Bezienswaardigheden in Zuid-Tirol

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.

The Toll Post in Töll/Tel: testimony to the lively trade on the Via Claudia Augusta from Roman times to the Middle Ages

Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) moved the border between the two Roman provinces of Raetia (with its capital Augusta Vindelicorium, Augsburg), and Venetia et Histria to the Töll (Teloneion = customs house) and laid the foundation stone for the toll station and the toll for goods and vehicles.
The Latin inscription on the base of the statue of Diana proves that a certain Aetetus, head of the customs office at Töll/Tel in the 3rd century, had the Temple of Diana built. He also introduced the "Gallic goods customs" (= foreign and export customs for goods to Germania, which replaced the Illyrian, the internal customs).
Along this important traffic route, the Via Claudia Augusta, inns and road stations for changing horses were built.
After the departure of the Romans towards the end of the 5th century AD, there are no records of the existence of a toll station for centuries.

In 1160, a customs officer is reported for the first time again and the sovereign customs are mentioned for the first time in 1271 and as the property of the Count of Tyrol (Meinard II). In 1388, the customs post was moved from Plars (Algund/Lagundo) to the Töll/Tel (to today's "Rössl" inn, since its renovation a few years ago again called "Zollwirt" - transl. inn at the toll station) and developed into the most important in Tyrol.

Toll guards had to keep an accurate register, which was sent to the Count’s Chamber on a quarterly basis and the customs officers handling the Tyrol Count’s tax revenues enjoyed the status of court officials. In 1808, the building housing the tax office was sold off by the Bavarian authorities and, after the introduction of a new consumption tax in 1829, the toll post was completely abandoned. From 1400 until its closure, the names of 27 customs officers were recorded as having worked there. The toll station (the Zollhof) included the Zollbaur Inn with the actual customs office situated on the left side of the building and a repository on the right. Just behind was the Steidlhof Guesthouse made famous for once hosting Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia, (1503-1564). Ferdinand’s coronation as Emperor in 1525 is remembered in one of the Renaissance frescoes preserved in the customs office. Dating no later than 1530, this opus has been marvelously restored.

The former customs or toll post is no longer in existence.

Brick shrine on the way to St. Magdalena which was build in 1636.

The castle ruins Hochgalsaun lies in a dizzying height on a steeply sloping rocky spur over the fraction Galsaun the place Kastelbell-Tschars.It was built in the course of the 13th century by the Tyrolean noble family Montalban. After destruction and reconstruction in 1300 she went to the Lords of Schlandersberg before it was destroyed again in 1423 and then finally ruined.From the castle, only a few remains of the walls have been preserved, giving hardly binding information about their original appearance. To a small yard to the valley side residential buildings and the direction of attack on the mountain side of the keep on the highest point of the castle square should have been. On the valley side, far lower are the remains of the former castle chapel.

The picturesque Castelbello Castle, first mentioned in 1238, was built by the Lords of Montalban. Majestically, it is situated on a cliff on the left bank of the Adige River. Because of its exposed position, the castle had to be protected by strong fortifications, which needed to be remodernized over the years. In 1813 and 1824, the castle was largely destroyed by fire. The Counts of Hendl rebuilt only a small part for residential purposes. At the end of a protracted court process held over decades between Count Siegmund von Hendl and the Republic of Italy for the possession of the castle, eventually a settlement was reached. This allowed the State to acquire the castle. The Castelbello Castle is the cultural center of the village. In addition to permanent exhibitions in Spring and Autumn, alternating art exhibitions take place here.
The building of the chapel followed in the late 13th or early 14th cent. The walls contain a frieze with the Twelve Apostles as well as texts from the Confession of Faith. Because the apostles are turned towards one another in pairs, the quotations are alternately written in plain and inverted script.

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.

Der Mühlbach

 

Kurze-Chronik zum Mühlbach

 

> Der Mühlbach wird unter der Bezeichnung Lafad *  im Vertrag vom 24. Mai 1484 der Tartscher vor dem Richter zu Glurns wegen der „Holzlände“ in Prad erwähnt. * Lafad, Lavad, Lavod, E: von rom. levate = heben, aufheben, hier im Sinne von > Wasser führen <, synonym für Aquädukt, romanisch: Lavadotg.

    

> Da der ungezähmte Suldenbach für einen kontinuierlichen Betrieb von Wasserrädern nicht geeignet war, fasste man wohl schon im 14. Jahrhundert den Entschluss, seine Wasser mittels eines künstlichen Kanals zu nutzen. So wurde der Suldenbach immer mehr aus der Dorfnähe verbannt und der Mühlbach geschaffen. Seit dem 15. Jahrhundert ist er urkundlich als wichtiges Gewässer nachweisbar und spiegelt die Siedlungsentwicklung Prads wieder.

> Mit dem Wachstum des Dorfes stieg nicht nur die Anzahl der verschiedenen Betriebe am Mühlbach, sondern ihm kam durch die Urbarmachung der Ödgründe vermehrt auch die vordringliche Aufgabe zu deren Bewässerung zu.

> 1591 entstand ein Streit zwischen den Gewerken (Handwerkern) am Mühlbach und der Gemeinde Prad wegen des Mühlbach-Unterhalts. Daraufhin entstand eine eigene “Mühlbachordnung“. Die Aufgabe der Gewässerüberwachung teilten sich zwei Aufseher, nämlich der Bachmeister, der für den Abschnitt von der Schmelz bis zur Unteren Mühle und Säge zuständig war, und der Saltner, der die Einhaltung der Wasserrechte und den Zustand des Kanals unterhalb der unteren Mühle überwachte.

> Der Mühlbach hatte bis zu seiner Verbauung 1958 bis 1963, ein Normalprofil von 1,6 m Breite und 0,8 m Tiefe und führt an die 700 l/sek. Wasser im Sommer und an die 150 l/sek. im Winter. Seine Gesamtlänge betrug bis zur Neufassung durch das E.Werk Prad im Jahre 1986 an die 2.3 km, wobei der Kanal laut Grundbucheintragung von 1937 eine Grundfläche von 16.667 m² einnimmt.

> Fünf Brücken überquerten im Dorfbereich und deren sieben im Flurbereich, vor der Verbauung den Mühlbach, wobei es im Dorf auch einige Stegüberquerungen gab.

> 13 Betriebe am Mühlbach: 1. Getreide-Mühle und 2. Säge in der Prader Schmelz, 3. „Tschurtschelmühle“ (Klenganstalt) seit 1850), 4. Trappische- oder Schmölzschmiede, 5. Walch, 6. Dorf-, später Moserschmiede, 7. Bochmühle (Gerstenstampfwerk), 8. Gerber, 9. Säge und 10. „Obermühl“ (Garbermühl), 11. Mittermühle, 12. Säge und 13. „Untermühl“ (Sägemühle).

 

> Seit der Einführung der offiziellen Straßennamen per Gemeinderatsbeschluss vom 27.12.1954, teilte der Mühlbach exakt die Hausnummern zwischen Haupt- und Silberstraße.

 

> In der Zeit zwischen 1958 bis 1963 kommt es unter Bürgermeister Hubert Gapp in drei Baulosen, zur Verbauung bzw. Abdeckung des Mühlbaches im Dorfbereich. Dadurch wurden sowohl die altbewährten Mühlfuhren als auch die Wasserräder mit Zubehör überflüssig. Die damals noch vorhandenen  Betriebe mussten sich, wollten sie ihre alten Konzessionen nicht verfallen lassen, für den Einbau eines Turbinenantriebes mit Elektrogenerator entscheiden.

> Am 7. März 1986 beginnt das E.Werk Prad mit dem Bau des so gen. Mühlbachkraftwerkes I. Das Werksgebäude wird an die Klenganstalt in der Prader-Schmelz angebaut. Die Leistung des E.Kraftwerkes beträgt ca. 620 KW. und liefert damit jährlich an die 4 Mio. KWh. Strom. Die Baukosten beliefen sich auf 1.6 Milliarden Lire. Die Wasserableitung aus dem Suldenbach beträgt an die 4.500 l/sek.

>  Am 28. März 1990 beginnen die Arbeiten zum Bau des Mühlbachkraftwerkes II unterhalb des Sportplatzes. Das neue Kraftwerk leistet an die 600 KW und liefert damit jährlich an die 3.6 Mio. KWh. Strom. Die Baukosten beliefen sich auf 1.65 Milliarden Lire. / Beide E.Werke liefern damit zusammen an die 7.6 Mio. KWh. Strom jährlich.

 

 

The historic bridge of stone in the center of Prissiano (called "Stuanbogen") was first mentioned in 1308. By 1591 at the latest, the bridge was provided with a roof and was used to store the fire ladder.

Further information on the Old Stone Bridge in Prissian will be published here shortly.

From de Costalovara lake you walk on route 12 to Lago di Mezzo. The water-poor Renon still has some lakes, ponds and moors. These protected wetlands are home to a variety of plants and animals. For nature lovers these picturesque and quiet biotopes are popular excursion destinations. The Lago di Mezzo is embedded in a warm pine forest with a view of the Dolomites. Only the fluttering of dragonflies & Co can be heard.

During some excavations in the "Kahn" area in 1983, remains of an ancient Roman edifice were found. Those remains almost certainly belong to the "Endidae Mansio," which appears in the "Itinerarium Antonini." The large edifice with ground area of 737 m² featured a rectangular shape with a huge arcade and a central, partly roofed court. Several rooms were built around the court, which were probably relaxation rooms (cubicula) and a kitchen.

 

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

On the ridge between the "Weißwand" and the "Laaserspitze" stands the peace stele by Jürgen Prigl made of marble di Lasa.

The Texelgruppe Nature Park, which encompasses more than 30,000 hectares, is the largest nature park in South Tyrol. It is situated between the Etschtal, Vinschgau, Schnalstal and Passeiertal valleys and the main chain of the Alps.

Some of the most beautiful hiking routes around Meran/Merano are located within this unique protected area. Examples include the Merano High Mountain Trail, which loops around the Texel Group over the course of several days, or the hike to the Spronser Seen lakes, one of the largest lake districts in Europe. The diverse geography and nature of the Texelgruppe Nature Park boasts deciduous and larch forests, high moors, blooming Alpine pastures, rugged rock faces, roaring streams, crystal-clear mountain lakes and panoramic peaks.

The Texelgruppe range boasts attractions beyond its diverse flora and fauna: the remains of prehistoric settlements, fortifications and places of worship demonstrate that mankind has long been attracted to this fantastic area. Neolithic engraved stones, "Ötzi the Iceman,” as well as the old ‘path of the dead’ from Pfelders/Plan to Dorf Tirol/Tirolo underscore the early presence of man in the Texelgruppe range area. In the late Middle Ages, due to the increase in population, farmsteads were operated year round up to an altitude of 2,000 metres. 

The Texelgruppe Nature Park is shared by the municipalities of Schnals/Senales, Naturns/Naturo, Partschins/Parcines, Algund/Lagundo, Dorf Tirol, Riffian/Rifiano, St. Martin in Passeier/San Martino in Passiria and Moos in Passeier/Moso in Passiria.

 

Ganglegg is the best-researched fortified Bronze-Age/Iron-Age Alpine settlement in the entire Alpine region.

The defense Plamort (plan mort = dead ground) covers an area of ​​about 1 square kilometer at an altitude of about 2050 m. A special feature is the tank barrier with a length of about 250 m and their so-called dragon teeth. Categories: culture,

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).

One of the seven nature parks in South Tyrol is the Trudner Horn/ Monte Corno Nature Park. It covers an area of 6,851 hectares and includes the municipalities of Truden/Trodena, Altrei/Anterivo, Montan/Montagna, Neumarkt/Egna, and Salorno/Salurn. It is bordered to the north by the foothills of the Val di Fiemme, to the southeast by the Val Cembra, and to the west by the Adige Valley between Neumarkt and the Salorno hermitage. It owes its name to the 1,781-meter-high Trudner Horn, a mountain of the Fiemme valley Alps. Due to its location and the sub-Mediterranean climate zone, the protected area offers the most species-rich flora and fauna of all South Tyrolean nature parks.

In 1992 in the church "Unsere liebe Frau auf dem Bichl" the in Laces standing stone (3.300-2.200 B.C.) was found during restoration work by the State Monument Authorities. The stele, which is made from the finest Vinschgau marble, formed the supporting surface of the altar table. The top and bottom parts as well parts of the left upper side of the 107 cm high, 77 cm wide and 12 cm thick stone are missing. It was probably originally located around where the current church stands on the hill and would thus have been visible from afar. As well as the iconic features common to all the male engraved stones from the Etsch valley group, such as scalloped belts, axes, daggers, clubs, bows, various decorative elements and fringed capes, elements are present that belong to the Lombardy group from Val Camonica and Valtellina, such as suns, deer and stylised male figure. Thus the in Laces standing stone is great proof of the ancient connection of the Vinschgau and the Etsch valley and the valleys of north-eastern Lombardy.

Bad Überwasser stands for tradition and health since 1876 (spa and nature oasis, mineral water tastings)

In the St. Georg and St.Jakobs Church in Soprabolzano you can admire beautiful murals from the late 13th century. 

The mountain lake of Covelano/Göflan is idyllically situated in the Stelvio National Park, above the Covelano marble quarry and at the foot of Jennwand summit.

Refreshments stop: Göflaneralm, Haslhof

The Tervela waterfall is situated at the opposite of the centre of S. Cristina. The creek has its source at the Sassolungo and after crossing Monte Pana, it falls 50 m and flows into the Rio Gardena.

Stadtgasse, the main shopping street in Bruneck, is fringed on both sides by picturesque houses, some of which still display ancient frescoes; the various gable structures are noteworthy.The buildings on Stadtgasse are exclusively residential, with shops and inns located on the ground floor.

In the center of Valdaora di Mezzo, not far from the St. Ägidius church, Valdaora remembers one of his famous sons. The hero of the french wars from 1809/10 is devoted a huge monument from Hans Piffrader.

Movement of sheep
Every summer thousands of sheep cross the border

The transhumance in Schnalstal Valley, which is still practiced and deeply rooted in local tradition, dates back 600 years. This ancient tradition in Schnalstal Valley is now part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The annual migration in Schnalstal Valley is the only cross-border and trans-glacial transhumance in existence.
Every June, the shepherds lead flocks of 3,000 – 4,000 sheep on a mass migration from Vernago/Vernagt and Maso Corto/Kurzras across two mountain passes to the fertile pastures of Vent in neighboring Austria. The transhumance in the Schnalstal Valley covers more than 40 km, across gullies and snow-covered fields.

In mid-September, the sheep and shepherds with the help of sheep dogs guide the flocks back to the Schnalstal Valley on the much safer return trip. At the end of the transhumance, the successful termination of the migration is celebrated.

Dark green coniferous forests, the breathtaking mountain scenery of the Rieserferner mountain chain and, in the midst of all this, shimmering turquoise-green water. This is the dreamlike scenery of the lake called Antholzer See, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Alps! And with 44 hectares and a depth of 38 m, this idyllic pearl of our Blue Valley is the third largest mountain lake in South Tyrol. Located at the head of the valley, it is also very close to the well-known Staller Saddle mountain pass and Austria. At an altitude of approx. 1,640 m, families, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy countless activities in the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park all year round.

“DOLOMITES WITHOUT BORDERS” is a unique mountain trail with demanding via ferrata sections that runs, in nine stages covering a total of 108 kilometres, through two countries, along 12 via ferrata and past 17 mountain refuges. It is deeply symbolic, not just from a mountaineering but also from a historical point of view. The route runs partly along old military trails by trenches and galleries from the war, and passes through the areas of Cadore and the Sesto Dolomites in the region of the Three Peaks (Tre Cime di Lavaredo) and as far as the Gail Valley in the Austrian Tyrol. There are also several places where the trail can be accessed: in East Tyrol from the mountaineering villages of Kartitsch and Obertilliach, in Sesto from the Passo Monte Croce Pass, the Prati di Croda Rossa or the Fondovalle Refuge Hut, and in Belluno from the Auronzo Hut, Misurina or the Valgrande near Padola. An adventure for present-day summiteers

 

Abgesehen von einem durch Schlackenfunde bezeugten vorgeschichtlichen Bergbau im Bereich der Urzeit-Siedlung Kaschlin, sind uns aus dem 14. Jahrhundert erstmals konkrete Angaben über lokale Montangeschichte überliefert. Aus der Lehensurkunde des Ludwig von Brandenburg  vom 26. März 1352 erfahren wir, dass dem Berthold von Lebenberg mit der Feste Tschenglsberg auch das inkorporierte Bergregal in Sulden verliehen wurde1. Um 1421 wechselte  dieses Lehen dann an die Herren von Lichtenstein2, die das Bergrecht weiterverliehen und dafür Ertragszinse einhoben. Während um dieser Zeit das geschürfte Erz dortselbst verhüttet beziehungsweise zu Rohmetall verarbeitet wurde, entstand später parallel dazu ein gewerblicher Schmelzbetrieb in Prad. Die auf den Obervinschgauer Bergbau fußende „Prader-Schmelz“ bestand darin, dass dieser Betrieb nicht nur die Erze der ausgedehnten Gruben vom nahen Stilfs dem Schmelzprozess zuführte, sondern metallhaltiges Gestein auch aus den Gruben und Stollen von Prader-Berg, Gomagoi, Eyrs, Nauders etc. entgegennahm. Das in Prad gewonnene Rohkupfer und Roheisen, wobei letzteres zum Teil in der werkseigenen Wasserschmiede3 in Prad zu Halbfabrikaten Verarbeitung gefunden haben dürfte, deckte wohl nicht viel mehr als den lokalen Eigenbedarf4. In der zweiten Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts ist dann vom Verfall des Hüttenwerkes in Prad die Rede, aber gegen 1700 wurde der Bergbau nach Kupfer- und Bleierzen intensiviert, sodass in der Folge die „Prader-Schmelz“ eine dementsprechende  umstrukturierte Aufwertung erfuhr. Dazu hatte 1726 der Werksunternehmer Graf Caspar Ignatz Trapp, gegen alte Rechtsprinzipien und trotz heftigster Proteste nicht nur von Seiten der Prader Bevölkerung, eine neue Schmelz errichtet. Die sich mit der Verstaatlichung im Jahre 1729 „Das Kayser und Königlich Freye Schmölzwerkh zu Pradt“ nannte. Mit dem Ausklang des 18. Jahrhunderts endete allerdings der Schmelzbetrieb ohne Wiederkehr und an den Gebäuden fing der Zahn der Auszeit an zu nagen. Loses Gesindel und Wegelagerer begannen sich einzunisten. Sodass selbst das Landgericht Glurns, durch die Einstellung des Anton Fahrner als Hüttenwächter dem Frevel Einhalt gebieten musste. Mit der Landnahme durch Bayern 1805 – 18145, wurde die „K. K. Schmelz“ vorerst in „Königliche Schmelz“ umgetauft und schließlich 1812 an den Hüttenwächter verkauft. In der Folge veräußerte Anton Fahrner der Ältere nach und nach, gewinnbringend, sämtliche Realitäten der ehemaligen Prader-Schmelz. Aus dieser entstand dann bis 1850 eine neue Wohnsiedlung, so wie sie sich uns zum Teil noch heute präsentiert.

Im speziellen Teil soll es nun darum gehen, die Gebäude-Chronik der „Prader-Schmelz“ ab der Zeit der Erstellung des Steuerkatasters von 1775, zu beleuchten. Zumal uns damit erstmals konkrete Angaben über die Funktionen der ehemaligen „Schmelz-Gebäude“ vermittelt werden.

 

"BZ '18–'45: one monument, one city, two dictatorships", is an exhibition opened to the public in July 2014. It illustrates the history of the Monument to Victory, designed by Marcello Piacentini and erected by the Fascist regime between 1926 and 1928. The monument reflects and provides a link to local historical events during the twenty years of Fascism and the Nazi occupation, within the context of national and international events in the years between the two World Wars (1918–1945). The exhibition also covers the radical urban transformations for the construction of a new “Italian” city of Bolzano, from the end of the 1920s. Finally, the exhibition confronts the difficult relationship between the different language groups, caused by the overbearing legacy of Fascism, within the evolving social and political framework of the second half of the twentieth century to the present day.

The bronze sculpture by the artist Josef Rainer on the Rathausplatz was ceremoniously unveiled on 19. 04. 2017, on the occasion of N. C. Kaser’s 70th birthday. Nobert Conrad Kaser was a South Tyrolean poet and writer, born in Brixen in 1947 and died in Brunico in 1978. Texts by N. C. Kaser were also engraved on the steles at the Town Hall Square.