Culture & attractions in the Vinschgau/Val Venosta region

Even from far away, the bright white abbey perched on a hill above Burgeis catches the eye. Founded in 1000, it has been one of South Tyrol’s most important spiritual centers since the twelfth century. “Ora et labora” is the Benedictine motto and also the name of the museum housed within the former farm buildings. The old walls were cleaned and stabilized to this end, left largely in their original state and expanded by a second level of modern interior design. While the walls remained rough and  unplastered, new mountings of glass and dark steel were placed in front of them and at a distance − so that the changes between the late thirteenth century and today are easy to deduce. The artworks and exhibits shed light on the monastery’s development. Upstairs, guest areas and seminar spaces have been created as well.

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Burgeis had managed to maintain its village-like character up to the present day. The traditional Weisses Kreuz Hotel lies centrally on a very small piece of land. The extensions and conversions, including its spacious spa area and new suites, have been admirably incorporated as part of the hotel, they sensitively take into account the survival of historical aspects. Zum Löwen, situated opposite, also belongs to the hotel and was renovated and reconstructed. The building was skillfully extended, the new extension now being home to a bistro and shop. This transformed the square with its fountain into a real village center. The listed facades of both houses were kept, as were the beautifully paneled rooms in the Löwen: all new buildings show the fitting of a modern hotel and are designed to be the best in modern architecture by the use of sustainable materials.

The sunniest and most sought-after cross-country skiing trail within the Ortler Ski Arena alliance, is located between Schlinig and Schliniger Alm, and offers 15 kilometers of trails and a vertical drop of 150 meters. The village of Schlinig built a service center for it, with a ski-waxing facility, changing rooms, toilets and equipment rentals. This single-story building matches the development of the village in both size and materials used. Covered entirely with vertical wood sheathing, the wagon looks like a cog railway into which you enter sideways. The incline of the roof and shape of the building take up the slope gradient. The entrances to the five functional units open onto a covered vestibule on the valley side, while the opposite side is provided with suitably tiered horizontal windows – as a result, the entire complex is integrated into the hillside in an ideal way.

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Situated opposite the station, the central culture house is easily accessible. But the busy federal road that runs between the two creates a significant problem in terms of pollution. A solution was found in true urban development style, with the four well-structured blocks of the building enclosing a courtyard and the highest, windowless side facing the street. This is helped by a high wall made from the typical stone from the area, which also incorporates the buildings of the former primary school with its historical architecture into the modern exposed-concrete complex. The inner courtyard is also the protected heart of it all. It can be used as an additional room for events, with tiered seating. The spacious glass rooms open up onto this courtyard and offer a beautiful transparency in contrast to the enclosed space.

Was put into the present form in 1580 by Count Kleinhans and is decorated with frescoes on the interior and red chalk drawings on the outside. The baroque chapel St. Anna (spanish influence) was built in the 17th century. Over its portal is enthroned the so-called "Wessobrunn Madonna in the rosary" by Gregor Schwenzengast. Kleinhans was captain of the army in Spain.
Can not be viewed in the interior - private property.

At the foot of Churburg Castle, the historical focal point of the village, an old farmhouse has been converted into a museum where the once-meager farming life of the Vinschgau Valley is documented − a lovely counterpoint to the feudal world of the castle. In the basement and on the first floor there are spaces for special exhibitions. In keeping with this use, the structure of both farm buildings has been retained and enhanced with typical regional materials. Larch wood, traditional exterior plaster, glass and steel were used so that its contemporary use is expressed through fittingly modern details. The existing load-bearing structure was combined with today's architectural components so that a homogeneous unit reflecting both tradition and modernity could arise, which shows much of the artistic potential of the Vinschgau people in a timeless way.

Beneath the glowing white walls of the Marienberg Abbey lies the somewhat dingier Fürstenburg, built from regional stone in 1278. A collapse of the castle’s keep in 1996 brought about the renovation, including a restructuring and extension, which was carried out in two phases. It began by securing the historical parts of the building and extending the home wing with modern fixtures made from steel and glass in order to provide the old stonewalls with more light transparency. New schoolrooms in the mountain were then constructed outside of the curtain wall to accommodate the increasing number of pupils. It appears from the outside to be a wall one story high made from the same dark stone as the castle. On the inside, the courtyard has been modernized with structural components made of glass and steel and there is a new section of building work climbing up the mountainside, covered in earth and plants. From something old was born something new.

The imposing ruins of Lichtenberg Castle are a landmark with centuries of history. The castle was built in the 12th century by the Bishop of Chur and later passed to the Counts of Tyrol. It once served as a fortified residence. Today, the castle is largely in ruins, but its impressive silhouette still dominates the landscape.

A visit to the ruins transports visitors back to the time of knights and nobility. The mighty walls of the large palace with its well-preserved window openings give an idea of how magnificent the castle once was. The view over the valley is particularly fascinating – a perfect photo opportunity!

The castle ruins are easily accessible on foot. A short but rewarding hike starts in Prad am Stilfserjoch or in the district of Lichtenberg and leads through picturesque paths up to the ruins. Mountain bikers also use the route as part of their tours through the Vinschgau Valley.

Those interested in history can visit Churburg Castle in Schluderns or the Vinschgau Museum to learn more about the Middle Ages and the noble families of the region.



The Lichtenberg Castle ruins are an ideal place for nature and culture lovers. Whether as a hiking destination, photo spot or historic retreat, a visit is worthwhile in every season!

The visitor centre culturamartell is in the Val Martello next to the sports and leisure centre Trattla. The museum presents themselves as a modern museum of local history and culture from the people on the mountain farms. The national park house culturamartell has a lift and is therefore freely accessible for everyone.

After recent renovations this dormitory offers places to 75 boys and girls, mostly students at the sports high school. The well-equipped building, with all features and a two-story house chapel building, initially met with strong local criticism because of its rigid shape and the building material – concrete, in accordance with the Swiss models of the time. Gradually, however, the insight prevailed that the architect struck upon an essential aspect of the feel of the Vinschgau Valley landscape with this design and that the cube-shaped building, which has a certain ascetic restraint, creates a dialogue with the towers of Malles/Mals. Over the course of nearly half a century, the building has proven itself functional and is also solid from a construction point of view, down to the last detail, even if much of its concrete has lost its original gray silky gloss with aging and has become darker.

The school building forms part of the village-renewal concept, with public revolving around a new village square. The village center is consolidated onto this piazzetta, with the school, gym and the Schwarzer Adler tavern as the headquarters of the associations; the buildings are separated only by narrow passageways in the gardens and schoolyard. The scale of the new school building is oriented towards the existing volumes of the buildings in the village. It is a solid masonry construction with gabled roof, rough plaster facades, and finely smoothed window embrasures that, with their bevels, take on architectural elements of the nearby Engadine Valley. The construction avoids rigid blockiness through varying roof pitches and the soft inflection of the facade along the street space. The large window openings show interiors with fine woodwork and color accents, furnished in a way that is downright cozy.

On the outskirts of Schlanders the garden of the kindergarten encroaches on the stone terraces of Sonnenberg Mountain with its beautiful trees. In front of the group rooms it provides a sheltered open space, which includes many terraces and trees. This unique situation is ideal for a modern child's education, which includes nature and the environment. A covered space at the front leads to the two-story building, which is at an angle here. The architecture should provide the children with a tactile means to discover natural and sustainable materials both inside and outside, so it was built from wood in vertical slats. Large glass panes let light into the group rooms and an additional glass cube situated on the roof allows a comfortable amount of light into the central part of the building and provides a view to the west.

The new Nives construction is another building block towards a focal point for the tourist village of Solda/Sulden, which is unstructured from an urban planning point of view: this is true spatially, with its compact volumes, and in the surface with a new square design, and functional, with a variety of dining options. The seven different restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs alone offer a lively atmosphere with a sun terrace. Two hotel categories, the simple Base Camp and the Base Camp de Luxe, are available for overnight guests. These very different offerings for tourists are housed in a solid construction made of plastered masonry, natural stone and wood right on the edge of the slope behind the square. The interior design is adapted to the various functions and, with lots of wood, is robust yet elegant. The arrangement of the floor plans into freestanding buildings allows for beautiful views in all directions.

Coldrano Castle was once the ancestral seat home of Count Hendl and nowadays an educational center. The architectural history of the castle is unable to trace a precise date of its inauguration; however, it is assumed that the palace was built after 1323. Coldrano Castle is a three-wing building with an inner courtyard, which is surrounded by an almost rectangular shaped wall and by rounded corner towers.

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St. Nicholas’s Church in Laces is a Romanesque church from the 14th century. Formerly it belonged to the monastery of Laces, now it belongs to the municipality of Laces. The remains of the frescoes by the southern front of the church, which portray the crucifixion of St. Nicholas and St. Christopher, are well worth a look.

Since 2017 it is exibition place of the menhir: the top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

The church is open daily from 09 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Meadows surround the freestanding detached family house on the outskirts of Laatsch, a stones throw away from Mals. This unusual, singular building simply needs a certain amount of empty space around it, in order to allow a full appreciation of it. The view of both of the church towers in Laatsch heightens the contrast with the village. The mainly enclosed upper floor houses the bedrooms in a square layout, which encompasses the living rooms below with glass facades. With its far-reaching white glow, the “box” made from concrete seems to sway over everything and projects upwards from the slender supports. In order to provide the glass ground floor with some privacy freestanding stone walls typical for the area were built a short distance away from the house. Such a house makes one self-conscious of one’s living conditions.

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In the center of Mals there was a plot of land for a free-standing building. Block-like brick buildings with windows cut into them and often without an overhanging roof are typical for Mals. The architect adopted this structure and designed a building in three parts with different levels. The middle part acts as an opening and is covered in larch wood boards, while the other two buildings attached to this are plastered white and have uniform, regularly spaced windows. This succinct language of form takes into account the details of the entire building. The shape of the building is clearly structured with the central entrance, so that the citizens can easily find their way inside. The community hall on the upper floor has a special entrance. The interior spaces are marked by white walls, light wood and overhead lighting in the corridors.

The listed Grünen Baum Guest House lies directly on the main square of South Tyrol's smallest city. The ground-floor guest rooms are not part of the renovated hotel, which is housed on the upper floors and are the focus of this text. Here you will find the stylishly paneled rooms of the restaurant, which have preserved everything of value and consciously integrated new elements. Historical rooms are furnished in a modern style and new rooms contain some antique furniture. In the individually designed guest rooms, interaction with history is key, and is displayed through a focus on style and sensitive taste in decor. Bathtubs and showers sometimes stand alone in a room and convey an informal, friendly atmosphere in a very traditional way.

On the renovated cable car, which is an important means of transportation for the permanently inhabited mountain village at the old pilgrimage church, you can ride from Laces/Latsch (630 m) up the summit station (1,740 m) in just a few minutes. The chapel, which leans on a steep hillside, was not supposed to have any structural competition with an eye-catching cable car. In order not to interfere with the visual presence of the chapel, the summit station was built behind a high stone wall that set it apart from delightful surroundings. In order for it to stay as low as possible, the cable car mechanics are situated outdoors. As a result, you can watch its technical components functioning out of the glass cube into which the red gondola glides. Access to the ticket counter and waiting room is at the rear of the building, where there is also an adjoining café with magnificent views.

The Messner Mountain Museum Ortles in Solda/Sulden is dedicated to ice and glaciers. The exhibition focuses on South Tyrol's most important mountain massif: the Ortler. In collaboration with architect Arnold Gapp, Reinhold Messner has created a unique museum, MMM Ortles is housed in a specially designed new building. The architect from Vinschgau managed to fit most of the museum into a small hill. Uniquely, the entrance was integrated into a natural stone wall and the folded walls of exposed concrete are modelled on ice crystals and ice caves. Inside, visitors can admire the world's largest collection of Ortler mountain paintings and ice tools from two centuries. The light is cast through a jagged band of windows onto the exhibits and will remind guests of a glacial crevasse. Ingeniously, the snow-covered peak of the Ortler mountain can be glimpsed at one point of the museum. The window acts as a picture frame so that the mountain is effectively "hung" in the exhibition.

In the industrial area of Glorenza/Glurns, the 13-meter-high cubed Puni Distillery stands out like a kasbah from an alien world − a symbolic landmark. It was the architect's ingenious idea to house all the technical equipment, as well as the sales area, and service rooms inside a brick cube, which was designed according to the system of the old, air-permeable brick walls of a rural barn. The stonework thus has a transparent effect, from the exterior and interior alike, and continues down into the basement, where the sparkling-clean fermenting vat and alembics can be found, a massive vault construction. A convincing uniformity in the choice of materials alludes to the clarity of this distillery’s products – the first to distill whisky in Italy. All the glass-and-steel details have been developed with as much as focus on quality as was the brick construction.

The pre-Romanesque Church of St. Sisinius (ninth century), which has a tower above the choir, is one of the Vinschgau Valley's most important monuments, but is used only for Easter worship. In the immediate vicinity, a sports complex that had been built earlier was extended in line with the historical monument protection and now, as a sports and recreational area, is under communal protection. Through the construction of a horizontally supported sports venue, the conditions on the monument listing could be met. An undulation at the ground level allowed for the changing rooms to be housed on the floor below the restaurant, which is located at the level of the pool. The glass-enclosed restaurant looks very transparent, stands upon slender steel supports, and is covered with a thin shed roof, which lends the construction a floating lightness and at the same time functions as a canopy for the stands at the football field. A very elegant solution.

The square of Lasa/Laas, a village known for its marble, is fancily paved with white marble. In the same square stands a bust of Emperor Franz Josef, done likewise in white marble – and somewhat deserted, having been unclaimed due to the First World War. The traditional tavern situated here is a popular meeting point, and has developed into a popular event venue. The original character was unequivocally to be retained during conversion: wooden floors, brightly painted wooden paneling on the walls, circular benches, simple furniture of widely varying origin and a bar made of matte stainless steel all yield a mixture that seems random, yet was calculated in a sophisticated way in order to create a relaxed atmosphere. The centerpiece of the expansion is the vaulted medieval wine-storage area, which is now used as a restaurant and meeting facilities.

The St. Benedikt church of Mals was ercted in the 8th century A.D. Its Carolingian frescoes are among the earliest murals in central Europe. Originally, St. Benedict's did not have a tower; this was probably only built in the 12th century and therefore appears somewhat oversized. 
Without doubt, however, the two portraits of the founders are the most interesting. They show the Bishop of Chur and a Franconian landlord in traditional costume. This portrait is unique in Europe, as there is no comparable representation anywhere else. 

Opening hours summer 21.04.2025 - 31.10.2025:
Open to the public: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 10:00 - 11:30 am
Guided tours: Monday, Wednesday at 14:00, Friday at 10:00 (only in German language)
Prices: € 1.80 per person; with guided tour € 3.00 per person
Registration not required 

Opening hours winter 07.12.2024 - 15.03.2025:
Open: Saturday at 10:00 am
Price: € 1.80 per person
Registration not required 

Guided tours only in German or Italian language (Info: +39 0473 831190)

The church is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

The Residence Mairhof in Schanzen near Coldrano of the bishops of Chur is a core construction from the 14th century. It was the seat of the curch judge of Chur in the Unter-Scala diocese that also controlled the episcopal court. In addition to its judicial function, the Mairhof residence was also used to accommodate the bishops of Chur during their extensive pastoral and visitation trips. The residence was expanded to a four-storey tower with apartments in the 15th and early 16th century. Cannot be viewed in the interior - private property.