Tous les châteaux forts & châteaux

Emma Hellensteiner (23 April 1818 - 9 March 1904)

Emma Hellenstainer was a charismatic host, an excellent cook and a pioneer for tourism in the Alpine region. The “Schwarzer Adler” (Black Eagle), as the Hotel Emma was known then, became known far beyond the country’s borders. Her charm captivated guests from all over the world. Visitors from Germany, Great Britain, Italy - they all came to Villabassa because of the beautiful local landscape, but mainly because of Emma and her engaging personality.

It was most probably built at the same time (the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century) and probably used for fires that were used as signals. Kreideturm: the tower is situated just 50 m below Burg Hocheppan. Architectural style: a wall, which has now fallen down, surrounded the tower. There are still a few metres visible on the south side. On the other side there is a lower lying entrance that was probably used to light the fires. The inside of the tower is a narrow dark shaft. Walking: all walks to Hocheppan go past this tower.

The location of Castel Freudenstein makes you enjoy a great view on Bolzano and the mountain ranges of the surroundings. Catinaccio, Sciliar and large parts of the Val d’Adige, this is what you can admire from Castel Freudenstein. This mighty mansion was constructed in the High Middle Ages, in the 13th century.

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.

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

The castle Obermontani was built in 1228 by Albert II of Tyrol as defence against the Bishops of Chur and is the place where the original handwritten copy of the "Nibelungenlied" was found; now it is in the public record office of Berlin-Dahlem. Viewing only possible from outside.

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.

Be inspired culinary delights! A visit to the Castle Sichelburg with Mirko Mair is the combination of indulgence and history. Experience the magnificent paneled rooms and the impressive vaults of Sichelburg contemporary cuisine in a historic setting.

Enjoy good home-made food in our traditional country inn. We serve varied menus with biological products from our farm.

BOOKING REQUIRED!!

This magnificent castle, built by Hugo von Montalban in the year 1278, has been the summer residence of well-known mountaineer Reinhold Messner since 1983 and is one of Messner's five Mountain Museums. The castle houses Messner's extensive collection of fascinating items from Tibet and numerous masks from all over the world as well as interesting paintings of mountain scenes.

This year the museum can be experienced without guidedtours. Instead, visitors can download the trilingual“Locandy-App”, on which Reinhold Messner will guide you through the museum and tell you about it (works like an audioguide on your mobilephone).

Tschenglsburg Castle, also known as Fuchsburg, remains a unitary building complex despite its different construction periods. At its entrance, there is the great entrance portal dating from the year 1000, with a keystone in the white marble arch engraved with the family coat of arms. The castle was privatized in 1860 and is today a popular cultural tavern.

At the Stallwies farm, one of the highest farms in South Tyrol, is an old mill not far from the farm. The Kornhof, on which rye is still grown today, has processed the grain in the mill itself. Visit the old mill and gain an insight into ancient traditions.

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

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

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!

Former rectory with Gothic bell tower.

The merlons, slits and the sculptured faces in the stone decorate the Gothic bell tower of Jenesien town hall buildung, once the village school and rectory.

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.

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

The castle, which formed part of the Vicarage of Corzes/Kortsch, was ceded as part of a feudal exchange by the Diocese of Frisinga to the Bavarian Counts of Moosburg. Today, all that remains is a tower with frescoes.

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!

The octagonal, striking tower of the water station, together with the reception building, the storage shed with loading ramp according to type plans by Wilhelm von Flattich and the railway dwellings to the east planned by Angiolo Mazzoni in 1926, form a railway ensemble steeped in technical history. The water reservoir, a unique landmark of railway buildings from the “k.k. Monarchie” (imperial and royal monarchy), was inaugurated in 1871. It was placed under monument protection by decision of the regional government in 2004 and has been the property of the municipality since 2010. In the era of steam locomotives, the water station had the function of a regular filling station, which was fed by the natural gradient of the high springs, south of the railway line, by means of a gravity pipe (communicating vessels). As the trains had a stopover of around 15 minutes to refuel the locomotives, the water filling of the tenders (storage wagon) and usually the deslagging of the ash box and the re-fuelling of the coal were carried out at the same time.

 

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!

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.

With its 65,000 square metres of space, Franzensfeste is the largest historical complex in South Tyrol. Begun in 1833 under Emperor Franz Josef, this masterpiece of Austrian fortress architecture was opened by Emperor Ferdinand in 1838 after a construction period of only five years. By this time, however, it had already lost its strategic importance and justification. The enormous effort and the horrendous costs - for nothing. From then on, the huge fortress was only of use as a depot and was frozen in the Sleeping Beauty sleep of a strictly guarded military installation for over a century and a half. Since the military left the fortress in 2003, Franzensfeste has been open to the public and was extensively renovated in the course of two major exhibitions in 2008 and 2009. As a South Tyrolean Provincial Museum, Franzensfeste Fortress is now a magnet for tourists and locals alike and a popular venue for a wide variety of exhibitions and events.

January and february: winter break

The route through the rock tunnel at Mt. Lagazuoi is accessible from the top station of the cable car Lagazuoi with only 10 minutes walk on an easy well signposted path.

In 1996 the main tunnel in the rock (about 3 km long) as well as the side tunnels were restored and rebuilt at their original length. The restoration was possible thanks to the cooperation of the Italian and Austrian military corps.

In the side tunnels you can see utensils and weapons from the First World War and information panels which illustrate the events of the war.

At the base station of the Lagazuoi cable car you can rent tape recorders with English commentary.

The anticque Ansitz Lusenegg was built in the 13th century. The noble family, who lived there, was well-to-do. Impressionable are the stone curtain wall, the crenellated gable wall and the wood-paneled room.

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.

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

During the renovations in 1992 at the church of "Our Lady Al Colle", carried out by the regional authority for the protection of monuments, the Laces Menhir (dating between 3300-2200 BC) was discovered. The Laces Menhir is made from pure marble and, apart from symbolizing the Adige mountain group, it is also linked to the Lombard Valcamonica mountain group. The Menhir is daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. accessible for visitors.