Tous les châteaux forts & châteaux

A short distance from the town centre on the road to Cirlano, you will find the ruins of the St. Laurentius church. Waggoners and wanderers of days gone by would often seek refuge here and were on occasion stripped of their possession by bands of unscrupulous thieves.The ruins were carefully restored by the Association for the Preservation of Local Heritage, and is lovingly cared for and maintained by its members. Equally so the cornfields right next to the church, which have been revived and are farmed using traditional methods of agriculture to preserve the cultural landscape of bygone days.

The stately castle of Enn is located above Montan/Montagna. It was built around the year 1300 at the request of the noble Lords of Enn, who at that time also owned the fortress of Castelfeder. In the course of a dispute, the von Enn family was expelled. The castle was subsequently inhabited by several noble families and repeatedly rebuilt. Since the 17th century, Enn Castle has been privately owned by the Albrizzi family and is not open to visitors. An exception is the traditional "Schlosskonzert," which takes place annually in mid-August. This is a good opportunity to see the castle courtyard and experience a traditional concert by the Montan Music Band.

Laimburg Castle was built in the 13th century by the Lords of Laimburg as a residence and was intended to secure the transition over the “Kreithersattel”, the connection between the Val d'Adige valley and the Oltradige/Überetsch valley. Originally, the castle was built in Romanesque style and later, in 1342, extended in Gothic style. Towards the end of the 15th century the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. In 2002 the castle was completely restored and secured and is freely accessible ever since.

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.

The ruin of St. Valentine was the precurser of today's church in Salonetto/Schlaneid. The wooden church was build in the 8th century, but was replaced by a stone church just one century later. In the following 1000 years the church was architecturally changed multiple times, and completely renewed in 1770, when the church was replaced by a new one in the village center.

Ladin Museum - Tor Castle In the very heart of the Dolomites live more than 30,000 Dolomite Ladins whose identity is characterised mainly by two important features: the uniqueness of their language, which derives from popular Latin, and the extraordinary mountain landscape at the heart of the southern Alps. It is only thanks to the physical characteristics of this landscape that the Ladin language has survived today. It is the eldest of all languages spoken in this region and is restricted by the Italian and the German cultural and linguistic areas that surround it. The way through the museum focuses on some significant aspects of the present and past lives of the Dolomite Ladins, highlighting the important influences of cross-regional events on the lives of the population and pinpointing the existing interrelations between landscape forms and lifestyles. The museum is housed in the Ciastel de Tor, a castle dating back to 1230, created as a fiefdom of the Bishops of Brixen.

The castle is available as a wedding venue for couples interested in crowning an unforgettable day and experiencing a fairytale moment in a medieval castle.

On a hill above Mareit near Sterzing rises Wolfsthurn Castle, described by the Tyrolean historian Johann N. Tinkhauser in the 19th century as “the most beautiful castle in all Tyrol”.

The baroque castle has since its building been in the possession of the Sternbach family, and since 1996 has accommodated the South Tyrolean Museum of Hunting and Fishing.

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.

In 1256, the Winnebach Castle, also called Aschburg, was first mentioned in an official document. The castle was originally owned by the Rodank family of Asch. Part of the dungeon was still there about 50 years ago, and in the middle of the tower an imposing, giant and legendary spruce grew. A local wanted to search for the legendary gold treasure in Aschburg Castle around 1970, and thereby blew up the entire tower. According to the legend, Arnold V. von Schöneck constructed the castle as a hunting castle. It is believed, that at the end of their lives, the Schöneck sons were cruel men who attacked and plundered the people. For this reason the castle is also called the Thieves Castle by locals. Starting point: car park in the village center

The Rio Pusteria Fortress can be found at the entrance to the Val Pusteria, between the villages of Rio Pusteria and Vandoies. The fortress is directly located along the main road, also the Pusterbike Cycle Route runs past this impressive place of interest. Exactly in this place, the borderline between the countships of Goerz and Tyrol ran in 1271. For this reason Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia, had a dam built, that is to say the castle-like Rio Pusteria Fortress.

Actually the original building was located 600 m in the west of the present-day location and consisted of a long-drawn-out barrage as well as two turrets. The ancient fortress was built according to the model of Mediaeval dam. The construction material consisted of natural and homogeneously-sized river stones, which were hardly modified. The last documents regarding this building are dated 1340.

The newly-built construction, that is by the way preserved still today, bears the hallmarks of Sigismund, Archduke of Austria. The fortress is decorated by round turrets, while a dam stretches up the forested slope. In fact, the Rio Pusteria Fortress not only used to be a toll station, but was also residential building and dam. The building can be visited in a guided tour in summer months.

History and stories from the castle and the region, an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Prices:

www.burg-heinfels.com

Birthplace of the famous South Tyrolean composer and provincial director of music Sepp Thaler in the
Oberdorf quarter. Born in Auer in 1901, Thaler, who died in 1982, as a young man worked there as
choirmaster and organist. In 1922 he took over leadership of the local music band, holding the position
for 58 years. After the Second World War, in 1948 Thaler became the musical director of the Association
of South Tyrolean Music Bands and, from 1980, the Association’s honorary musical director.
Thaler composed numerous works for brass instruments and a variety of secular and sacred choral
pieces. A recipient of the Tyrolean Service Cross and other awards, the Sepp Thaler Music School and
the Sepp-Thaler-Weg in the Mitterdorf are named after him.

Located at the southern-western outskirts of Bolzano/Bozen, this castle is considered one of the emblems of South Tyrol. The original name "Formigar" stems from the Latin word "formicaria". From the 10th century a.d. the castle belonged to the Prince-Bishop of Trento, while during the second half of the 15th century Duke Sigismond , Count of Tirol, bought it and transformed it into the biggest and most prestigious of his castles naming it Sigmundskron (Sigismonds' crown). At the present date it has become the Mountain Museum of Reinhold Messner MMM Firmian.

Castle Dornsberg (also called Castle Tarantsberg) has been established in 1217 by the Lords von Tarant. The castle has panels, tiled stove, carved doors and windows, and many more elements. In the Saint Ursula chapel there is also a winged altar, the walls boast ancient paintings. In the heart of the castle, the donjon towers into the sky. Castle Dornsbeg was owned by various families until in 1964 the Gottschall family from Munich purchased the castle and had it restored. Still to this day Castle Dornsberg is in possession of this family and is not open to the public.

The mighty buildings of Castle Schenna just above the city of Meran are still partly surrounded by a moat. Using the bridge, you will come to the entrance of Castle Schenna and from there, if you pass the dungeon, you’ll arrive in the courtyard. An open staircase will lead you to the castle chambers. Castle Schenna in South Tyrol is open for guided tours. Only the wing containing the private rooms of the count’s family remains closed to the public. The halls and grand chambers are home to a painting and portrait gallery, a weapons collection, as well as numerous art-historic objects of Tyrolean history.

Guided tours:
Tuesday to Friday at 11.30 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. and every Monday and Thursday guided evening tours at 9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday closed.

Online registration required:
https://www.schloss-schenna.com/anmeldung-fuehrungen-831191.html

The “Schwarzer Adler'' Inn dates back to the 15th century. It was the largest and most solid inn in Salorno/Salurn, located at the most important crossroads of the time. It was equipped with a parlour that exerted great attraction on passers-by and villagers and knew how to maintain itself as an inn best and longest. This large inn, once owned by various noble families, later fell to merchants and the bourgeoisie and was eventually divided among various owners: in 1500 it was the Rölls, 1600-1680 the Lansers, between 1680 and 1700 Andrä Nagele, who sold his property to Peter Tolloy, who in turn ceded it to Baron J. F. von Coret. In 1801 the inn was acquired by the Tschurtschenthaler family, who sold it in 1825 to Anton von Gelmini and Anton von Vilas. In 1833 the inn fell into the hands of the Petermair family. With the construction of the railway (1859), however, there was a drastic decline in the number of guests. From that time on, the inn's activities were almost exclusively limited to guests from the village.

Remarkable is the magnificent black eagle made of wrought iron, which has been preserved to this day in the same place above the old post road and reminds us of the old name and the centuries-old hospitality business that was practised there. The "Black Eagle" proved to be the most frequented inn in the village at that time.

The Ursuline Gate is located near the Ursuline Church at the western entrance of the "Stadtgasse". It was enlarged in 1758 to allow a large fountain to be transported into the town. The fresco was designed by Johannes of Bruneck in about 1420.

Once known as "Lucke" (or hole), the gate carries a painting by the South Tyrolean painter Rudolf Stolz (1874-1960) which shows Saint Florian, the Bruneck coat of arms and the town's founding bishop, Bruno. In Florianigasse, St. Florian, a work by the Bruneck artist Josef Bachlechner (1871-1923) can be seen.

The castle can be visited only with guided tours!
Guided tours take place daily (except Saturdays) at 11.30 am and 2.30 pm.
In July & August additionally at 4.00 pm.
Duration: approx. 1 hour

Group registrations from 20 persons: +39 348 739 2329 or schloss.rodenegg@gmail.com

The castle is located between Sciaves and Rio di Pusteria in the municipality of Rodengo on a small rock outcrop, steeply descending into the gorge of the Rienza river. Castel Rodengo is one of the most majestic fortresses of its times in South Tyrol and you will be astonished by its position and the large number of rooms and cellars of the castle.

Entry fee:
Adults € 8.00
Right (10-18 years) € 4.00
Children (6-10 years) € 3.00
Groups (from 15 people) € 6.00

GUIDED TOURS FOR KIDS
at 2.00 pm every Monday in July & August.
Registration: www.gitschberg-jochtal.guestnet.info

The building in baroque style became the residence of the Venetian Counts Zenobio in 1729, after they acquired it from the Cazan lords. The façade is decorated with the coats of arms of the family that held the court of Enn and Kaldiff between 1648 and 1830. The interiors are arranged symmetrically around a central staircase and have magnificent stuccoed ceilings.

The castle of Laces is from the 13th century and was permanent residence of the Lords of Annenberg (the only moated castle in Venosta Valley). In 1770, the castle completely burnt down; the tower wing was renewed in 1842. Can not be viewed (private property).

Stadtgasse, the main shopping street in Bruneck, is fringed on both sides by picturesque houses, some of which still display ancient frescoes; the various gable structures are noteworthy. Stadtgasse Bruneck The buildings in Stadtgasse are exclusively residential houses, in which shops and inns are accommodated in some stories and on the ground floor.

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.

Andreas Hofer hid for one and a half months with his family at the Pfandler Alm mountain hut, above St. Martin/S. Martino. On January 28, 1810, he was captured and taken to Bozen/Bolzano and Mantova.

The Pfandler Alm is only accessible on foot.

The Weiberbödele is a site dating back to the Bronze Age (approx. 2000-1800 a. C) where votive pyres were consumed. Nearby, numerous metal slags and a bronze axe were found, which suggests the existence of a forge. The mineral should not have made a defect if you think that Stelvio - which is accessed after 15 minutes of ascent respecting the marker 9 (h. 1302 )- was built and inhabited by miners working in the mines of the area.

Ortisei is the capital of Val Gardena, famous for its picturesque pedestrian area with great shops and cafés and its ornate woodcarvings.

This idyllic part of Val Gardena offers the possibility to enjoy the magic pedestrian area during your holiday with the breath-taking view to Sassolungo.

Shopping in Val Gardena is a fun experience. From ski suits to haute couture: you have a great choice. After strolling round the shops there are plenty of restaurants and cafés where you can indulge your palate.

The “zur Goldenen Krone” Inn dates from the 14th century and had a long row of spacious arcades supported on massive stone blocks. The entrance to the inner courtyard of the inn dates from the 17th century. The year 1650 is engraved in the key. The farm was ceded by the Lichtenstein family to the monastery of St. Michele all’Adige in 1470. In the 16th century, the Perkmanns were mostly the owners or rather leaseholders of the house, in the 17th century the Feigenputz and the Röll, Traxl and Lutterotti in the 18th century. It was considered the best inn between Bolzano and Trento and had a wealthy clientele. Despite decay in the previous two centuries, ownership of the building passed to the Mutschlechner family in 1811, who used it not only as an inn, but also for retail trade, horse-drawn carriage hire, a distillery and a butcher's shop.

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.

The picturesque Castelbello Castle, first mentioned in 1238, was built by the Lords of Montalban. Majestically, it is situated on a cliff on the left bank of the Adige River. Because of its exposed position, the castle had to be protected by strong fortifications, which needed to be remodernized over the years. In 1813 and 1824, the castle was largely destroyed by fire. The Counts of Hendl rebuilt only a small part for residential purposes. At the end of a protracted court process held over decades between Count Siegmund von Hendl and the Republic of Italy for the possession of the castle, eventually a settlement was reached. This allowed the State to acquire the castle. The Castelbello Castle is the cultural center of the village. In addition to permanent exhibitions in Spring and Autumn, alternating art exhibitions take place here.
The building of the chapel followed in the late 13th or early 14th cent. The walls contain a frieze with the Twelve Apostles as well as texts from the Confession of Faith. Because the apostles are turned towards one another in pairs, the quotations are alternately written in plain and inverted script.

Another point of interest is the Baumgarten Castle in the historical center of Auer/Ora. During the 12th century, it was used as a fortification. Afterwards, many modifications were made and additions built. Nowadays, it is part of the agricultural high school.