Forts & Castles
Kastelruth/Castelrotto, Dolomites Region Seiser Alm
You will soon find more information about the Frankenberg Manor House here.
Sur les traces de notre histoire, tu te baladeras dans des châteaux et des forteresses, tu visiteras des églises et des monastères et tu découvriras, lors de visites guidées, des témoins de l'époque, des bâtiments et des places dignes d'intérêt. Inspirées par les anciens et les nouveaux maîtres, les coutumes et l'actualité, les différentes manifestations culturelles telles que les expositions, le théâtre, la danse et la musique t'invitent à échanger avec l'art et la culture.
The carved-wood monument in memory of the famous mountaineer is found under the "Parei de Ciampac" rock wall, in Vallunga, where Comici fell to his death in 1940. He made over 200 first ascents in the Dolomites, he was the director of the ski school in Selva and town mayor between 1938 and 1940.
Prösels Castle was built in 1200 by the masters of Völs, the noble servers of the bishop of Brixen. In the early 16th century, the head of the provincial government, Leonhard von Völs, turned the castle into a Renaissance residence. The castle as it looks today is almost entirely the work of Leonhard von Völs. In the year 1981, the company KURATORIUM SCHLOSS PRÖSELS Ltd. purchased the castle.
Discover the Rittersaal, the Pfeilersaal, Kaminzimmer ,the Castle chapel and many other rooms in the Renaissance castle on a guided tour. Special programmes are available for school groups and families.
In summer, Prösels Castle hosts numerous concerts in the castle courtyard or on the castle lawn and, in case of bad weather, in the Knights' Hall.
GUIDED TOURS SUMMER (01.05.-31.10.2025 | closed on Saturday):
German and Italian speaking visitors are taken by a guide, for all other visitors guided audio tours are offered in English and French. The castle can be visited only as part of the guided tours from May to October. For groups, guided tours are available on request all year round.
Fees:
You will soon find more information about the St. Catherine’s Chapel and the manor house Gurten here.
The ruins of Salegg are not far from the Hauenstein ruins, at the foot of the might rock face of the Santner, hidden deep in the forest. The castle dates back to the 12th century and were passed in the hands of the Wolkenstein dynasty.
Today all hat remains of its former glory are the castle walls, and yet the site continues to emanate a very special, mysterious energy.
According to an old legend, a secret passageway runs between the two castles Hauenstein and Salegg.
Until 1860 the name of the Zallinger pastures was ‚Sassegg‘ which is Ladin-Bajuwaric meaning ‚hill on the big rock’, hence on the Plattkofel massif. From 1854, Karl von Zallinger-Stillendorf from Bozen/Bolzano with Bavarian origins is mentioned as proprietor. It was he who in 1857 prompted the building of the modest neo-Gothic chapel consecrated to the Virgin Mother. One year later, the little church was solemnly inaugurated. After its restoration in 1993, the Zallinger church needed a new facelift on the occasion of its 150th jubilee. The works were accomplished in autumn 2007 thanks to the generous backing of neighbours and sponsors. On July 28 2008 the accomplishment of the restoration was worthily celebrated.
The building complex, comprising the old hotel and the new residence apartments, is located at the entrance of the valley-side entrance to Selva/Wolkenstein, and is easily accessible both by car and by public transport. Based upon the modern mountain architecture of the 1920s, an elongated wing was designed on the constricted plot that adapts to the natural lay of the land and adjoins itself to the scale of the existing hotel to which it is attached. The reinforced-concrete support structure was built with materials that suit the surrounding landscape: dark impregnated larch wood in the outdoor area, bright spruce wood in the interiors, oak floors, quartzite, white stucco, black steel, leather and natural-colored materials. The ventilated horizontal wooden slats in front of the wooden-clad facade and balconies form as a "second skin”, so to speak, a sort of filter between the interior and exterior spaces.
The Vallunga is part of the Dolomites - UNESCO World Natural Heritage and is located in the heart of the natural park Puez Geisler, which now covers an area of about 10,722 ha. The natural park extends in the north to the Passo Erbe and in the south to the Passo Gardena; In the east it reaches the Val Badia (Kampill, Untermoj), in the west the Val di Funes and Val Gardena.
The valley is bedded in between rocky walls that fascinate tourists in summer as in winter. It offers countless opportunities for sports enthusiasts and real nature lovers, as it is part of the Europe-wide protected area network Natura 2000, which primarily aims to protect the habitats and wild fauna and flora.
WINTER: The valley, which extends over several kilometers, is great in winter for snowshoeing and hiking and is a dream come true for cross-country skiers. It enchants both children and adults with fantastic panoramas immersed in unique mountain peaks. SUMMER: Fresh springs and pure mountain air bewitch us on all our hikes in this unique holiday paradise. Both cyclists and climbers will get their money's worth. With its numerous hiking trails, the Vallunga is the ideal starting point for hikers of all ages.
The St. Catherine church in Aica di Fiè was originally dedicated to St. Michael.
The frescoes on the exterior wall were made in 1420 and are worth a second glance. They show us the legend of the Christian princess Catherine of Alexandria.
A chapel dedicated to Santa Cristina existed here probably at the end of the 12th century. A Romanesque church was mentioned in a papal document in 1342. The bell tower walls, up to the roof eaves, date back to that period. The church was extensively altered and enlarged: the choir is in the Gothic style, and a polygonal ossuary was added in the 16th century. The main altar (1690, Vinazer dynasty of sculptors) is worth a visit. The bronze statue of St. Philomena by Dominik Mahlknecht, once in the ossuary, is now in the main sqare of S. Cristina.
Farmer´s Museum in Tschötscher Hof St. Oswald is a district of Kastelruth located on a fertile high-altitude plateau which extends over the precipitous slopes high above the Val d'Isarco. Michl Jaider of the Tschötscherhof remembers the old days before the war well – back when everyone had to pull his own weight when plowing the cornfields, helping with the hay harvest, working in barns and stalls or in vineyards. When he took over the farm and the adjacent inn from his father, the modern era had already begun. Tractors replaced yoked oxen, automatic threshers replaced scythes, and the growing of grain was displaced by the more-profitable dairy industry. Of course, all of the old equipment was now only in the way, but the young Michl didn't want to throw it away. Too many vivid memories from his childhood were connected with it…
Admission ticket: volontary contribution
Categories: Farmer, Craft, culture, Popular culture, Etnography
March 1 - November 30 Thu-Tue 9 am - 20 pm
Witches'spring: adventure path with the witch Curadina to the sulfur springs
The Chapel was built in the Selva's graveyard to commemorate all mountaineers who die in the Dolomites in Val Gardena. Their names are engraved in a large coper book.
A musical clock is set into the facade of the "Sarteur" house in Selva. Every day at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. (5 p.m.), fourteen valuable bells play different tunes. Four wood-carved medieval statues appear as the music starts. The paintings on the wall depict the craftsmen who used to work in the area, which was once called "Ghetun".
Völser Weiher Lake: The Völser Weiher lake at the foot of the Schlern mountain is Italy’s most beautiful swimming lake. Whether enjoying a summer evening bathing in South Tyrol, taking a rowing boat out onto the lake or go ice skating in winter; the Völser Weiher lake offers relaxation and recreation.
The castle was built between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg. It is located between Selva and S.Cristina and was used as a summer and hunting lodge. In 1863, Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg granted the castle to S.Cristina municipality to transform it into a almshouse. The castle has been owned by the Franchetti Barons since 1926, and it is currently closed to the public.
Chapel of St. Michael. The Chapel of St. Michael, also known as “cemetery chapel”, is situated next to the parish church of Völs and dates back to the Romanesque period. Today, the chapel houses an archaeological collection and the Völs Parish Museum .
The legend of the King Laurin
A long time ago at the Catinaccio was the King Laurin.
The hard-working dwarfs lived there. One day the King esposed his daughter Similde with another King of the Adige. All the noble people were invited but he does not. So he decided to go on this competition with a magic hood as a invisible guest to see his beautiful Similde. He saw her and fell in love with Similde.
The King took her on his horse and rode away. Similde's husband and his cavaliers was searching her. King Laurin knew that they are coming so he took the miracle belt to got more power. They fight each other and the King saw that he has no chance. So he decide to take his magic hood again and to jump throw the Catinaccio. The cavaliers saw the movement of the roses and captured him.
He was so angry that the Catinaccio betrayed him, so he cursed them: Neither day nor night should anyone ever see him. Laurin forgot the dusk and so it comes that today we can see it with his blooming roses for a short time...
An unique group of holy buildings is standing on Mount Calvary, also called Kofel/Colle at Kastelruth/Castelrotto. From the village a path leads among porphyry rocks and beautiful nature. Several chapels line the pilgrimage, which ends at the Roman tower. The seven chapels show pictures of Jesus and his mother, the Mount of Olives, the scourging, crowning with thorns and the handwashing and the Entombment. (Nice walk - 20 minutes)
A steep path starts near the "Carabinieri" training centre in Vallunga and heads up to the castle ruins. Built at the beginning of the 13th century, it collapsed in 1525 and has never been rebuilt. It has been owned by the Wolkenstein family since the 14th century. Oswald von Wolkenstein, a famous minstrel and poet born in South Tyrol between 1376 and 1387, died in Merano 1445, probably spent his summers in the castle.
The sundial created by the artist Roland Moroder is located on the Alpe Juac on a huge meadow and counts as usual all the serne hours. From Selva Gardena one reaches the sundial about the cozy walk no. 3 from the "Daunëi" fraction. Walking time: 30 min.
The old Nives barn, in the middle of a sprawling tourist village structure, was to be preserved as a reminder of the farming past and used for exhibiting purposes. Through the renovation, surfaces were created in the section made of stone and in the solid wood construction of the barn. The interior spaces below were plastered, and those above were paneled with larch. In order to enlarge the exhibition space the barn was connected through a short passageway to a new structure, forming an elegant architectural contrast. A visually light pavilion, the structural steelwork, was surrounded on all sides by a glass facade. As a result, the building allows insight into what is happening inside and develops a dialogue with passers-by, who are encouraged by its transparency to visit.
The trail starts near the valley station of the Col Raiser cable car in S. Cristina and winds through the woods above Cristauta. Along the way, accessible from directions, there are five information stations, each dedicated to a different bird species in Val Gardena. Each station features a wooden sculpture, handcrafted by a master sculptor from Val Gardena, and offers interesting facts about the habits, lifestyle and characteristics of each species. You can hear the bird’s calls by scanning the board’s QR code, making the experience even more engaging.
