The Ulten Valley Folklore Museum offers an excellent overview of the life of the farmers in the Ulten Valley.
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.
One of the South Tyrols most magnificent fortress complexes, Castle Trostburg was built at the end of the 12th century and then enlarged and fortified in the 16th century. It has a stupendous late-Renaissance hall in addition to a vaulted Gothic Stube. This is where the famous medieval poet Oswald von Wolkenstein lived.
The castle houses exhibitions and works of art from a variety of epochs. It is also home to a collection of around 80 models of South Tyrolean castles, the work of Ludwig Mitterdorfer (1885-1963).
Information and reservation for groups, tel. 0471 654 401.
The Municipal Gallery is located in the former Dominican monastery and extends over two floors. The Municipal Departement of culture of Bolzano/Bozen organises regional and inter-regional exhibitions on art and cultural topics.
The Mineral Museum is the private collection of Markus Klement (*10 April 1963, Brixen). With over 1,500 specimens on display from 50 different countries, it is one of the largest collections of such kind in the European Alps.
In 1776, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria built a masonry embankment in Lagundo near Merano. This was meant to serve as protective bulwark against flooding of the Adige River. This masonry can still be visited today. Not far away, on the left bank of the river, are the ruins of an ancient imperial Roman road bridge along the route of the original "Via Claudia Augusta". Construction of the bridge dates to the first century AD. Today, the ruins of the bridge have the status of protected monuments. At the head of the bridge there is also a small shrine and chapel.
Exhibition of sacred furniture from the baroque époque in the Tyrolean area. Next to the precious liturgical vestments and gonfalons painted by famous artists, the museum also stands out for its precious jewels from the 18th century.
The South Tyrolean Folklore Museum is the oldest of the provincial museums in South Tyrol and offers a view of social life in the past. The noble residence “Mair am Hof”, built in the 17th century, gives you the opportunity of following a striking itinerary through the refined world of local aristocracy. The stately rooms of the landed gentry and the collections of the museum are located inside the residence. Translocated original farm houses, craft workshops and cottage gardens are situated on the three hectares of the green area. A walk through the open air site takes you into the everyday world of various peasant groups of the past: from the self-sufficient farmers to rural craftsmen, cottagers and labourers.
The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus tells the fascinating story of the cave bear that lived over 50,000 years ago in the Dolomites and was discovered in the Conturines cave, considered the highest-altitude site in the world where the remains of the cave bear and cave lion have been found. Visitors can also explore the geological history of the Dolomites, beautifully narrated through stunning fossils.
The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus, an annex of the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor in San Martino in Badia, is spread over three floors.
On the top floor, the formation of the Dolomites is illustrated with unique fossils of great scientific interest, typical of the area surrounding San Cassiano.
Next is the section dedicated to the formation of the cave, its discovery, and the excavations that unearthed thousands of bones. All the essential aspects of the cave bear's life and its environment are explained through the Ursus ladinicus remains, dating back more than 50,000 years.
On the ground floor, visitors can explore a reconstruction of the bear's cave, where they can admire "the mother bear in eternal hibernation with her cub."
Accessible for people with disabilities: The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus is fully wheelchair accessible.
The Dolomites are renowned all around the world for their unique -beauty. No other place can boast such contrasts between steep rocks and grassy pastures. Michael Wachtler presents the evolving of the Dolomites and their unique genesis in the historical Villa Wachtler. THE BIGGEST MUSEUM ABOUT THE DOLOMITES It will take you from the mysterious world of myths and legends to the bottom of our existence. “Megachirella wachtleri”, the ancient ancestor of today‘s snakes and lizards. The mysterious evolution of plants. Cavern bears in the Dolomites. NEW! DINOSAUR WORLD New researches yielded that in the Dolomites originated the ancestors of the dinosaurs. Beautiful dioramas and original skeletons show you their sensational ascension. NEW! THE LEGENDS OF DOLOMITES From Aurona, the land of gold and the lights to the Snow Queen Samblana. From the legend about the "Pale Mountains" to the Croderes, the people of stone. NEW! TREASURE DIGGING ALL THE YEAR Become an adventurous gold miner and crystal hunter yourself. You might just find a dinosaur, fossils, gold or a crystal of your own.
The Stadt Galerie (City Gallery) located in the center of Brixen / Bressanone was renovated in 2019 and reoriented to contemporary works. Starting in 2020, it will be managed by the SKB. The City Gallery's new assignment is to promote, further develop, and communicate the personal and social value of now-art. In the future, the potential of historical art treasures as storehouses of memory in dialog with contemporary artists will be more-effectively conveyed. Art as a reflector of overall social and cultural processes thinks about social, political, technological, economic, and ecological circumstances. The SKB cooperates not only with the City Gallery but also with institutions and organizations in the province in order to develop synergies and to expand the network for the artists. A commission will appoint a new curator for the City Gallery each year whose job it will be to curate 4-5 exhibitions.
The Val dl'Ert is conceived as a work in progress, in fact it is enriched with new works after each edition of the SMACH Biennale, which this year will open on July 8, 2023 presenting 10 new installations.
Admission is free and the park can be visited independently every day of the year. You can also contact SMACH for individual or group guided tours.
The former mountaineers hostel next to the Hotel Post at the foot of the Ortler, also known as the 'Flea house', is now the site of a museum of Alpine sports curiosities, created by the top mountaineer Reinhold Messner. A collection of thirteen legendary mountaineering tales, ranging from Yogi Milarepa to Reinhold Messner himself, provides an informal history of Alpine sports.
The Church of St. Michael in Taufers/Tubre originally from the 14th century, has housed a religion museum since 2000. On display in the S. Michele Parish Museum are precious Gothic frescoes, and alongside over twenty works of sacred art, which mainly come from the eight churches in Taufers i.M. The highlight of the exhibition is late Gothic winged altar from the S. Michele's Church from around 1520.
As South Tyrol's traditional and largest fruit producing municipality, Lana is the ideal location for the collection and display of information regarding the history of fruit-growing Thus the South Tyrolean fruit-growing museum gives an interesting overview on the fruit-growing aspects of agricultural life.
As South Tyrol's traditional and largest fruit producing municipality, Lana is the ideal location for the collection and display of information regarding the history of fruit-growing Thus the South Tyrolean fruit-growing museum gives an interesting overview on the fruit-growing aspects of agricultural life.
The „Apple Museum" is located in the medieval mansion Larchgut and offers approximately 1,000 square metres of exhibition space where you can find a host of information about this aspect of South Tyrolean cultural history.
The Larchgut Mansion's medieval keep was mentioned for the first time in writing in the year 1301 and it is now a listed building. Since fruit-growing followed winegrowing and crop production, the oldest items on display relate to these topics. Among others you can see the oldest wine press in South Tyrol from the year 1570.
The reclamation of the marshlands of the Adige Valley in the 19th and 20th centuries was the basis for the boom in fruit-growing. The evolution of agriculture, rural customs and every day life of the 19th century are documented through many original tools and objects. In the barn of the estate you can also see antique means of transport, tools and machines that give you an idea of the hardships of a farmers life in the past.
The "world Loden" shows the way from the wool of sheep to the finished piece of cloth. The story of the produciton of tissues is told with the help of historical equipment.
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 mountain mine in Villanders was one of the most important mining areas in Tyrol during the Middle Ages and is now one of the few mines in South Tyrol that is open to the public as a visitors ‘attraction. Explore the labyrinth of tunnels and immerse yourself in the fascinating mining history of Villanders, which goes back centuries.
The Villanders mine had a total of 16 tunnels covering an area of about 20 km, two-thirds of which were dug by hand and one-third with the use of explosives (black powder).
The extracted materials were: silver, lead (galena), copper and blende. The advancement of a miner, between 8 and 12 m per year, was performed mainly on his knees or supine. At the discovery of a mineral deposit of greater size it was necessary to enlarge the tunnel for the transport of minerals and waste rock. The average life of a miner was between 35 and 40 years.
Opening hours:
TUNNEL ELISABETH
Guided tour
- Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday at 10:30
- Meeting point at the tunnel Elisabeth
- Duration: approx. 1,5 h
ELISABETH AND LORENZ TUNNELS
Guided tours
- in July & August on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
- Meeting point at the tunnel Elisabeth
- Duration: approx. 2,5 h
- In the months of July and August there is also a guidance on Wednesday at 10:30.
More information about the Silver Mine: https://bergwerk.it/
The Plunacker Archeoparc is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Alps. The settlement remains span from the Mesolithic period to the Neolithic period, from the bronze age to the Roman period. That is a time span of about 7,000 years! The main attractions are certainly the extensive Roman and mediaeval remains of buildings.
It was discovered by chance in 1976 during excavation work, and during the 80s various buildings were gradually uncovered. The Villanders Archeoparc now covers an area of approx. 1,600 m². There is a permanent exhibit next to it with amphoras and many other discoveries.
Guided tours are also possible outside the opening hours.
Further information: Tel. +39 3355474663 or e-mail: mari.erlacher@gmail.com.
In this museum, Reinhold Messner deals with the final aspect of the conflict between man and the mountains; the heritage of the mountains and the people who have lived in them since time immemorial.
The fifth Messner Mountain Museum was opened in summer 2011 in Bruneck Castle by the well-known mountaineer Reinhold Messner. There are countless exhibits from everyday life. With the interactive "MMM Mountain Peoples" project, Reinhold Messner aims not to "exhibit" people, but rather to invite them to take part in an exchange of experience with the local rural population.
Every year guests from another mountain region will spend the summer in the Messner Mountain Peoples Museum and talk about their way of life, accompanied by everyday cultural exhibits belonging to different mountain regions and their inhabitants, including the Sherpas, Incas, Tibetans and Mongolians.
Ticket prices:
Adults € 14,00, kids (6 - 14 years) € 6,00, students under 28 years and seniors over 65 years € 12,00, family ticket (1 adult + kids under 14 years) € 32,00, mini family ticket (1 adult + kids under 14 years) € 18,00, groups of 15 persons and more € 12,00, school classes (6 - 19 years) € 6,00
What nowadays functions on electricity, once upon a time was driven by watercraft. How this was made, and other interesting things about different handicrafts, you can experience in our mill museum. July–August every saturday with guide to the mills Meeting place: Aldino, 9 a.m.
Walther von der Vogelweide is the most successful and most quoted singer of the Middle Ages and, according to historical research, almost certainly Lajen's most famous citizen from a past century. About 500 stanzas have been preserved by the master of „Minnesang“ and have been preserved for posterity in various manuscripts. On the basis of his song texts, it is possible to reconstruct his eventful life, his values and his role in medieval society. Walther was an admirer of women, a mouthpiece of his time and sometimes a strenuous contemporary due to his sharp tongue.
The interactive exhibition in the Minnehus is dedicated to the life and work of the medieval star in more than 40 interactive, creative, acoustic and visual stations. Visitors soon realize that although Walther lived in the 12th and 13th centuries, his echo still resonates today.
Permanent exhibition of paintings by R. Mussner c/o Stüa dal Te Raetia. The works are also for sale.
holy grave open to Easter the holy grave ist uniquely in South Tyrol
The heritage museum in Laatsch/ Laudes located in a once-abandoned parish barn, opened its doors in 2004. Over four decades, a passionate collector from Laudes collected farming and household utensils and implements. All kinds of odd and also very special items could thus be preserved from decay, and today provide visitors with an insight into their use, and the customs and traditions of the Upper Vinschgau Valley.
The South Tyrolean traditional costumes are renowned for their beauty. It is interesting that almost every village and town has its own costume. These pieces of clothing are worn at every festive occasion, such as religious festivities or at processions. During the time of Charles the Great, it was not permitted for farming folk to wear expensive clothing. People of the lower ranks of society were not allowed to wear more than a Loden jacket. The farmers had to wear clothes made of materials they could produce themselves. Expensive fabrics such as silk and brocade were reserved for the richer people in society. Only when Empress Maria Theresia came to power, was this law amended so that the population could wear traditional costumes of any style. This resulted in a variety of traditional costumes that are still used to this day.
Kastelruth costumes for men: Men wear a shirt, cardigan and jacket with trousers and costume shoes. Their hat is decorated with a carnation and some leaves. The top button of the cardigan and jacketremain open.
Kastelruth costumes for women: Women wear a long black skirt and a black velvet corset. During the winter, they also wear a black small cape and during the summer a white jacket. On top of these, there is a silver or coloured shawl with long fringes. With the jacket, they need to wear a blue apron and with the small cape a black, water-silk apron. In addition, they wear fashionable ribbons that look well with their shawl. Married women wear their hair up, with a silver hairpin and a type of stylish comb, which helps to keep their hair in a knot. Unmarried women wear pigtails that are arranged in a type of Gretl hair style and incorporate this with a black velvet ribbon.
The 72 m high Gothic tower of the parish church of St. Michael is one of the landmarks of the city of Bressanone. It is called the "White Tower" because of its bright, bricked tower roof. The present shape dates back to 1459, and the four oriels behind which the room of the tower guard was located until the 1930s are typical.
