If you wander in the footsteps of South Tyrol’s history, you’ll discover the most impressive forts and castles, visit charming churches and monasteries, explore the most stylish twentieth-century architecture and places that are worth seeing on guided tours. Shaped by old and new masters, traditional customs and contemporary trends, the wide variety of cultural events like exhibitions, plays, dance shows and music concerts, are the ideal scenarios to interact with the local art and culture.
Henrik Ibsen was a great lover of the once climatic spa. Today you can find a nice collection of fotos, documents and more of Ibsens vacation stay.
Open Monday to Friday morning and Wednesday afternoon.
The parish church to the hl. Veit was inaugurated at the beginning of the 16th century and restored again and again during the past centuries, even after the great fire in 1783.
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.
A hidden natural spectacle reveals itself to hikers at the head of the Ridnauntal valley: the waterfalls of the Burkhard Gorge, which can be reached by following a panoramic trail. Starting from the mining museum in Maiern/Masseria, a marked hiking track leads through shady coniferous forests alongside the Fernerbach, a babbling glacial stream. The romantic, approximately one metre wide hiking trail winds through meadows and forests, past lush mossy expanses.
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.
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!
This parish church has been rebuilt between 1960 and 1962 according to the plans of the architect Luis Plattner and replaced the Church St. Valentin as main church in Brenner.
The altarpieces of the parish church to the hl. Nicholas holds a special treasure in itself: the statue of the Virgin Mary from 1450 by the famous Ulm master Hans Multscher. The organ with the seven registers was set up in 1904.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Panoramic platform at Rosskopf / Monte Cavallo: Outlook with insight to the Tyrolean mountain world. The panorama platform with 360° round view is just beneath the Rosskopf summit. Enjoy a sensational view to the surrounding mountains from the Tribulaun massif in the North, the Zillertal alps in the East, the Dolomites and the Sarntaler alps in the South and the Stubaier alps in the west.
Schrammacher, Olperer, Geißler and much more summits to see – just a wonderful, nearly touchable mountain view. In high season the Panorama cable car takes you just a few meters beneath the platform, so quite everyone can enjoy the long-distance vision. The display boards are showing the mountain names in your range of vision.
The wishing bell on the Rosskopf / Monte Cavallo carries your wishes, thoughts and prayers high above the peaks of the mountains into the country. The ringing of the bell brings hope, joy and confidence.
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.
New local recreation area "Rosskopf Relax" near the mountain station of Sterzing's local mountain Rosskopf. Look forward to viewing terraces with spectacular mountain panorama over the Wipptaler valley basin and the Eisack valley, right up to the Dolomites. High-quality wooden sun loungers invite you to relax and unwind. The little ones can expect a lot of fun and adventure with the great, new cross-country slide and the popular petting zoo RossyPark.
The church was first mentioned in 1418. The actual building was erected beetween 1880-1888 in the Romanesque style.
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 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.
This church was probably built on a Romanic construction. Venantius Fortunatus, a poet and the bishop of Poitiers, wrote in the year 565 in a travel report about a “templum Valentini”. If he meant the church of Brenner/Brennero with this is not definitely sure.
A Romanic tower flanks the nave that was rebuilt in the XV century in gothical style. The stone framed main portal and the polygonal choir are of this time.
The chapel beside the graveyard wall with the deep round arch niche has been built in 1692.
In the years 1731, 1769 and 1792 there have been essential modifications and renovations in the nave and on the arch. Franz Unterberger painted the ceiling paintings in the year 1787.
1983 and 1985 the parish church has been restored. This shows the corresponding offertory box. In October 1962 the parish church Maria am Wege was consecrated and replaced the church St. Valentin as principal church in Brenner/Brennero.
In 1510, the mining lords and miners of the Gossensass-Sterzing mining court had a chapel built on the rock protecting the north-east side of St. George's Church as a symbol of the guild in honour of the miners' patron saint St. Barbara. The chapel is the work of the Sterzing master builder Adam Schaiter and has a two-storey structure with a square ground plan and polygonal chancel end. A Gothic pointed spire set at the corner completes the building at the top. A coloured Austrian shield is visible on the south-west side of the ridge turret. A double flight of steps leads to the first and second floors, to the lower and upper chapel. The basement houses a crypt, which is used as a mortuary chapel.
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 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 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 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 church was constructed in 1498 in the late Gothic style and represents the second most important pilgrimage location in the South Tyrol after Maria Weißenstein. The picture of grace (a wooden sculpture of a standing Madonna with child) dates back to 1470. Of particular historical and artistic interest are the numerous carved tablets as well as a painting depicting the transfer of the picture of grace into the new chapel. Open all day.
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.
Although the first reference to a church consecrated to St. Magdalena appeared in a letter of indulgence dating to the year 1273, the origins of the chapel would appear to stretch even further back in time. The chapel as we know it today was built around 1480/1481 by the Schneeberg/Monteneve miners. The centrepiece of the chapel is the late-gothic winged altar, created in the workshop of Matheis Stöberl in 1509 and depicting scenes from the life of Saint Magdalena together with a number of other saints considered to be patron saints of miners. The second altar, attributed to artist Hans Harder and dated ca. 1470, is also worthy of note. Other works date back to the late Gothic and Baroque periods. In 2004, the church underwent extensive renovations. The altar and ambo were created by Hartmut Hintner of the Gsies/ Casies Valley in 2005.
From the beginning of May to the beginning of November, a guided tour in German and Italian takes place in the miners' chapel every Monday from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm. In July and August, there is also a guided tour every Friday from 10.30 am to 11.30 am.
The guided tour is free of charge. No registration required.
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