Bezienswaardigheden in Zuid-Tirol

About an hour from Seis am Schlern you will find the ruins of Hauenstein on an enormous mountain slope. These ruins were once home to poet and singer Oswald von Wolkenstein, and every so often in the quiet of the night, one can hear the sounds of violins and the mournful song of a maiden who is said to have been bewitched there. Late one evening, shepherds were guarding their flocks around the castle. They sat to rest at the entrance to the castle and recounted one tale after another. All of a sudden, they sensed that somebody in the castle had opened a window. They looked up and saw, through the shimmering light of the open window, a woman combing her long hair. Her head, however, was but a skull, and the shepherds blood curdled at the sight of such beautiful hair growing from a head so fearsome. The woman threw stones and sand at the flock of sheep, who ran in terror. It's believed that the skeleton is the wife of a banished knight, destined to roam the castle until the return of her lost spouse.

Not far from Seis, there is a hushed spot with a view beyond compare: The Karlotten Kofel hill. At the highest point of the volcanic rock and at the foot of the shimmering red porphyry of the mountain face, the incredible view opens out onto the mighty massif of the Schlern - and no less than seven chruch towers! Through the heat of the lava and the exceptionally sunny location, the vegetation here is surprisingly Mediterranean.

A Rosetta Stone depicting the Persian god of light Mithras was found near Mules in 1589. The original is conserved at the Bozen Archaeological Museum, while a copy is exhibited in the internal courtyard of the Sterzing City Hall, where there is also a Roman Milestone of Septimius Severus (approximately 200 A.D.), which was discovered in Sterzing in 1979.

The artificial pond at Teis is ideal for relaxing. It is situated amidst meadows and a circular trail (suitable for baby carriages and wheelchairs) will take you around this pond. Benches and a fountain with drinking water invite to take a rest and boulders on the eastern side of the pond stand witness to the area's geological history.

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

The Schreiberhouse is one of the oldest and best conserved buildings in Jenesien. It was built in the 16. century and was designated as a historic monument. 

At the eastern entrance of Silandro one sees the white blocks, which are worked in the marble work of the company Covelano Marmi.

In the Schlandersburg castle with the Menhir exhibition and in the entire municipality of Silandro, one sees traces of the marble, e.g. at the town hall and at the main square in Silandro and at the ornate fountain in front of St. John's Church in Corzes - as well as in the marble studio at Art & crafts (Covelano marblework).

Covelano marble is used all over the world, for example in luxury bathrooms and kitchens in the One57 - New Yorker skyscraper of superlatives and also the tombstone of Udo Jürgens, the white stone of the grand piano comes from South Tyrol.

The world of marble can be discovered during guided tours and hikes.

The old Lasa Stinkabrunn Sulphur Spring was officially opened on 4th September 2011, after extensive renovations. The water is bacterially clean and rich in mineral content and is therefore well-suited to those with digestive, liver and skin-related ailments.

The coat of arms has five red dots along the diagonals on a silver field. The motif comes from the shield of the noble of Goldegg.

castel builded on 1580 - today it is a hotel - special is the "stube" - livingroom with the fenomenal wood wall

The Egger waterfall near the rest station Egerhöfe in Antholz Mittertal is now accessible. A unique opportunity to experience a waterfall closely. The hike takes a total of about 45 minutes (up and down).

In San Genesio at 1,435 m asl, located on the „Malgorer“ Salto, there ist the most ancient larch tree of the Salto high plateau.

Its age cannot be exactly determined.

This ancient larch tree is an an aesthetic feature in the middle of the wide larch groves on the Salto.

The lowest strongest branches form a candelabra shape. The tree crown could develop freely upward due to the lack of competition.

The once splendid tree has suffered damage due to the snow pressure in the winter of 2008/2009, numerous branches were pressed down and broken.

Height of the tree: 24m

Diameter: 2,03m

Circumference: 6,40m

Locality: Montoppio

Sea level: 1435 m

Around 1200 the ruins of Rasen ( Neurasen und Altrasen ) were habitation and court of the sires of Rasen. 
The Rasun Nuova Castle in Oberrasen is privately owned and belongs to the Burgfrieder farm.

The biotope "Pirchner Moos" is located at 1,300 m above sea level with a slight southern inclination. Bressanone granite provides the geological base of the biotope. The biotope impresses with two different vegetation areas. A small fen and swamp with a high moor-like edge can be found at the centre of the biotope. The small wetland is surrounded by marsh areas and wet meadows, loose forest areas and hedges. In the marsh area you can find different types of moss like sphagnum, but also bogbean, bog star, swamp meadowgrass, common tormentil, sedges and different types of the wild orchid. The marsh areas used to be mowed for the production of horse food and litter for the stables. The variety of flora in the biotope provides an ideal living space for different animals. Here you can admire primeval animals like dragonflies and the azure damselfly. In certain weather conditions you might also be able to see fire salamanders. The common buzzard loves the free space of wetland meadows. The border between the southern alpine and northern alpine rock composition of this area is located to the north of the biotope at "Hohenbichl", the so-called "Puster Valley Line". This disturbance line is one of the most important earthquake lines in the Alps. Starting point: car park in the village center

The scheme to promote mountaineering villages in the Alpine regions supports environmentally-friendly, natural tourism. The network unites villages with a thriving natural and cultural landscape, which have been spared major technical innovations and where mountains and mountaineering are an integral part of the identity.
From leisurely “Waalweg” irrigation-channel trails through to the three-thousand metre climbs – enjoy all the authenticity of the Matsch Valley. The living traditions and customs offer you an insight into the active village community, and a stop-off to wander round the castle ruins at the entrance to the village brings the dreaded Matsch robber-barons back to fearsome life.

From Narano en route to St. Hippolyt, the Narauner Weiher pond is located in a small clearing at the foot of a climbing wall and prehistoric cult site. The slightly dark pond is a habitat for frogs and ideal for a healthy natural pool. Many legends have arisen around the small Narauner Weiher pond.

The famous landmark of Sterzing, the city tower, is widely known as “Zwölferturm”. Its name is attributed to the fact that its bell rings the citizens for lunchbreak. Consisting of gray granite blocks from the area, it was erected over the city gate from 1468 to 1472 according to the design of Hans Feur. Two marble tablets above the archway remind us of the laying of the foundation stone by the Duke Sigismund of Austria back in 1469. It became a symbol of the economic and cultural boom in the city in the north of South Tyrol and has established itself to this day as the symbol for the city of Sterzing. 

At certain events, the tower can also be visited also from the inside, e.g. during the Cristmas Market, in summer during the lantern parties or at the famous dumpling festival ("Knödelfest"). 

The Lutheran church is a lime block northeastern of St. Magdalena, accessible from the church of St. Magdalena. The supporters of the lutheran teaching shall have met in secret to celebrate The Liturgy of the Word.

The Hill of the Holy Sepulchre is the most beautiful viewpoint of Tiso. The Holy Grave Chapel was built as a baroque building at the end of the 17th century. In it, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ was worshiped. After the entry of Italy into the First World War in May 1915, fortifications were built here on the order of the Austrian Empire army. They should serve as a defense against a possible invasion of Italian troops in the Isarco Valley, if the Dolomite front should fall. The trenches and a bunker were built by Russian prisoners. However, the defenses were not used during the First World War. However, during the final months of World War II, the bunker was used by the village population as protection against air raids and bombing.

To be able to irrigate the dry valley of the Sun-mountain then, one led the water in larch-wood-gutters on high wall-pier over house roofs and over the river Etsch away on the opposite valley-side.

Another important attraction was not created by builders but by nature: the Barbian waterfalls. The Ganderbach (stream), which is near Kollmann and flows into the Eisack river, which has a length of almost 6 kilometres. At the point of 1,510 metres above sea level, the stream falls over several rock cliffs down into the valley. The lower part of the waterfall with his 85 metres is the highest of the waterfalls at Barbian. From here, you can reach the upper part of the waterfall on a marked, wild and romantic path.

In the area of the station you can already see the marble blocks weighing several tons, which are processed in the marble factory of the company Lasa Marmo.

In the world of marble and in the whole place one finds the white stone: sculptures, buildings and even marble sidewalks - at sculptor workshops and at the technical school for stone-treatment.

Lasa marble is not only popular in South Tyrol, as in the Silandro Hospital and Bolzano Concert Hall, but worldwide - to marvel at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

The world of marble can be discovered during guided tours and hikes.
www.marmorplus.it

Around the village of Teis, from the bottom of the Villnöss valley to the Haube mountain at 1260 m above sea level, you can find a line of partly uncovered and partly hidden trenches, shelters and caverns. These are the remains of the extensive fortifications built as part of the “Barricade of Klausen/Chiusa” at the beginning of the First World War. Over the course of the last century, the trenches have been partly destroyed by human activities and partly reclaimed by nature. A group of locals has taken on the task of investigating the history of these fortifications more closely, preserving them and making them accessible to the public.

With its typical flora and fauna, the Schwarze Lacke habitat on the Vigiljoch is a life-enhancing part of the landscape. Fish, frogs, newts and various aquatic insects live in the pond. There are also many dragonflies in the habitat.

The Jewish business family Schwarz founded the steam-powered brewery in 1849. It was the largest in South Tyrol. In 1897, an electric power plant was added. The plant was equipped with the latest, state-of-the art turbine model, Pelton. Many parts oft he plant were made of steel casting which are still perfectly preserved today.

In 1924, the brewery was sold and transformed into a malt brewery. Pilsner, Münchner and Caramel malt beers were produced.

The electrical power station was in use from 1897 until the malt brewery closed down in 1986. The whole area then became the property of the Autonomous Province of Bozen. The regional Fire Brigade school was built on the site, but a few of the original buildings have been preserved. At Heinrich Erschbamer’s instigation and his untiring commitment, the electric power plant has been professionally restored and has been open to the public since 2014.

The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 was a rebellion of peasants in the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer against the occupation of their homeland by the French and Bavarian troops within the context of the War of the Fifth Coalition against Napoleon I.

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

Just below Stuls/Stulles, the third highest waterfall in Europe, cascades down a drop of 112m and then another 230m.
It can be seen from Breiteben/Pianlargo, from the road to Timmelsjoch mountain pass or from the trail Passer Gorge.

Even today, the custom-manufactured railway built for the special environment of the Stelvio National Park transports the heavy marble blocks over four sections almost automatically down into the valley.

The marble-transporting train has been operated in the same original state since 1930 and carries the marble from the marble quarry (2,200 m above sea level) to the valley. With the Lasa sloped railway, it is possible to transport a 40-ton load at a speed of 1m/sec in 16 minutes in to the valley. To date, this type of transport is the most environmentally-friendly method of transportation of marble thusfar. During the marble hikes, interested guests can also visit the unique inclined railway.

A Natural Monument!
The 82 m high waterfall is fed by the Möltner Brook. The path leads past the old Vilpiano's Wasserwaal from the 17th century. The water was once used to irrigate the fields.

Accessible by foot in ten minutes from the village center of Vilpiano.