Culture & curiosités dans les Dolomites

Gais has a cultural and historical gem: the old mortuary chapel, the so-called ‘Beinhaus’, has been converted into a small museum. The centrepiece of the museum is a cycle of frescoes from the late Gothic period depicting the Last Judgement. Next to it are the works on the redemption of the poor souls, a kind of catechism for believers who could not yet read at the time. In addition, the Sonnenburg vestments (several precious chasubles) can be admired in a glass display case and St Constantine II (a full-body skeleton) in a reliquary.

Two churches overlook the Piazza Cappuccini.
One is the Church Cappuccini and the other the Church of Santo Spirito.

That poky chapel is the oldest in the valley and has been rehabilitated recently.

The chapel at Bad Salomonsbrunn is also called "Bade Stöckl" and was built in 1725 by Peter Josef von Walther from Brixen.

In Rasun-Rasen in the Valle Anterselva-Antholzertal awaits you a fantastic adventure park where the main focus is on the theme of water. The Wasserwaldile consists of a variety of play elements and fosters creativity among children. Along a water course, you can feel and experience the wet element up close and let the freshness of the water have its effect. A small stream can be crossed on “wiggly bridges” by balancing on wooden discs. This requires a great deal of both skill and concentration. The two banks of the stream are also connected by means of stepping stones. In a separate water play area, new water connections can be constructed in open wooden water pipes. Assistance can be provided, in turn, by natural materials such as sticks and rocks, but also wooden water wheels and water seesaws. 

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.

For a long time, the entire religious life of the valley revolved around the church of La Pli/Pieve Marebbe. Once the most important house of prayer in the valley, records state that since the appointment of one Marquardus as the first pastor in 1214, Marebbe has always had its own resident pastor. Records dating back to 1347 list the church as the "parish church of the Virgin Mary of Marebbe".

Today, it is a grand four-naved Baroque church with a particularly beautiful wooden high altar, skilfully carved in Renaissance style in 1636 – at a time when the Black Death raged through the valleys. The centre features a statue of St. Mary of Graces. Both for the population of the Badia valley and many pilgrims from the Pusteria valley, this picturesque temple remains a well-loved and much-visited place of pilgrimage.

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.

Built 1345 and transformed into the Baroque style in 1675, has an attractive onion shaped dome and interesting coats of arms.

The chapel Gruber was rebuilt in 1872 and decorated in 1884 by the painter Rudiferia. The interior is friendly and light. The wooden sculpture in the altar, Christ in misery, was built around 1800.

Man’s fascination with mountains has been unbroken as long as anyone can remember.

LUMEN gives this fascination a photographic home: located at the summit of the region Kronplatz (in South Tyrol), 1,800 square metres are dedicated to mountain photography.

Spanning four floors LUMEN offers the possibility to experience the history of mountain photography from its beginnings until the present as well as displaying the art of mountain-photographers from all over the world.

 

Last entrance: 3.30 p.m.

The year of construction of the first church is uncertain, but certainly in the year 1490 it was destroyed by a landslide that destroyed a large part of the village. 1492 another church was rebuilt. Over the centuries this church changed style several times and was also enlarged. In recent times the altar has been modernized with works from the artists Mellauner y Promberger. The church can be visited all year round.

The milestone of the roman emperors Septimus Severus, Caracalla end Geta was found in 1928 to the west of the village of Casteldane- Italy in the vicinity of the “Hinterbühel” and was inserted in a country wall. The measurements of the stone (local quartziferous porphyry) are as follows: Over-all height: 1.95 m Top circumference: 1.54 m Central circumference: 1.71 m Bottom circumference: 1.89 m The engraved surface measures 82 cm in height and 74 cm in width: the average height of the letters is 4 cm. The milestone dates back to 201 AD and indicates the distance from Aguntum, a roman town close to the modern city of Lienz-Austria. Starting point: Kiens (782 m) at the tourist office; parking facilities nearby, bus stop. Cross the main road (state road SS 49), and between the Gasthof Gatterer (inn) and the Sparkasse bank building head south down to the bridge across the River Rienz. Walk over the bridge and through the railway underpass and now always follow the No. 5 blue-and-white trail markers: first walk east for about 300 m, then turn south and proceed on that path until you reach the first houses of Ehrenburg. From there continue on the tarmac road for about 100 m as far as the turn-off for the “Straße am Römerstein” (road). Now proceed in a westerly direction, always following the No. 5 blue-and-white markers to the milestone. From there initially keep heading west and subsequently take the track which runs north until you reach the road which runs parallel to the railway lines. From there walk east back to the Rienz bridge and to the starting point. Total walking time: about 1 ½ hours Standard: easy Summary: This walk is especially interesting from a botanical point of view since the vegetation is rich and varied.

The mountain school of Lanebach bei Gais is unique in its form and is considered to be one of the last fully preserved mountain schools in the entire Alpine region.

It consists of a single classroom and an adjoining "apartment" for the teacher. Located at more than 1500m above sea level, it is one of the highest mountain schools around.
Due to its sheer size, it is also called a "dwarf school".
Numerous writings, documents and testimonies of the past 100 years as well as the stories of contemporary witnesses, pupils and teachers tell of lessons and survive in this mountain school.
Visit available on request only : phone +39 348 7735477 - Mr. Hochgruber

This irregular building shows that the church was built in different periods, from the 13th to the 16th century. In the church stands the famous "Madonna with the infant Jesus holding grapes" by Michael Pacher. In the attached Egererkapelle, frescos from the Michael Pacher school.

The Galgenbühel gravel bank near Windschnur, which is formed of ice and water, has regained its strategic importance of late.

Under the fascist regime which took hold in 1939, many bunkers were built into the Alpine Wall in order to secure the Italian border against the German Reich. This bunker will be transformed into an exhibition and venue. It also bears witness to a long-outdated strategic defence system.

Mount Kronplatz is already a success story – and still, there is always room for yet more potential in both summer and winter. With the MMM Corones project, Kronplatz has now written another historic chapter which adds a distinct cultural flavour to this outstanding example of Alpine competence. Inaugurated in 2003, the striking Concordia 2000 peace bell was a first step towards a wider cultural offer. And now, with the MMM Corones, an exciting new milestone has followed suit. The museum was designed and built by world-renowned Zaha Hadid, by many considered the most talented and innovative architect of our time. Zaha Hadid, Reinhold Messner and Kronplatz – that’s an impressive three key brands joining forces for this exciting new project. Adults: 14,00€, children 6–18 years: 6,00€, students (under 28 years): 12,00€, Seniors over 65 years: 12,00€, family ticket (2 adults + children under 14 years): 32,00€, mini-family ticket (1 adult + children under 14 years): 18,00€, groups min. 15 people: 12,00€/person, school classes 6–18 years: 6,00€/person
People with disabilities: 12,00€
LAST ADMISSION 15.30 O'CLOCK

The lovely big bishop's castle is situated on an easily accessible hill overlooking the town and watches over the buildings of the old town as if it still needed to protect the lives and safety of its residents. The main entrance to the castle is the southern gate, which was once reached via a drawbridge.

The famous  mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, opened the new Messner Mountain Museum "MMM Ripa" in the castle.

One of the oldest and nicest regional churches in Tyrol.

Holy Masses on Sundays at 8:30 a.m.

Special masses are held on all Catholic holidays. The parish church is open daily throughout the year.

Visit only on request!

Contact: Hannes Volgger +39 340 545192

Above the forest cemetery in Brunico, an easy family-friendly path leads to the three lakes. A beautiful recreation area on Kühlbergl next to the city center in the middle of nature.

 

Bruneck blends the charm of a historic town with the unique flair of a winter resort. You can feel the special atmosphere of Alpine vibes and Italian Dolce Vita while strolling through the streets of the old town at the foot of the snow-covered Kronplatz mountain. That's one of the reasons why you shouldn't miss a visit of the traditional Christmas Market. Christmas is in the air and it is taking over the entire town. At the market you'll find lovely decorated stands with arts and craft, sweet treats and handmade gifts as well as several culinary delights. Make sure to try the local mulled wine, the best way to end a cosy winter evening.

The traditional Christmas market takes place from 23 November 2018 to the 6 January 2019 in the town centre of Brunico. The guests will find lovely decorated stands with arts and craft, sweet treats and handmade gifts as well as several culinary delights at the Christmas market. Concerts, music, ice rink and the Advent Calender.

 

The protected hanging spruce is a very rare and botanically interesting natural monument and stands at the foot of an embankment next to the road between Hofern/Corti and Issing/Issengo near Mühlen/Molini, below the bridge over the Grünbach/rio verde.

There, a unique post spruce, also called a garland spruce, rises from the young growth. While the terminal shoot grows upright, the approx. 30 cm long side branches hang vertically and are slightly twisted downward. The tree, which is about 115 years old (in 2021), reaches a height of 25 m (1991) and has a circumference of 34 cm (1991). The hanging spruce is difficult to classify in the many columnar and hanging forms known so far. In any case, it is the narrowest spruce form ever found in South Tyrol and far beyond.

The bridge in the context of a museum is part of the concept "thema". Twelve short sections illustrate themes about the Pustertal Road like alpine wall, milestones, postal service, tourism, traffic load, train and bike. The construction of the new bridge across the Antholz stream allowed to restore the historically valuable stone bridge and to keep it as a testimony of the modern art of road building. The following three subparts document three historical epochs of the Pustertal road- and bridge-construction: The backmost, eastern part of the bridge has been left in the conditions it was since 2008: with asphalt covering and crash barriers out of steel. The middle part shows the road after its extension in 1938: with the first asphalt covering and hand rails out of concrete. The anterior part was transformed into its original state in 1847: according to the original project plans with chalk-ballast covering, hand rails out of stone as well as balustrades out of wood and granite.

Awarded with the prestigious architectural prize "Premio Architettura Città di Oderzo 2012".

Roman period in Val Pusteria. The life of our ancestors 100BC-600AD. In the land of Saevates. The Museum Mansio Sebatum Archaelogical Museum is the first museum in South Tyrol dedicated to the ancient Romans who lived in the area around San Lorenzo. The exhibition displayed on three floors illustrates history and development of the ancient Mansio Sebatum settlement and includes many remarkable finds from and around San Lorenzo. The exhibition also provides results from researches on the Iron and Roman Ages which give detailed insight into the daliy life of those times.

The valley along the Seres brook, in the mountaineering village Lungiarü, is also known as the Mills because of the many hydroelectric mills along its banks . Between the orographic left hamlet Seres and the orographic right hamlet Miscì are eight mills , two of which are equipped with two water wheels

Located in Enneberg / S. Vigilio at the entrance to Val de Mareo valley, nature park house Fanes-Senes-Prags / Fanes-Senes-Braies provides a wealth of information about nature park Fanes-Sennes-Prags / Fanes-Senes-Braies via interactive media, videos, and interpretive signs. The facility’s levels are linked via spiral ramps that enable visitors to reach the various galleries, which contain exhibitions on the following topics: the origins of the Dolomites; the 1987 discovery of the cave bear of Conturines; the park’s main habitats; and a three-dimensional relief showing the region’s geomorphology. The galleries also contain pictures of the park’s most impressive features. Next to Alpine pasture agriculture and the attendant Alpine pasture villages, the biodiversity of the park’s mountain meadows of Armentara and Plätzwiese, and the Ladin culture are on diplay. The center also features terrariums and a children’s area with games and crafts, as well as a library.

Ansitz Heufler by Norbert Niederkofler

Ansitz Heufler, located in the picturesque Antholz Valley in South Tyrol, is a historic manor house dating back to 1580. Built by the noble family Hohenbühel zu Heufler, the estate is regarded as an outstanding example of Renaissance architecture and has been carefully preserved to maintain its historical value.

The wood-paneled rooms on the first floor are among the most atmospheric in the entire region—most notably the historic “Hearnstube”, adorned with an intricately crafted ceramic stove bearing the Heufler family coat of arms. Celebrated as one of the most beautiful parlors in all of Tyrol, it impressively blends artisan craftsmanship with living tradition.

On the door to the Hearnstube, one can see a fine engraving of the south façade of Ansitz Heufler: a square, three-story structure surrounded by four diagonally positioned corner towers with characteristic gabled roofs.

The old “Rauchkuchl”, now transformed into a stylish lounge bar, was once a traditional open kitchen where food was cooked and smoked over an open flame or in a smoke channel – a method that added rich flavor and ensured long preservation.

Among the most distinctive architectural features are the bay windows and the towers themselves, all topped with steep gabled roofs. The large windows on the first floor are decorated with finely wrought iron grilles, adorned with elegant floral motifs.

Today, Ansitz Heufler presents itself as a refined residence offering luxurious hospitality and culinary excellence. Guests are immersed in a unique experience where historical charm meets modern comfort – an authentic journey back in time through the preserved spirit of an ancient noble home.

Since May 2025, the estate has been led by South Tyrolean Three Michelin Star chef Norbert Niederkofler, who has breathed new life into the residence, infusing it with his signature philosophy, “Cook the Mountain”. Ansitz Heufler features 10 rooms, a public restaurant, and a bar with a scenic terrace.

Kiens club house, where various events take place, gym, library, youth club ZEK and band are also there.

Not long time ago a good income for farmers came from the production of withewash. With its sale the economic balnce of the council was balanced. Olang, but in particular Geiselberg were very famous for its production. The quality of whitewash changed depending of in which hoven it was prepared. After the bif fire that caused the partial destruction of Olang in 1904, there was a big production of whitewash due to the need of rebuildg the village. With the industrial developement the production of whitewash came to and end at the beginning of the 60´s of the XX century. Nowaday only the hooven in in Untermühlbach keeps the tradition.