Wszystkie forty i zamki

Welfenstein is a castle in South Tyrol between Trens and Mauls in the municipality of Freienfeld near Sterzing. It is located in the Wipptal on the orographic left side of the Eisack river.

The castle can be visited only from outside.

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 Fahlburg Castle, originally „Tower of Vall“, was built during the 13th Century and owned by the Lords von Zobel. After the extinction of this family, there were some disputes over its ownership amongst the heirs. It is said that the minnesinger Oswald von Wolkenstein was kept captive by Barbara Jäger in the „Vall“, where he wrote songs and lamented bitterly about the tortures. In 1597, Jakob Andrä von Brandis bought the „Fahlburg“. The re-building work for changing the fortress into a Renaissance castle finished in 1640. Today, it is owned by Count Jakob von Brandis, a descendant of the dynasty of the counts von Brandis. The castle still hosts old tiled stoves, wooden ceilings and paintings by the Barouque painter Stefan Kessler. The castle‘s chapel has two levels and the sanctuary is consecrated. Today, events such asweddings, conferences, concerts etc. are arranged.

After over 400 years in family ownership, the castle was sold to the Athesia Group in 2021, whose founder in South Tyrol, Canon Michael Gamper, was born and raised in the immediate vicinity. The castle has been carefully restored since 2023.

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 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.

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.

The most interesting part of the façade of the “von Lutterotti” estate, a 17th century Baroque building, is probably the portal. It is framed by two half-columns with capitals and scroll and smooth and broken headstones. This is the magnificent archway of the court and prison building of the former Salorno/Salurn jurisdiction. The seat is adorned by three wrought-iron balconies. The hall on the first floor is decorated with stucco work. After the building was no longer used as a seat of jurisdiction, it passed to the namesake Lutterotti family from Salurn.

You will soon find more information about the Faznager-house here. 

Like the village of Tablà, Stava was also a separate municipality in the past. In 1928 the village was joined with the municipality of Naturno. Today Stava has around 360 inhabitants. Even in the Middle Ages Stava was renowned for its hospitality. There was even a health resort in the "Bad Kochenmoos" inn which provided hospitality to illustrious guests taking a break from the exertions of their travels.

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

The „Wohlgemuth zu Wendelstein“ estate dates back to 1592. The date is above the portal in the fresco of the triangular pediment on the double-arched window, which is adorned by a beautiful wrought-iron balustrade. The Renaissance building has an irregular floor plan and is set around an inner courtyard. The hall on the first floor with the aforementioned double-arched window has a precious coffered ceiling.

In the Middle Ages, Seeber House was part of the sovereign freehold with a barn and court cellar, and until the 19th century it was the seat of the keeper of the court of Enn and Kaldiff, as well as the place of payment of the "Zehent" tax (tithe) in kind to the manor. Roof surfaces, pillars and vaults of the farm buildings are partly originally preserved. Around the year 1600, the residential house was rebuilt. Above the doors there are the coats of arms of the court guardian families. The last incumbent was Vinzenz von Pühler, a friend of Andreas Hofer.

What was life for Franz Fromm, a merchant and collector, and his family in Merano like? How did they experience the turbulent years from 1921 to 1941? How did family members and employees live together in the typical spa town villa? What did the arts and crafts collection mean to them?

Come to our house museum and find out! Welcome to Villa Freischütz!

Admission
Adults: 10,- €
Discounts (seniors over 65, children under 18, students, disabled persons): 8,- €
2nd floor guided tour: 10,- € / 8,- €

You can visit the rooms on the first floor.You can visit the rooms on the second floor only with a guided tour. We only offer guided tours for small groups. Please book a tour in advance. Due to the construction of the villa and to protect sensitive objects you cannot visit the rooms on your own. A guided tour costs 10,- € or 8,- € per person, it lasts 1.5 hours and is in German, Italian or English.

Closed in winter.

The Zwingenburg Castle it is situated above Prissiano. Zwingenburg Castle was first mentioned in 1237. In 1274, the sovereign Meinhard II bought the castle. Around 1800, already in ruins, it became farming ground. Count von der Schulenburg acquired the ruins and re-build the castle around 1900. Today, it is once again in farming hands.

The Hausmann-Locherer estate dates from the Renaissance period, was built in the second half of the 16th century and is characterised by architectural elements of Nordic and Italian origin that are typical of the Überetsch/Oltradige architectural style. Architrave-shaped windows and an entrance portal with a round arch decorate the façade of the building. Above this round arch is the coat of arms of Andrä Locherer from 1593, consisting of a unicorn standing on its hind legs. The interior rooms with their central hall are arranged symmetrically. Some rooms have stuccoed ceilings, others are covered with 17th century woodcarving decorations. The entire building encloses an inner courtyard.

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.

The Rochelehof is situated in the center of Marling. The proprietor, Walter Mairhofer, is a passionate collector of historic equipment and tools from days gone by. His collection specializes in grape and fruit growing. He is delighted to tell visitors about folk sayings, old rights and obligations and the storing of wine in cellars. Visits by telephone appointment: Tel. 366 11 45753

Since the collapse of the unusually powerful donjon in 1807 only ruins; The castle consisted of the freestanding mountain fried, the house with castle entrance and farm buildings, surrounded by a large curtain wall; whose new mansion is now located below the castle for 800 years owned by the Counts Brandis. No visit possible.

Castel Katzenzungen was first mentioned in 1244 when it was owned by Henricus de Cazenzunge. Between the 16th and the 18th Century, the castle had its golden age when it was owned by the Lords von Breisach, who originally came from Alsace. Then, it was one of the most elegant aristocratic residences in the country. With the extinction of this dynasty, the Renaissance sastle was transformed into farming area and was only renovated after the Pobitzer family from Meran bought the grounds in 1978. For some years, Castel Katzenzungen with its magnificent rooms, panelled Renaissance lounges, the black smoking kitchen and the arched ceiling cellars has been used once again for its original purpose, which is that of a „summer residence“. The programme features in particular cultural and gastronomic events.

In front of the castle, below the stone bridge leading to the castle entrance, the largest and probably oldest vine in the world thrives. According to the latest scientific findings, the white wine vine "Versoaln" is at least 360 years old and its 300 m² canopy of foliage springs from only one rootstock.

Griesfeld estate in Neumarkt/Egna. This beautiful residence was built by Karl Balthasar of Cazan around the middle of the 17th century. Rectangular windows, two biforiums and six ox-eye windows adorn the elegant façade. On the second floor of the building there is a wonderful Baroque chapel, whose barrel vault is decorated with rich stucco and valuable 17th-century frescoes depicting the lives of saints and the Blessed Mother. Today this stately building houses a home economics school

The Gelmini estate was built in the first half of the 17th century. It belonged to the An der Lan and Fedrigotti families and to the Gelmini family. The three-storey building has a beautiful garden and several courtyards leading to the service buildings. Another interesting feature is the oriel with turrets and ox-eyes in the upper part of the façade, located on Schillerstrasse. The building is decorated with a mosaic created in 1911 depicting a Virgin and Child inspired by Raphael's Renaissance Madonna. Particularly worth seeing are the coffered ceiling in the wood-panelled oriel room, which dates from 1661, and the carved wooden walls, which run in two vertical strips and are separated by refined half-columns. Dr. Max von Gelmini was one of the largest silkworm breeders in South Tyrol. He built the so-called "silk spinning mill", one of the most important examples of industrial architecture in the entire country.

Farther down the street, you come to house number 22, today, the seat of the District Association of Unterland/Bassa Atesina. Here again we find judge Peter Ganel's coat of arms and the date of construction, 1583, on the portal. The building distinguishes itself by the refined character of the interior, the window and door frames in stone, as well as by the elegance of the vaulted and beamed ceilings.

The “Hofkeller” was first mentioned in documents at the beginning of the 14th century. It has a massive gable roof. It was once the seat of the feudal administration, which passed from the Lords of Salorno/Salurn to the Counts of Tyrol. On the east side of the building, on the ground floor, there is a large hall with a cross vault supported by two rows of seven slender columns made of Prun stone and by pilasters. The imposing building already impressed the first South Tyrolean chronicler Marx Sittich von Wolkenstein, as he wrote in his description of Tyrol published in 1600.

The most interesting building in Andreas-Hofer-Street from a historical point of view is surely the "Ballhaus." This construction functioned as a warehouse and repository for goods passing through Neumarkt/Egna, which, by disposition of the reigning sovereign Duke Otto, were obliged to pay duty and remain there for a night. Above the semi-circular stone framed arch of the portal, the erroneous date of 1372 appears along with the Egna coat of arms. In fact, the Ballhaus was built some 150 years later. You could say that the Ballhaus is the symbol of the privileges which Egna enjoyed until the 18th century and which permitted it to develop into the great and beautiful village we know today. Currently, following very careful restoration, this building is the site of the community library for the German-speaking population, the "Bibliothek im Ballhaus."

You will soon find more information about the St. Catherine’s Chapel and the manor house Gurten here.

The remarkable Baroque residence of the Barons of Longo dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. It presents a simple façade and a Baroque portal which can be reached through a two-winged staircase. The stone frame of the portal is decorated with two putti and a female bust. The interiors are richly decorated: high reliefs in stucco by Franz Hannibal Bittner and frescoes by Giacomo Antonio Delai, two artists who worked in the Bolzano/Bozen area from 1730. The palace also includes a unique park that extends to the forest behind the village.

Tyrol Castle is the most historically significant castle in South Tyrol. Its origins stretch back into the late 11th century.

Since 2003 Tyrol Castle has housed the South Tyrolean Museum of History. Its main focus is the history of the province from its beginnings to modern times.

The oldest structural elements can be found in church excavations in the outer bailey (three building phases, three-apse chamber from the 9th century). The south palace contains the two Romanesque portals. The two-storey castle chapel is dedicated to St. Pancras and is famous for its gothic frescoes. What is believed to be the wedding chamber of Countess Margarethe of Tyrol, known as Maultasch (literally “bag mouth”), is situated in the Mushaus. The keep, which was only completed after 1902, now houses an exhibition of the history of the 20th century depicted over twenty separate levels. The historic estate buildings house special exhibitions.