Built around the year 1000, strictly linked with the history of St. Lorenzen and the central Pustertal.
Nowadays is the Castle Michelsburg privately owned.
Kastelen en paleizen, musea, kunst, historische schatten en hedendaagse locaties. Ook deze attracties en bezienswaardigheden maken deel uit van een geslaagde ontdekkingsreis door Zuid-Tirol.
Built around the year 1000, strictly linked with the history of St. Lorenzen and the central Pustertal.
Nowadays is the Castle Michelsburg privately owned.
Around 19 mills were working around 1553 in Partschins/Parcines. The Formermühle on Wasserfallweg was built in 1920 and has been restored in 2009. (Attention! Visits only from the outside - private property)
The viewing platform "Klapf", just a few minutes walk from the village center, is quite a highlight: lose yourself in the breathtaking view over the main chain of the Alps.
During the renovations in 1992 at the church of "Our Lady Al Colle", carried out by the regional authority for the protection of monuments, the Laces Menhir (dating between 3300-2200 BC) was discovered. The Laces Menhir is made from pure marble and, apart from symbolizing the Adige mountain group, it is also linked to the Lombard Valcamonica mountain group. The Menhir is daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. accessible for visitors.
Haselburg Castle is accessible to the general public as a restaurant and as a party and reception venue (opening times of the restaurant). To get there you have to pass through the neighbourhood of Haslach: a steep path will take you to the rocky lookout on which the castle is perched (with parking space). Nice view on the Etsch valley and on Bolzano/Bozen itself looking North (Salten plateau, Sarntal Valley, Ritten). It contains frescoes from 1500.
The XIII century castle, situated right behind the hystoric city centre, is surrounded by fields of the fine Lagrein grapevines and has stunning views of the Rosengarten. It was renovated in the 1980s and transformed into a conference and exhibition centre. It is certainly the most interesting and exclusive complex, ideal for housing conferences, seminars, banquets, concerts, cultural events and exhibitions. The beautiful interiors, with stunning frescoes, have all the modern features and conference facilities. The view of the castle from the river walk nearby is particularly impressive. Adjacent parking.
The castle is a congress centre and open for visitors only during events and exhibitions.
It was most probably built at the same time (the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century) and probably used for fires that were used as signals. Kreideturm: the tower is situated just 50 m below Burg Hocheppan. Architectural style: a wall, which has now fallen down, surrounded the tower. There are still a few metres visible on the south side. On the other side there is a lower lying entrance that was probably used to light the fires. The inside of the tower is a narrow dark shaft. Walking: all walks to Hocheppan go past this tower.
Häuserl am Stein is one of the most fascinatingly odd buildings in all of South Tyrol. Its history, in fact, sounds a bit like a fairy tale. A long time ago, just below St. Pankraz in Ulten Valley many small farm houses were situated at the banks of the Falschauer brook. In 1882 the river was flooded and took every single house with it, apart from one. The legendary Häuserl am Stein, in fact, had been built by pure accident on a gigantic rock which only became visible after the floods.
Laimburg Castle was built in the 13th century by the Lords of Laimburg as a residence and was intended to secure the transition over the “Kreithersattel”, the connection between the Val d'Adige valley and the Oltradige/Überetsch valley. Originally, the castle was built in Romanesque style and later, in 1342, extended in Gothic style. Towards the end of the 15th century the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. In 2002 the castle was completely restored and secured and is freely accessible ever since.
The Merano Town Hall or Rathaus, with its imposing clock tower, was built by architect Ettore Sott Sass between 1929 and 1932 in the architectural style typical of that era. It stands not far from the Prince’s Castle, right in the middle of Merano. The exterior reliefs and the painting found under the arch to the west facade facing the Arcades are the work of the Bolzano/Bozen artist and sculptor Albert Stolz, who lived from 1875 to 1947.
Ortisei is the capital of Val Gardena, famous for its picturesque pedestrian area with great shops and cafés and its ornate woodcarvings.
This idyllic part of Val Gardena offers the possibility to enjoy the magic pedestrian area during your holiday with the breath-taking view to Sassolungo.
Shopping in Val Gardena is a fun experience. From ski suits to haute couture: you have a great choice. After strolling round the shops there are plenty of restaurants and cafés where you can indulge your palate.
The lime pit was built of bricks and reminds of the shape of a well. There was produced lime for the construction of houses.
Wolves were also caught on the basis of stories.
Most of the small and relatively larger lime kilns which were found in many places centuries ago have now fallen into disrepair and are difficult to see but remains of some of these ovens are still visible at Quadrat along the Mahlbachweg, just under the "Weißwand". The site is not far from the Quadrat marble quarry and is easy to get to.
Most of these kilns were cut into safe, sheltered places in the rock face to ensure a minimum loss of heat. The inner walls of the ovens were shaped like a barrel. This particular lime kiln is believed to date back to about 1700 and may have gone on working until 1880.
It is thought to have been one of the largest and most interesting kilns in the whole area. The kiln is still in a very good condition and was declared a Place of Historic Interest in 2006. The site has been cleared of trees, bushes and other vegetation so that passers-by can get a better look at it.
Was put into the present form in 1580 by Count Kleinhans and is decorated with frescoes on the interior and red chalk drawings on the outside. The baroque chapel St. Anna (spanish influence) was built in the 17th century. Over its portal is enthroned the so-called "Wessobrunn Madonna in the rosary" by Gregor Schwenzengast. Kleinhans was captain of the army in Spain.
Can not be viewed in the interior - private property.
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.
Earlier there was a natural bend in the river between the Bozen Gate and the bank of the river Passer, where sand collected, and the square laid out later in this area was named after it. Here, next to the Bozen Gate, is the building that used to be one of Meran´s oldest inns: the former Hotel Erzherzog Johann later renamed the Hotel Esplanade. Until 1913 the post office was located in the hotel. Nowadays the renovated Esplanade houses shops, offices and a café. Opposite you will see the "Ansitz Hohensaal2 an ancient noble residence that now accommodates the college of the "Englische Fraulein" and a neo-Romanesque church, the Herz Jesu Kirche (Church of the Sacred Heart). Currently it is difficult to see the square as it is in the process of being dug up in order to build a private underground car park. The Post bridge is the finest Art Nouveau bridge in Meran. The approach to the town from Bozen and the south was very important for the Meran merchants, and there were a number of different bridges here over the centuries, linking the Heiliggeistkirche/Spitalskirche (Church of the Holy Spirit/Hospital Church) with the town. The Art Nouveau bridge, renovated a few years ago, dates from 1909 and is the most elegant of Meran´s bridges.
At the foot of the might rock face of the Santner, hidden deep in forest, lies the legendary castle ruin of Hauenstein. The castel dates back to the 12th century and was built by the Lords of Hauenstein and enlarged in the 15th and 16th century. One of the owners was the famous minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein.
Today all that remains of the 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 of Hauenstein and Salegg. And every so often, or so they say in the area around the Schlern, you can hear the spine-chilling wails of a banished damsel.
Greifenstein castle is enthroned high above the village of Siebeneich/Settequerce. It was first mentioned in 1159. During the war between the Counts of Tyrol and the Bishop of Trient, in 1275/1276, the castle was destroyed. Only in 1334, the small aristocrats, the Lords of Greifenstein decided to re-built it again. On a few years later, in 1348, it was burnt down. In latter years (once more re-built in 1363), Greifenstein went into the hands of the Lords of Starkenberg. In 1420, when a part of the Tyrolean aristocracy went into war against the sovereign Duke Frederick of Austria, the sovereign had the castle besieged and starved out. Amongst the duke's enemies was also the minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein. He wrote a poetic song about the duke's besieger and made fun of them. The duke's army could not take Castle Greifenstein, but the fight of the aristocracy and the castle's owner, Wilhelm von Starkenberg, became meaningless and, therefore, the Lord of Starkenberg escaped probably through a crevice at the south-western part of the castle. His 18 servants gave up their resistance once they were promised free withdrawal. Today, Castle Greifenstein is merely a ruin.
In common language, it is also called the Sauschloss. This name derived from a legend, which speaks about the time of the siege. During this time, the people inside the castle had to face fact that they were left with no food. There was only one well fattened pig in the castle's cellar. Suddenly, one of the servants had an idea: instead of slaughtering the animal, they threw it with much laughter over the castle walls and down the rock just in front of the besiegers. When those realised what just had happened, they lost all courage as they believed that the castle's inhabitants still had lots of food available. Therefore, they withdrew ..... and Greifenstein was saved.
Special art - “The art of living and the art of loving” is the very original title of one of the latest books by Partschins/Parcines artist, Matthias Schönweger and, one of his particular mottos is: “Trees are the stuff books are made of”.
Schönweger, writer and collector, is also the owner of 50 imposing wartime bunkers which date back to World War II and are scattered throughout South Tyrol from the Brenner/Brennero Pass southwards.
One of his bunkers can be seen right here in Töll/Tel! These empty fortresses were places of safety and protection during wartime and can tell us much about recent historic events. Schönweger uses these dark, atmospheric constructions to host exhibitions and other cultural events on significant, meaningful themes.
I AM
LIKE MANY OTHERS
MORE OR LESS
A REPRESENTATIVE
OF MANKIND
I PUT MY FOOT IN THINGS
GIVE MY OPINION
AND YOURS, TOO
IN WORD AND PICTURES
AND
WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN
AN
ACTOR/TRAVELLER
IN ACTION LIVE
Matthias Schönweger
Maultasch Castle Ruin (Neuhaus) was probably built in the early 13th century as a double castle, but shows only ruined walls today. These have been carefully restored so that visitors can imagine the castle life at earlier time.
The house of Peter Mitterhofer is first mentioned as the Zimmerhaus im Obergarten in a document dating to 1431. Peter Mitterhofer (1822-1893) lived in the house for 31 years and developed six typewriter models in his workshop there; the first of these prototypes was also the earliest of its kind, in 1864. It is known that Peter Mitterhofer designed six different typewriter models during the period between 1864 and 1869. The first model (1864, The Unsuccessful) is housed today at the Technical Museum of Industry and Commerce in Vienna. The second model was discovered accidentally in 1911 hidden in a secret compartment in the attic of Peter Mitterhofer’s house in Partschins/Parcines. The third model remains missing to this day – although Peter Mitterhofer travelled with it from Partschins/Parcines to Vienna on foot in 1866. The fourth model (the Meran model) was created in 1866, with the help of better financial resources after his return from Vienna. This model is on display at the Palais Mamming City Museum in Meran/Merano. Peter Mitterhofer completed his fifth typewriter prototype in 1869 (the Wien model). It was his intention to build a perfectly functioning typewriter. For this model he would need much more time than he had been promised in his subsidy request of 1866 in Vienna.
He made the journey from Partschins/Parcines to Vienna on foot for the second time in December 1869. There is evidence that Peter Mitterhofer received 150 guilders from the Emperor Franz Joseph I for his Meran model. This typewriter passed into the collection of the Polytechnic, where it faded into obscurity. On June 21, 1910, a typewriter labeled as old typewriter of unknown origin, allegedly Austrian was delivered to the Technical Museum in Vienna along with many other items.
The evidence that the model was connected with Peter Mitterhofer is provided by a letter from Peter Mitterhofer to Franz Ferdinand Goldegg zu Lindenburg (1798-1878). The character of the font and a close comparison of the lettering in this typewritten letter leave no doubt as to this analysis.
The interiors of the residence are not open to the public. The inventor’s grave and memorial stone are located in the old cemetery at the east wall of the Pfarrkirche Partschins parish church.
An alley leads to the church between the Steinbock inn and the village smith. The alley is called “Defregger-alley” due to the fact that the history painter Franz von Defregger (1835-1921) used this idyllic subject as a background for his famous painting “Das letzte Aufgebot – the last array”. This alley, which depicts the ensemble of both churches and the cemetery, was left unchanged in the last 500 years.
Medieval tower high above Gargazon and the Etschtal Valley. The Trautson coat of arms can be seen above the round arched entrance. The tower is believed to have been built by Bertold Chrello-Trautson, whose name appears in records dating from 1237.
Colz Castle, also called Rubatsch Residence, is a massive building, which boasts a curtain wall with four round towers and many embrasures.
The castle dates back to the year 1536, when Ferdinand I. permitted Hans von Rubatsch to build himself a residence. At the end of the 16th century the castle entered into the possession of the Lords of Colz. In the course of time, the building served many functions, like the one of a poorhouse. Finally, it entered into the possession of a farmer’s family.
Colz Castle gained some popularity thanks to the knight Franz Wilhelm Prack zu Asch, also called “Gran Bracun“, who lived in the Ladin valleys between 1573 and 1581 and was known for his cruel but heroic battles.
Finally, Colz Castle was restored, today it is private.
The former Holz Castle, which is mentioned in 1236, has only a few ruined walls. It is located above Prissian in a forested area.
You will soon find more information about the Almshouse in Tisens/Tesimo here
The route through the rock tunnel at Mt. Lagazuoi is accessible from the top station of the cable car Lagazuoi with only 10 minutes walk on an easy well signposted path.
In 1996 the main tunnel in the rock (about 3 km long) as well as the side tunnels were restored and rebuilt at their original length. The restoration was possible thanks to the cooperation of the Italian and Austrian military corps.
In the side tunnels you can see utensils and weapons from the First World War and information panels which illustrate the events of the war.
At the base station of the Lagazuoi cable car you can rent tape recorders with English commentary.
Schlandersburg Castle was built around 1600 as the residence of the Hendl aristocrats. The castle was later enlarged thus becoming one of the most important Renaissance edifices in the entire Venosta Valley. In 1988, the castle was placed under the administration of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and today it houses a public library in addition to the Employment offices and those of the Forestry Department - and the Menhir exhibition.
In 2013, two menhirs dating to the Copper Age were recovered from pieces of marble during the conversion work for a gardening shop in Vezzano/Vetzan, near Silandro/Schlanders. Since March 2017, the menhirs have been showcased at Schlandersburg Castle as part of a comprehensive thematic exhibition. In addition to these two original pieces, eighteen abstract pictorial figures made of metal are also displayed, which represent the eighteen menhirs found in South Tyrol and Trentino in recent decades.
The two unique sculptures, with male and female attributes respectively, give us an intriguing insight into the history of the area. The male sculpture is over 3 m in height, and wears a belt from which the handle of a dagger sticks out. The female menhir wears a robe and a necklace. The original set-up of these two sculptures can no longer be recovered; most likely they formed part of a larger group of figures.