Bezienswaardig Zuid-Tirol

The Zeilheim raised hide was built in the 17th century. Since 1977 the town hall is located in this historic building. Since 1977 the town hall of the municipality of Taufers has been located in there. The public library of Taufers “J. A. Jungmann” and the nature park house Rieserferner Ahrn are located in the modern building, built in 2001. The Zeilheim cannot be visited. 

Castle Reifenstein (Castel Tasso), one of the best preserved and artistic-historically most important castles in South Tyrol, is located in the municipality of Freienfeld / Campo di Trens near Sterzing / Vipiteno. In the castle you can admire the original kitchen, the old bathroom, medieval sleeping bunks in the old tower, gothic panelled rooms, the famous green hall (restored 2013) with the beautiful woodcarved chapel-door and other interesting rooms. Reifenstein Castle has been the private property of the Tyrolean count family von Thurn und Taxis since 1813 and has been lovingly preserved in its original medieval condition ever since. 


Exact times: see below

On the path up to the entrance and inside the castle, we recommend solid shoes and caution since the authentic knight's castle is not barrier-free.

Cost: 9.00 euros per person; children (6-16 years) 7.00 euros; children under 6 years free of charge

The "Ciasanöia" is the old tavern and was an important meeting point for the residents of Badia.

It is similar to a castel and was built in 1614 for the nuns of Sonnenburg (Castel near Brunico). It was the seat of this Domination.

Today the house is privat and not open for the public.

You can't visit the castle as it is a centre for further education. You could walk to the castle and have a look from the outside.

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

Palais Campofranco was built in the second half of the 18th century. During the following century, it was the residence of the Archduke Ranieri Joseph of Austria and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Savoy. The emblem of the Palace is its monumental ginko biloba tree, a gift for Empress Elisabeth of Austria, more commonly known as Princess Sissi, from her uncle Heinrich.

A change that preserves both the environment and the past of the building. This is the vision that nurtured the Palais Campofranco’s rebirth, built up from its historical foundations into a tribute to the territory through the creative use of smart technologies and natural energy sources.

The inner court of the Palais, with its impressive ginkgo tree as a centrepiece, is open all year round to give the palace a central role in Bolzano’s city life.

The castle Obermontani was built in 1228 by Albert II of Tyrol as defence against the Bishops of Chur and is the place where the original handwritten copy of the "Nibelungenlied" was found; now it is in the public record office of Berlin-Dahlem. Viewing only possible from outside.

Sompunt is located between Badia and La Villa and was an important residence for the families Mayrhofen and Koburg (rich families in the 19th century).
The house was already mentioned in the year 1296 and it is painted with decorations of the 16th century.

Today the house is privat and inhabited.

If we take the path above the Church in Badia, after about half an hour, we arrive at a junction; one road leads to Valgiarëi and the other to Sotciastel. The name of this farm is easy to  explain; the Ciastel farm is further above. As it's the case in many other places the name of the settlement below is given with the preposition "sot" (below).

In the 1980s Sotciastel became famous as the result of research carried out by the University of Trento in cooperation with the Provincial Monument Office and the Ladin Cultural Institute "Micurá de Rü". These excavations proved that a Bronze Age settlement including permanent living quarters once stood here. The kind of articles found: parts of weaving looms, kitchen implements, agricultural tools, jewellery, pins and awls lead us to believe that the settlement was agricultural and pastoral, was inhabited the whole year round and that above all sheep, goats, oxen and cattle were reared.

The settlement in Sotciastel appears to have been one of the first in the valley where people lived for a longer period of time.

The castle's castle consists of an older Gothic castle dating from around 1450 and a western annex from the Renaissance around 1530, in which today's hotel is housed.In the core of the house are remains of a late medieval fortification tower.

The romantic courtyard with fountains and old cedars is framed by 17th and 18th century buildings.

Englar is considered the best preserved gothic castle in South Tyrol The castle was not designed as a defensive castle, but as a noble nobility, it was intended to underline the social position of the then-builders of the Counts of Firmian.

The square building is completed by an imposingly steep Gothic roof and was at that time a revolutionary technical achievement.

Today, our house opens its hospitable gates for travelers and recreation seekers who are sensitive to the generous and stylish ambience of a historic building and appreciate a special and comfortable atmosphere.

The ensemble with ancient trees is rounded off by the Gothic church church of St. Sebastian near the house as well as the adjoining estate with fruit and wine cultures, a small duck pond, an extensive chicken farm and animals lovingly farmed by our

In the via Cassa di Risparmio/Sparkassenstrasse are collocated the Civic Museum and the Archeological Museum with the iceman.

The "Jaufenburg" above St. Leonhard was built in the 13th and 14th Century by the men of the Passeiertal Valley and was once a magnificent castle. As well as many picture presentation boards about the history of the castle, you can also visit the court house, shield farms, wall frescoes from 1538, listen to an audio recording of legends and enjoy the unique view.

On a hill above Mareit near Sterzing rises Wolfsthurn Castle, described by the Tyrolean historian Johann N. Tinkhauser in the 19th century as “the most beautiful castle in all Tyrol”.

The baroque castle has since its building been in the possession of the Sternbach family, and since 1996 has accommodated the South Tyrolean Museum of Hunting and Fishing.

The Museum displays the originally furnished ceremonial rooms as well as a rich cultural and historical collection on the history of hunting and fishing.

The interesting “Forest and Water” walking trail leads to the castle.

If we take a look at Vila Ruac and Alfarëi we can see one of the oldest in the whole valley.
This is a late-Romance house in the architectural style of the medieval period, the oldest kind of house which can be found in the valley. What was once the hay barn has a stable on the ground floor and is characterized by a wide balcony, the "parincinch", where agricultural products were dried.
A short distance away there is an old sawmill and a mill. On the path leading from the farm to the old mill, which has recently been restored, we can see various types of fencing which were often used.

The house "Alfarëi" is today a restaurant where typical food is prepared on reservation.

The Masters of Braunsberg were first mentioned in the records in 1213; from 1492 in the possession of the Counts Trapp, latterly inherited by the Counts Strachwitz, who restored the castle; simple layout with a curtain wall, residential building, tower-like and chapel (St. Blasius).

The castle towering high above the Gaulschlucht gorge is a landmark of Lana. It was the seat of the Lords of Braunsberg mentioned in 1213, belonged to the Trapp Counts Matsch from 1492 to 1969 until Braunsberg Castle passed into the inheritance of the Counts Strachwitz in 1969.  

The small and simple complex, part of which fell into the Gaulschlucht gorge in 1510, consists of a curtain wall, residential building, tower-like outbuilding and the St. Blasius Chapel. It was first mentioned in a document in 1323, but is certainly older because of its Romanesque architectural style and was originally located outside the castle walls.

Various stylistic periods can be found: The portal dates from the late Gothic period, the open pulpit from 1538, the crucifixion group and the figures of Saints Vigilius and Blasius from 1592 with frames from 1669 and the Baroque altar from 1690.

The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited.

Castle Gandegg in Appiano area Piganò is a massive phenomenon. The most striking feature are likely to be the 4 round towers, each stands at a corner of the rectangular main building. A 1443 first mentioned in late medieval tower house was structurally integrated on the south side of Castle Gandegg. Schlos Gandegg is a unitary construction from the mid-16th century, commissioned by the lords Khuen-Belasi who had taken possession by the original builders of the residential tower, the Annabergern. The basic concept of the building corresponds to the northern Italian style of fortifications of that time.

The rooms are grand, spacious rooms with coffered ceilings and tiled stoves from the 16th and 17th centuries. The main building is surrounded by a large Park, protected by a high wall, on the southwest flank the property is bordered by farm buildings with late Gothic elements.

With its 65,000 square metres of space, Franzensfeste is the largest historical complex in South Tyrol. Begun in 1833 under Emperor Franz Josef, this masterpiece of Austrian fortress architecture was opened by Emperor Ferdinand in 1838 after a construction period of only five years. By this time, however, it had already lost its strategic importance and justification. The enormous effort and the horrendous costs - for nothing. From then on, the huge fortress was only of use as a depot and was frozen in the Sleeping Beauty sleep of a strictly guarded military installation for over a century and a half. Since the military left the fortress in 2003, Franzensfeste has been open to the public and was extensively renovated in the course of two major exhibitions in 2008 and 2009. As a South Tyrolean Provincial Museum, Franzensfeste Fortress is now a magnet for tourists and locals alike and a popular venue for a wide variety of exhibitions and events.

January and february: winter break

Juval Castle, the summer residence of the world-famous mountaineer, Reinhold Messner and the Messner Mountain Museum.

Medieval Juval Castle is situated on a prehistoric place of worship at the entrance to the pristine Val Senales. The castle was built around 1278 by Hugo von Montalban. In 1540, Juval Castle changed ownership and reached its heyday in those years. In 1913, the Dutch Colonial William Rowland turned up at the dilapidated castle and had it professionally restored. Since 1983 Juval Castle has been the residence of extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner and has turned Juval Castle into the main site of the MMM Messner Mountain Museum. The castle contains an extensive Tibetan collection as well as the Mountain Gallery and the ethnic mask collection with exhibits from five continents. Juval Castle also boasts some Renaissance-era frescoes that can be visited. Alpine fauna can sometimes be spotted wandering about in the castle grounds and there is also a farm with its own vineyards and a winery. The attached winery Unterortl, the organic farm Oberortl, and the Schlosswirt revitalize these small-scale cultural landscape in Lower Venosta Valley.

In the tower next to the Steifler court were payed the taxes in form of natural materials. During the 17th century some of these taxes was changed in money. Today it's possible to visit this old tower from the outside. 

The castle Untermontani belonged in the 14th century to the counts of Annenberg. It still has interesting details like Zugbrückenanlage, the gate and a smallkennel. The castle Untermontani  lost over the years its importance and was abandoned to decay. At the beginning of the 19th century collapsed parts of the western curtain wall and the Palas, because of the flowing river Plima along here had undermined the embankment. In 1945, parts of the keep collapsed, so that the castle today completely ruinousist. Visits only from outside.

Attractive building from 1634 incorporating an original part of the old City walls, maintained its official function until 1780. Right up in front of it a plaque which commemorates Saint Andrew's Church (demolished in 1785) and in front of it you can admire the picturesque Piazza del Grano Kornplatz (Wheat Square), embellished by nice shops and restaurants, one the main wheat market and of other land produce. In this respect we are talking about the firs main urban centre of Bolzano/Bozen together with the castle of the Prince-Bishops of Trento, founders of the City: the Castle was probably destroyed by Mainhard II during one of his incursions to obtain control over the important commercial town (1277).

The Schlerihaus belongs to the castle complex of Stachlburg: until the year 2000 it stood ugly and ignored at the edge of Peter-Mitterhof-Platz square. For many years the ground floor had served as stables, and the upper floor as temporary housing for harvest workers. It has since been renovated, and several beautiful frescoes salvaged. The Knights’ Hall (Rittersaal) was built around 1700, as a setting for the landlords to host private parties.

Once every autumn since 2009, the current landlord, the Baron von Kripp, opens his beautiful hall to hold a concert in memory of his ancestor, Johann von Stachl. The concert includes selected early music performed on period instruments, organized in collaboration with the Local Heritage Association (Verein für Heimatpflege) of Partschins/Parcines, the Association of Friends of Stachlburg (Verein Freunde der Stachlburg) and the Tourism Association of Partschins-Rabland.

The interiors cannot be visited!

- in St. Martin/S. Martino: Haupold, Saltaus, Granstein, Kalm, Baumkirch, Gereuth, Steinhaus

- in St. Leonhard/S. Leonardo: Ebion, Buchenegg, Happerg, Gomion

In Vorderpasseiertal Valley there are some unique buildings: farmhouses built mostly of wood, or a castle-like building overgrown with ivy and decorated with ancient sundials or frescoes. The history of the Schildhof farmers dates back to the 13th century, when they served Count Albert of Tyrol (1190-1253) as shield-bearers. As a result, the large farms were granted many privileges. What remains now are only fishing rights in the Passer river.

Tip: Passeirer Schildhöfeweg trail

The majestic high building shows four corner towers (square at the bottom and round on the top) ...
... regulated rows of windows and a high roof, symmetrical room divisions and huge hallways with vaulted ceilings on the main floor, where the year 1584 can be seen. Upper floors entail flat ceilings where the walls and ceilings in the rooms are wood-panelled. The ceilings in the small oriels are arched and ridged. The wooden statue “ Mary with her sword” (XIV century) stands on the altar in the chapel, which is dated back to the year 1730. Very interesting is the extremely high roof truss, a proof of the superb knowledge of the builders themselves. The residence was begun in 1582 by Hans Fieger, Lord of the Courts of Taufers. The building was finished in 12 months. It was restored in 1864 by Johann von Ottenthal.

The castle is privately owned and is not open to the public.

The Coz residence is a short distance away from San Linert. The name "Coz" appears to be of pre-Latin origin and comes from the word "koltju" although we do not know where this word comes from or what it means. This is one of the oldest farms in the area.

The Coz residence we see today was built by the Colz family in 1604. The residential part was renovated in 1996/97. The Colz family sold the farm to the Winkler family from St. Lorenzen in 1695 and they sold it to Jakob Irsara in 1754 and his family still own the farm.

The house is a rectangular form and a hipped roof with two wings. The decorations in the house chapel are very valuable; built in 1613 we can see scenes from the creation, the life of Moses, the Crucifixion and the copper snake. On the external wall we can see two saints; St. Christopher and St. Florian.

In addition to the living quarters there are also smaller buildings such as the corn silo, the smithy and the fodder store.

Now the Coz residence is privat and can be visited outside doing the culture trail in Badia.

Families which have owned the same land for more than 200 years are awarded a "Deed of inheritance" by the Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol. The Nagler family has been honoured in this way.

The original name was "Murin da Coz" because grain from the Coz farm was milled ("murin" means mill in Ladin) here. The oldest written documents mention Hof Palua (The Palua farm) in about 1566, Pares in 1780 and finally Murin. The first settlement can be dated 1296; the saw and the grain mill probably needed water power. In 1771 the "Brochia" family from Longiarü settled here. In common with many other family names in Val Badia, "Brochia" was reinvented in German, in this case, as "Nagler".

In those days priests as well judges came from places outside Ladinia and they could not speak Ladin which led them to renaming their family names; most written documents were set out in German or Italian. Before 1800 the Ladin language was used relatively rarely in written documents.

Now the Murin farm is private and can be visited outside doing the culture trail in Badia.

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.

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.

The Red Tower is named after the red color of its paint, but it is also named Hornberger Tower. It was bulit in 1430.                                                     

The residence is a playful Early Renaissance building from the second half of the 16th Century. For several generations, the beautiful, romantic building has been private property and was changed into a bar and Törggele cellar. The residence consists of some oriel towers, a free-standing staircase with loggia, simple wooden ceilings and decorative frescoes. The entire residence reflects pride and beauty. Many years ago, it was protected from the road by a battlement wall.