Forts & Castles in Meran/Merano and environs

The mansion was originally built in 1348 by Meinhard, Edler von Gaudenz (an aristocrat from Gaudenz). Since that time it underwent several renovations, especially during the Baroque period. The Erker oval windows, sundial and coat of arms symbolizing the alliance, date back to the 17th century.

Ownership of the property changed hands several times, as shown below:
1348-1402: Edle von Gaudenz; 1402-1586: Edle von Hendl; 1586-1600: Herren von Stachlburg; 1600-1619: Cyriac von Waltenhofen; 1619-1638: Edle von Roladin; 1638-1657: Edle Aichner von Aichberg; 1657-1680: Johann Edler von Kreutzer of Innsbruck; 1680-1730: Edle von Bauer; 1740-1794: Edle von Wiesenegg

In 1792 the house was bought by Anton Simon von Isser, a chronicler from Meran/Merano, who four years later changed his surname to ‘von Gaudententurm’ when entering the nobility. It was via his grandson, the Viennese physician and neurologist, Dr. Friedrich Leopold von Sölder zu Prakenstein (1867-1943) that the residence passed on to the present-day owners.

The inner courtyard and cellars are open to the public during the weekly Schnaps tasting events.

The private interior rooms are not open for public viewing.

Built in the early 13th century with three-story keeps and living areas with Gothic parlours; a rare example of a medieval castle complex largely preserved in its original state; in the possession of the Counts of Brandis for 800 years. The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited.

At the exit of the Sirmian river canyon, just below Castle Payersberg, you will find the well-presented, occupied and cultivated Schwanburg. The fortress, which is also called Gaul House was first mentioned in 1286 in a document of the parish church in Bolzano. Since the 14th Century, it was the property of the Lords of Boymundt-Payersberg. Lord Jacob changed the residence between 1560 and 1575 to what it looks like today. He called the annex after the swan in his coats of arms: Schwanburg. Besides black bull of the Boymundter family which they used for a long time, the Lords of Payersberg also had a proud white swan on a blue background in their coat of arms. Today, these animals are still part of the official coat of arms of the village of Nals. The castle consists of a picturesque group of individual buildings with loggias and representative staircases, which surround a courtyard. At the entry gate, the coat of arms of the Boymundt-Payersberger can be seen, together with the year 1560. In the courtyard, you will find a beautiful sundial marked with the year 1563, as well as two walled Roman stones with ivy around them. Castle Schwanburg was the oldest private wine cellar in South Tyrol and today is mainly used as a living and administration building by the company Rudolf Carli Erben. The wine growing estate extends over a surface of approximately 15 hectares and had produced South Tyrolean quality wines under the logo Castel Schwanburg. Besides hundreds of small French oak barrels (barriques), there are also a number of wooden barrels from the time of Empress Maria Theresia in the wine cellar.

Privately owned - not allowed to visit!

To the right-hand side of Tyrol in Lagundo is a small fortress - the Forst Castle. It was built in the 13th century and first documented in 1302. The building was later extended in the 16th century. In 1880 it was restored for the second time by the Lords of Vorst, noble officials from Tyrol. The current owners of the castle are from the Forst brewery, located just a few metres away. Sadly, the castle is not open to the public but it can still be admired from the outside.

The chapel, dedicated to all saints, is located in the basement of Fahlburg Castle.

Most of the small and relatively larger lime kilns which were found in many places centuries ago have now fallen into disrepair and are difficult to see but remains of some of these ovens are still visible at Quadrat along the Mahlbachweg, just under the "Weißwand". The site is not far from the Quadrat marble quarry and is easy to get to.
Most of these kilns were cut into safe, sheltered places in the rock face to ensure a minimum loss of heat. The inner walls of the ovens were shaped like a barrel. This particular lime kiln is believed to date back to about 1700 and may have gone on working until 1880.
It is thought to have been one of the largest and most interesting kilns in the whole area. The kiln is still in a very good condition and was declared a Place of Historic Interest in 2006. The site has been cleared of trees, bushes and other vegetation so that passers-by can get a better look at it.

Tyrol Castle is the most historically significant castle in South Tyrol. Its origins stretch back into the late 11th century.

Since 2003 Tyrol Castle has housed the South Tyrolean Museum of History. Its main focus is the history of the province from its beginnings to modern times.

The oldest structural elements can be found in church excavations in the outer bailey (three building phases, three-apse chamber from the 9th century). The south palace contains the two Romanesque portals. The two-storey castle chapel is dedicated to St. Pancras and is famous for its gothic frescoes. What is believed to be the wedding chamber of Countess Margarethe of Tyrol, known as Maultasch (literally “bag mouth”), is situated in the Mushaus. The keep, which was only completed after 1902, now houses an exhibition of the history of the 20th century depicted over twenty separate levels. The historic estate buildings house special exhibitions.

The house of Peter Mitterhofer is first mentioned as the Zimmerhaus im Obergarten in a document dating to 1431. Peter Mitterhofer (1822-1893) lived in the house for 31 years and developed six typewriter models in his workshop there; the first of these prototypes was also the earliest of its kind, in 1864. It is known that Peter Mitterhofer designed six different typewriter models during the period between 1864 and 1869. The first model (1864, The Unsuccessful) is housed today at the Technical Museum of Industry and Commerce in Vienna. The second model was discovered accidentally in 1911 hidden in a secret compartment in the attic of Peter Mitterhofer’s house in Partschins/Parcines. The third model remains missing to this day – although Peter Mitterhofer travelled with it from Partschins/Parcines to Vienna on foot in 1866. The fourth model (the Meran model) was created in 1866, with the help of better financial resources after his return from Vienna. This model is on display at the Palais Mamming City Museum in Meran/Merano. Peter Mitterhofer completed his fifth typewriter prototype in 1869 (the Wien model). It was his intention to build a perfectly functioning typewriter. For this model he would need much more time than he had been promised in his subsidy request of 1866 in Vienna.

He made the journey from Partschins/Parcines to Vienna on foot for the second time in December 1869. There is evidence that Peter Mitterhofer received 150 guilders from the Emperor Franz Joseph I for his Meran model. This typewriter passed into the collection of the Polytechnic, where it faded into obscurity. On June 21, 1910, a typewriter labeled as old typewriter of unknown origin, allegedly Austrian was delivered to the Technical Museum in Vienna along with many other items.

The evidence that the model was connected with Peter Mitterhofer is provided by a letter from Peter Mitterhofer to Franz Ferdinand Goldegg zu Lindenburg (1798-1878). The character of the font and a close comparison of the lettering in this typewritten letter leave no doubt as to this analysis.

The interiors of the residence are not open to the public. The inventor’s grave and memorial stone are located in the old cemetery at the east wall of the Pfarrkirche Partschins parish church.

You will soon find more information about the Faznager-house here. 

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

The Rochelehof is situated in the center of Marling. The proprietor, Walter Mairhofer, is a passionate collector of historic equipment and tools from days gone by. His collection specializes in grape and fruit growing. He is delighted to tell visitors about folk sayings, old rights and obligations and the storing of wine in cellars. Visits by telephone appointment: Tel. 366 11 45753

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

Casatsch Pfeffersburg Castle which once stood on the rop of a high-ranging hill above the village Nals, now only contains some ruined walls. In 1194, Konrad II of Beseno, bishop of trento, loaned to Ulrich Ruf, the brothers Heinrich and Friedrich von Pitzol, Marquard, Hartwig and During of Tesimo with a hill called the „Casac“ which was found above Nalles in the parish of Tisens. He permitted these men to build a castle. The planning permission was linked to the condition that the castle was always open for the bishop, his successors and to the Counts of Eppan to whom the builders were subjects. During the second half of the 14th Century, the castle‘s ownership went to the Lords von Greifenstein and in 1390 into the hands of the Botsch dynasty. With some interruptions when amongst other people, the Lords von Zwingenstein are listed as owners, all in all, the Casatsch Castle stayed in the hands of the Botsch family. Marx Sittich von Wolkenstein called the castle „Pfeffersburg“. After the extinction of the Botsch family, the ruins became part of the Stachelburg, then under the ownership of the Barons von Schneeburg and finally the Giovanelli family. During the last few years, the ruins were mentioned several times in the media. The present owner, Verena Jordan organised extensive renovation work which was finished in 2002.

The Tennis Centre in Via Piave 46 - in the middle of town with its own restaurant - has nine perfectly well kept clay courts (five of which are lighted) and two hard courts and is open from April to October. Between the end of October and the end of May you may play indoor on heated courts.

The Merano Tennis Club is well equipped with ample and comfortable locker rooms and showers.

The oldest settlement traces of Naturno are the huge rock formations of „Neuräutl“ at the "Leitenhang" above Compaccio in Naturno.

The Neuräutl area is located on Naturnser Sonnenberg, where a large rock formation rises out of the mountainside in the shape of a roof. The protective cavity underneath was first used as a dwelling in the Stone Age around 11,000 years ago. This makes the rocky roof one of the earliest settlement sites discovered in the Venosta Valley to date. In Roman times, the Middle Ages and up until the 19th century, the rock also served as a shelter from time to time. The artefacts are on display in the Prokulus Museum in Naturns. On display are Finds from the Stone Age: tools made from flint (silex): blades and scrapers. 9th-8th millennium BC Middle Stone Age and finds from the Roman period: fragment of a Roman bronze coin. 2nd-1st century BC

The residence is a playful Early Renaissance building from the second half of the 16th Century. For several generations, the beautiful, romantic building has been private property and was changed into a bar and Törggele cellar. The residence consists of some oriel towers, a free-standing staircase with loggia, simple wooden ceilings and decorative frescoes. The entire residence reflects pride and beauty. Many years ago, it was protected from the road by a battlement wall.

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.

From the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, mentioned for the first time in 1323, today are only preserved some walls.

Lordly towers, historical pinnacles and arcade windows.
Schloss Plars evokes tradition and combines the charming ambiance of old times with the stylish appeal of modernity, while love for details and a perceptible sense of well-being give an extra touch to the special atmosphere of the place. 

From april to October there is a wine educational trail - a guided tour with a visit to the wine cellar and a wine tasting session.

You can book the tour at the winery "Schloss Plars" until the day prior to your visit. Phone: 0039 0473 448 472 or E-Mail: info@schlossplars.com.

Price: EURO 15 per Person (free for children/youths under the age of 16)

Around 19 mills were working around 1553 in Partschins/Parcines. The Formermühle on Wasserfallweg was built in 1920 and has been restored in 2009. (Attention! Visits only from the outside - private property)

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

The chapel of the castle was dedicated 1474 and renewed in the 17. century.

The last original, preserved and still functioning water crane in South Tyrol dating from the Austro-Hungarian era is located at the Bad Egart Imperial and Royal Museum (K.u.K. Museum Bad Egart) in Töll/Tel. The water tower was built in 1910 and the accompanying water crane was installed at the same time. Water cranes were used in the 19th century to supply steam locomotives with large amounts of water.

The museum acquired the water crane at the historic railway station in Töll from the Italian Ferrovie dello Stato railway company in the 1980s. It was recently extensively renovated, along with the accompanying water tower, by the provincial authorities in Bozen/Bolzano. The water crane is four meters high and consists of a cast-iron, freestanding vertical pipe with Art Nouveau ornamentation and a rotating arm which can be laterally swung over the track. It weighs 2000 kilograms. An 80-centimeter-tall lamp is attached to the top of the crane, which was powered by gas. In future, this will be mounted again on the water tower. There is a tank made of iron on the upper floor of the water tower, into which the water was pumped from the water reserves adjacent to the site. The amount of water required and the required water pressure could be controlled by means of the water tower and the on-site tank.

In the 19th century, similar water supply systems were located approximately every 25 to 30 km along the railway line and at shorter distances in the low mountains.

You will soon find more information about lime kiln in Tisens/Tesimo here

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

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

Medieval tower high above Gargazon and the Etschtal Valley. The Trautson coat of arms can be seen above the round arched entrance. The tower is believed to have been built by Bertold Chrello-Trautson, whose name appears in records dating from 1237.

This stately home dates back to the XII century and is owned by the descendants of Knight Franz Ferdinand von und zu Goldegg. The splendid gardens are the home of many Mediterranean trees as well as an old yew-tree, a cypress and an incredible 140 years old, 45 mt. tall Mammoth Tree.

The castle itself is not open to visitors.

The vast ruined fortress of Mayenburg stands on land that shows evidence of prehistoric settlement on a long hilly ridge in Foiana. It was built by the Counts of Eppan and is first mentioned in the records in 1241. In 1650 Count Veit Benno Brandis took over the castle and extended it considerably.

In 1922 the ruins were acquired and renovated by a family of physicians, the Auffingers. The imposing, closed complex still features sparse remnants of murals dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The strong keep and round dovecote tower above the castle well are worthy of note.

The Schlerihaus belongs to the castle complex of Stachlburg: until the year 2000 it stood ugly and ignored at the edge of Peter-Mitterhof-Platz square. For many years the ground floor had served as stables, and the upper floor as temporary housing for harvest workers. It has since been renovated, and several beautiful frescoes salvaged. The Knights’ Hall (Rittersaal) was built around 1700, as a setting for the landlords to host private parties.

Once every autumn since 2009, the current landlord, the Baron von Kripp, opens his beautiful hall to hold a concert in memory of his ancestor, Johann von Stachl. The concert includes selected early music performed on period instruments, organized in collaboration with the Local Heritage Association (Verein für Heimatpflege) of Partschins/Parcines, the Association of Friends of Stachlburg (Verein Freunde der Stachlburg) and the Tourism Association of Partschins-Rabland.

The interiors cannot be visited!