Culture & curiosités dans les Dolomites

Due to its characteristic shape, the 2563m high Schlern is considered the landmark of South Tyrol.

It is also the eponym of the Sciliar mountain group. The Schlern towers above the Seis am Schlern, the largest high pasture in Europe, as well as Kastelruth and Völs am Schlern. The highest point of the Schlern is the Petz with 2563m. In 1974 the Schlern was placed under protection in a nature park and in 2003 it was extended to the Schlern-Rosengarten nature park. In South Tyrol's world of legends the Schlern is considered the home of the Schlern witches.

The ‚Pflegerhof’ farm is South Tyrol's first and most all-round herbal farm. It is an organically working farm led by the Mulser family. This paradise of colours, aromas and scents is situated in the idyllic village of St. Oswald on a sea level of 800m (council of Kastelruth).   Our farm shop is also open during the winter period. We are looking forward to welcoming
In July and August we offer guided farm tours Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In May, June, September and October these tours are offered every Friday.

From the old church from 1332 only the lower part of the tower with its Roman round arch window still remain. The red tower with its imperial roof was built in 1739. The last redesign of the church’s interior during the second half of the 19th century gave the church its New-Roman touch. The artist Karl Hernrici painted an impressive ceiling fresco in 1772.

South-west of Kastelruth, below the Laranzer Forest, lies the hamlet of St Oswald, named after the patron saint of its church. The landmark of the church´s high tower can be seen from a great distance. The church is mentioned for the first time in a historical document from 1234, which was produced on the occasion of an exchange of estates between the Benedictine monastery at Georgenberg and Count Albert III of Tyrol. However, it had probably already been built in the 11th c. One piece of evidence for this is the choice of its patron saint, because the cult of St Oswald of North Umbria spread through Europe before and during the period of the Crusades.

Visitor Center Nature Park Schlern-Rosengarten: The area of the nature park Schlern-Rosengarten has a diversified history, not only in its prehistoric formation. The resulting flora and fauna as well as the management by the people, along with their customs and myths, have left their mark. The exhibition in the Visitor Center Nature Park tries to show all aspects of this area’s unique geology, which was the main reason leading to being named as a Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the flora and fauna, which has always been a source of attraction and inspiration for scientists and nature lovers. In laborious detail work, the inhabitants of this area contributed significantly to the preservation of this valuable cultural and natural landscape. In addition to the exhibitions of the Visitor Center Nature Park department, the tourist office Seis am Schlern and the village library complete the offer for guests and locals.

We have been growing our own fruit and vegetables on our farm for four generations. A huge selection of fresh produce such as tomatoes, courgettes, plums and apples. To bring you even closer to the authenticity of the region, we process what we grow into a wide variety of products.

The church is of Romanesque origin, and its dedication to the archangel also point to its antiquity. However, St. Michael´s Church is not mentioned in any document prior to an indulgence certificate from 1353. Parts of the masonry above the base of the church itself and in the tower are still from the Romanesque period. Gothic modifications were carried out after 1465. The nave was not provided with a vault until the 17th c.

At the entrance of the Tschamin Valley, you’ll find the visitor centre of the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park, located in the historic Steger Sawmill – a rare, water-powered Venetian sawmill.

Until 2021, the building served as the Nature Park House Schlern-Rosengarten, making it the oldest nature park centre in South Tyrol. In recent years, it has been carefully restored, and the sawmill has been brought back into working condition.

Inside, visitors can explore authentic traces of traditional alpine craftsmanship and living culture – with the original saw and a reconstructed living area offering a glimpse into the past.

Free admission!

The Engelrast viewing platform on Puflatsch offers a breathtaking 360° panoramic view of the Alpe di Siusi, the Val Gardena and the Dolomites. The platform is surrounded by a metal plate that gives a detailed description of the fantastic mountain panorama of the entire Alpe di Siusi with Sciliar, Sassolungo and Sassolungo, as well as the surrounding mountain ranges. You can find out which mountains you can see in which direction of the sky and how high the peaks are. A nice detail of this platform is the little angel enthroned above this vantage point. A visit to this magnificent viewpoint with some wooden benches is worthwhile. The Engelrast is located near the mountain station of the Telemix Puflatsch. You can reach the viewing platform on foot from Compatsch on the Alpe di Siusi following hiking trail no. 14 or by taking the Puflatsch cable car.

The museum houses old skiing apparel and ski equipment from different eras. It is located in Kastelruth and is open upon request at the Tourist Office. The museum provides an insight into the evolution of ski equipment, presenting objects from different times. Historical items are displayed, including skis, poles, shoes, ski gloves, helmets, etc.

From the blossom to the schnapps. 

At the Hanig Hof, noble distillates are produced from various raw materials using an old distilling process. Intense aromas and wonderfully fragrant - the brandy from Hanig Hof makes you want more. Experience South Tyrolean quality at its finest.

Many varieties to enjoy: Apple brandy, Treber, elderberry brandy, elderflower apple brandy, apricot brandy, plum brandy, raspberry brandy, pear brandy, rowanberry brandy and GOLDEN barrel-aged. 

At your buy you will receive from us packaging for any occasion - a fine gift for connoisseurs.

The Witches’ Benches The resting place of the Sciliar/Schlern witches on the Bullaccia/Puflatsch mountain is a truly mythical location. Starting point: Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm

The church dedicated to the Holy Mother Maria (1244) stands in the center of the village with its tower covered with fine, red tiles.

The Power of the milk.
That’s right, we make the best cheese! Thanks to our considerable expertise, knowledge and partners: our good cows.

The fresh mountain air is playing its part; our cheese farm on the Gostner Schwaige is located at 1900 meters above the sea level beneath Mt. Schlern in the Dolomites.  Here are our tasty products crafted from fresh alpine milk:

• Various yogurts
• Mountain cheese
• Tyrolean grey cheese
• Petal cheese
• Mountain saffron cream cheese
• Edelweiss Camembert
• GOLDI our yellow Muscat cream cheese
• First Summer – soft cream cheese from the first weeks of grazing

The sun lounger is a harmoniously curved wooden lounge chair that is perfectly integrated into the natural surroundings. This seating and reclining option offers visitors the ideal opportunity to relax and unwind amidst nature. From this comfortable wooden lounge chair, one also has a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.
Whether for a short break or a longer stay, the sun lounger provides an unparalleled nature experience.

You will soon find more information about Josele mill in Gfrill/Caprile here

Once upon a time on a hilly knoll in St. Valentin, a bull began to scratch and scrabble in the ground. It delved all day long without rest until a wanderer chanced along the way. As he came closer, he saw the crown of an enormous bell. The bell was then hung in the church of St. Valentin. And from that day on, the bell was known as "The St. Valentin bull", forever to be feared and hated by witches, as its toll dispels their storms. In Latzfons, further up and to the right in the Eisack valley, the following bell-tale is well known: In days gone by, the local people wanted to move the bell from St. Pauls to Kastelruth. Having failed to move it from its spot even with 40 pairs of oxen heaving, the bell suddenly began to speak: Maria Anna is my name The elements, my domain All the weathers I proclaim And in St. Paul´s I will remain. And there, indeed, she remained!

You will soon find more information about the Perlmühle mill here. 

Tschon Stoan One day, long ago, the wizard Hans Kachler was very angry and threw an immense stone, the Tschon Stoan, from the highest peak of the Sciliar/Schlern mountain on the Seiser Alm. That’s how the legend goes. Starting point: Seis am Schlern

The Parish Museum

The parish museum St. Michael was established in 1980 as the first of its kind in the Chapel of St. Michael which had been restored by the Provincial Monuments Office. It was created an exhibition space which was created in order to protect the works of art and to make them accessible to the public.

The exhibition comprises over 20 individual objects or groups of objects, including the winged altar of St. Peter am Bühel (year 1510), the altarpiece of St. Constantine (year 1519) and the former baroque high altarpiece from the parish church (Adoration of the Magi, Year 1742, a masterpiece of the painter Johann Jakob Delai from Bolzano). Furthermore the "Probst Nativity" which was created by the handicapped artist Augustin Alois Probst from Sterzing around 1805 - the so-called Kastengrippe. Worth seeing are the 42 miniature scenes with the entire history of salvation from the birth to the suffering the Passion and the Resurrection up to the Ascension of Christ, among others with more than 240 expressively carved wooden figures.

 

Archaeology Museum:

In the crypt of the St. Michael's Chapel an archeological collection was built, which can be visited during a guided tour. There are findings from the different epochs - from the Neolithic period to the early modern times - are exhibited, such as the crescent-shaped bronze fibula from the 6th/5th century B.C. In addition, there is also a fragment of a Roman gravestone and so much more to discover.

The small but fine School Museum at Tagusens shows visitors and interested people the life of the pupils between the years 1933 and 1993 and is a unique collection of furnishings and teaching documents that have been preserved on site.

The school life in Tagusens did not mean an encounter with the "foreign" world for the "ABC-Shooters". The children in the lonely place knew each other, only the teacher changed year after year. Furnishings and teaching objects were less worn than elsewhere and thus remained intact. Nostalgic feelings and memories are certainly not absent here and seduce to a bygone era.

On the first floor of the school museum can be visited, the old shoe factory from the `50s, of the master shoemaker "Peterlunger Gustl" from Siusi allo Sciliar.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The valley station of the Seis-Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway is located at the entrance to the village of Seis and is the starting point for accessing the high plateau of the Seiser Alm. In the past decade, it had increasingly developed into an important hub for tourism in the Schlern region, whereby however, its structures increasingly failed to meet the requirements and expectations of guests.

Against this background in 2014 the Seis-Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway AG cable car decided to expand the valley station with its separate station and service buildings both architecturally and functionally into a modern transport hub that reflected the high status of the location and at the same time responded appropriately to the wishes of an increasingly demanding clientele.

The primary goal of the design was to merge the station building with the service building into a common, attractive building complex that incorporated all the necessary, completely redesigned functional areas, while giving the new volume a modern and independent character. At the same time, a sophisticated mobility concept was to ensure smooth traffic flow within the newly structured ensemble. Due to the seasonal operation of the lift, it had proven necessary to divide the upcoming, extensive construction work into two construction lots.

In the course of the first construction phase, an attractive, multi-faceted shopping gallery was built on the ground floor level under the bus terminal south of the valley station, for two sporting goods shops with ski rental, a delicat shop for local products, a snack bar, as well as spacious ski depot. Furthermore, the old service building with restaurant, sports shops, ski schools and administration, which was organised on three levels (basement, ground floor, first floor), was completely demolished and replaced by a modern new building. This now houses - in the basement on the gallery level - the restaurant operations. Above this, a newly designed sports boutique extends over two floors (ground floor + first floor). The new service building accommodates the ski schools on the ground floor and the Aerial Cableway administration on the upper floor. Also during the first construction phase, the north and east facades of the neighbouring station building were renovated. This made it possible to unify the overall façade appearance throughout. The garage for the gondolas in the basement remained unchanged. During the second construction phase in 2016, the reconstruction and expansion of the existing ticket office took place on the ground floor level of the station building. This construction work was completed at the beginning of the summer season. The mobility concept ensures that the Aerial Cableway, the bus terminal and the gallery are just as easily accessible as the parking spaces, the parking garage or the new delivery point of the service building. For this purpose, the shops and service facilities in the basement were connected to the ground floor by a generous spiral ramp. Generous staircases and an efficient lift system complete the access system. The new facade design of the valley station in Seis am Schlern gives the impressive building complex an unmistakable monolithic character. The dominant structure, which is now combined into a single visual unit, has a total cubic volume of around 33,000 m³ and comprises three storey levels, with the basement largely underground due to the hillside. Towards the west, the building cantilevers eight metres over the street-side slope with the panorama terrace inserted into the façade in the basement. The circumferential and height-varying transparent window strips interrupt the building, which is clad in colour-coated aluminium panels.

It is the ruin of a castle once belonging to the lords of Aichach in the 12th century, whose decline is linked to bitter disputes with the lords of Kastelruth. The lords of Kastelruth got hold of the castle and kept it until 1741. Hiking route no. 7a from Seis.

As you walk through the woody valley between Seis and St. Konstantin, all of a sudden the church tower of the St. Vigil chapel towers up before you. This unusual location for a House of God, first documented in the year 1260, is not only a matter of intrigue, but also the origin of countless myths and legends. The chapel was built on an old pagan cult site, during the course of Christianisation. One particular curiosity: At the beginning of spring, on the 21st of March, the shadow of the Schlern falls directly on the chapel for the last time until the 23rd of September, when it heralds the return of autumn.

The small church is dedicated to the holy Vigilius. Worth seeing are the altar from the early 16th century, as well as the figures and grotesque masks decorating the modillions.

High above the entrance into the Val Gardena, to the north of Kastelruth and surrounded by meadows and forest, lies the hamlet of Tagusens. The little church dedicated to St Mary Magdalenen stands at the edge of the dispersed settlement on a distinctive rocky hill. Its position permits the conjecture that a cult site may have already been located here in pre-Christian times. The church building itself is from the Romanesque period and was presumably built in the 13th c., later modified in the Gothic style and finally adapted to the Baroque in 1667.

On a small hill, in a sunny position, there is the settlement of Peterbühl. The hill, which tower is an important historical site. Here are the origins of Völs am Schlern and the entire region of the Schlern. People settled here many thousands of years before Christ. Today, the chapel of St. Peter am Bühl stands somewhat apart in the greenery. Above the door you can see the crossed keys of St. Peter, and next to them the coats of arms of the Thun and Firmian families: they are of Regina von Thun and Katharina von Firmian, the two wives of Leonhard the Elder of Völs. The altar from the 16th century is on display in the Völs Parish Museum. The decorative paintings are made in the year of 1600 in style of renaissance.

A beautiful place for a leisurely walk directly in Völs am Schlern. Several seating options provide a relaxed atmosphere and invite you to relax. A small children's playground can also be found along the circular path, as well as a statue. Sometimes there are some goats that come to the Peterbühl and provide a good company. In summer you can take a guided tour to see the Peterbühl church from the inside.

Chapel of St. Sebastian

The chapel in honor of St. Sebastian was erected in remembrance of the Plague in Tires al Catinaccio. It stands isolated in an idyllic glade, the so-called "holy ground".

The Laranz Forest between Seis and Telfen is the quintessence of a mysterious fairytale forest: The trail through the forest is a gift of peace, strength and inner contemplation. Settlements had already been established on this hilly knoll in the days of Ötzi the Ice Man, and to this day we can still see the Wallburg fortresses of Gschlier and the pre-Christian sacrificial site at the Rungger Egg. The leisurely loop route leads through dappled pine forests to the Königswarte (the "King's Keep"), a spectacular lookout point. Shortly before the Lanzin farms the trail branches off into another loop route, which will take you to a further lookout point, the Katzenlochbühl.

The Ciamin Valley is considered as one of the most beautiful and romantic valleys in the Dolomite area. Hiking through the Ciamin Valley is an easy tour with two alternatives: hiking through the wood or near the beck. The whole tour takes you about 3 1/2 hours and gives you a beautiful view over alpine meadows, a small beck and breathtaking Catinaccio mountain chain.

Old watermill

At the entrance to the village there is an old water mill. The mill and its giant millstone is restored and fully functional - even the interior can be visited. The aim of the old water mill is to remind people of the ancient, significant profession of the miller and of the many mills, sawmills and forges that made usage of the streams until the last century