than a Loden jacket. The farmers had to wear clothes made of materials they could produce themselves. Expensive fabrics such as silk and brocade were reserved for the richer people in society. Only when Empress Maria Theresia came to power, was this law amended so that the population could wear traditional costumes of any style. This resulted in a variety of traditional costumes that are still used to this day.
Kastelruth costumes for men: Men wear a shirt, cardigan and jacket with trousers and costume shoes. Their hat is decorated with a carnation and some leaves. The top button of the cardigan and jacketremain open.

Kastelruth costumes for women: Women wear a long black skirt and a black velvet corset. During the winter, they also wear a black small cape and during the summer a white jacket. On top of these, there is a silver or coloured shawl with long fringes. With the jacket, they need to wear a blue apron and with the small cape a black, water-silk apron. In addition, they wear fashionable ribbons that look well with their shawl. Married women wear their hair up, with a silver hairpin and a type of stylish comb, which helps to keep their hair in a knot. Unmarried women wear pigtails that are arranged in a type of Gretl hair style and incorporate this with a black velvet ribbon.

THALERBÜHEL

There was a sample excavation at the Thalerbühel hill to search for a past hillfort. They found some ceramics, bronze artefacts and burned bones, which indicates that the hill has been a sacrificing place in the first millenium B.C.

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)

Cheese dairy Plattkofelschwaige hut

Homemade goat cheese and we have our own cow milk.

The Parish Church Assumption of the Virgin Mary is one of the most beautiful late Gothic buildings in South Tyrol. During the Second World War the church was damaged, it was altered according to baroque artistic sensibilities. With the last restoration from 1991 to 1998 the old late Gothic form was brought back to life. In 1488 master Narcissus created the winged altar. The side altars are neo-Gothic superstructures.

Visitor Center Nature Park Schlern-Rosengarten: The area of the nature park Schlern-Rosengarten has a diversified history, not only in its prehistoric formation. The resulting flora and fauna as well as the management by the people, along with their customs and myths, have left their mark. The exhibition in the Visitor Center Nature Park tries to show all aspects of this area’s unique geology, which was the main reason leading to being named as a Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the flora and fauna, which has always been a source of attraction and inspiration for scientists and nature lovers. In laborious detail work, the inhabitants of this area contributed significantly to the preservation of this valuable cultural and natural landscape. In addition to the exhibitions of the Visitor Center Nature Park department, the tourist office Seis am Schlern and the village library complete the offer for guests and locals.

Tschon Stoan One day, long ago, the wizard Hans Kachler was very angry and threw an immense stone, the Tschon Stoan, from the highest peak of the Sciliar/Schlern mountain on the Seiser Alm. That’s how the legend goes. Starting point: Seis am Schlern