Category: Sights

How to reach the Walther Square

The Piazza Walther, also known as the “drawing room” of the town, was completed in 1808 by order of King Massimiliano di Baviera, and initially named after him. It was later given the name of the Archduke Giovanni d’Austria (Johannesplatz) and, in 1901, it was dedicated to Walther von der Vogelweide (1170-1230), one of the great German poets and storytellers of the Middle Ages. After the annexation of Alto Adige to Italy, the square was named after King Vittorio Emanuele III and, only in the second part of the post-war period, the name of the German poet was resumed. A monument to Walther, of neo-Romanesque style, sculpted in white Lasa marble by the Venostan sculptor Heinrich Natter (1889), dominates the centre of the square. In 1935 the fascist authorities had it transferred to a more secluded part of town (Rosegger Park – via Marconi). The monument was later relocated in the square in 1985.

Opening hours:
open all year

Free entry!

Contact:
Tourist office Bolzano
Südtiroler Str. 60
39100 Bolzano
+39 0471-307000

How to reach the Kröll Tower, Gargazzone

Medieval tower high above Gargazzone 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.

Contact
Tourist information Lana and environs
via Andreas Hofer 9/1
39011 Lana
+39 0473 561 770

How to reach Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral

It is Bolzano’s chief landmark and at the same time a gem of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, a symbol of the sustained and fruitful meeting of southern and northern influences in Bolzano. The subject is of course the Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral, showpiece of the town’s medieval centre and main square, the Walther Square.

The cathedral is best approached from the square. The ground plan was laid in early Christian times, a rectangular-shaped church was later built in Romanesque style and consecrated in 1180, dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady.

The architects and master builders, the Schiche brothers from Augsburg gave the cathedral its Gothic appearance in the 14th century, built of reddish sandstone from Val Gardena and yellow sandstone from the south of South Tyrol. The gargoyles reminiscent of Notre Dame in Paris are artistically chiselled and masterworks of High Gothic architecture.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 12 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm

Free entry!

Contact:
Assumption of Our Lady Cathedral
Pfarrplatz 27
39100 Bolzano
+39 0471-978676

How to reach the Gampen Bunker

At only 1,520 m, the Gampenpass mountain pass (Passo Palade in Italian) is one of the lowest mountain passes in the Alps and was the main north-south route once used by wayfarers and pilgrims, before the roads were built. The Alta Val di Non/Deutschnonsberg area always represented the boundary between cultures and served as a frontier: a place of both meeting and separation.

Built between 1935 and 1939, the road across the Gamepnpass mountain pass connecting the villages of Lana in South Tyrol and Fondo in Trentino represented an engineering feat at the time.

One of the most important WWII-era bunker systems in South Tyrol was built on the Gampenpass on the border between South Tyrol and Trentino. Today the bunker in the Gampen Gallery hosts exhibitions including a permanent collection of minerals and a photo exhibition.

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Please check this website for detailed information on opening hours and prices.

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Contact:
Gampen Bunker
Gampen Pass
3910 Senale
+39 0463 886321

How to reach the Häusl am Stoan

Imagine waking up one morning, looking out at the window and realizing with horror that there is nothing left around your house – everything washed away by the flood. A truly unpleasant feeling that the owners of the “Häusl am Stein” also experienced in 1882.

A long time ago, lush, beautiful meadows and several farmhouses stood here in the valley floor below Bad Lad in St. Pankraz an der Falschauer. But when in one autumn night of 1882 a great storm came down, the floods of the mountain stream swept everything away, except for the so-called “Häusl am Stein”, on the right bank of the Falschauer. By chance, this had been built on a huge boulder and was thus spared the enormous flood. However, the rock on which the cottage stands only became visible after the flood. Not even the owners of the little house knew about it.
Even today the “Häusl am Stein”, one of the most curious buildings of the holiday region Ultental-Deutschnonsberg and all of South Tyrol, stands on the rock and defies any weather. A little hidden between trees and meadows, it can be reached from St. Pankraz via a leisurely walk and can be admired. The Falschauer is still today a wild mountain stream, but a well-built one, from which no dangers go out anymore and on whose shore it is pleasant to picnic.
The “Häusl am Stein” is a very popular photo motif. It is privately owned and still inhabited today.

Opening Times:
Open all year round

How to reach Castel Katzenzungen

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.

Contact:
Castel Katzenzungen
Prissiano 11
39010 Tesimo/Prissiano
+39 0473-927018

How to reach the earth pyramids

Giants of clay
Perjury and greed, according to legend, are supposed to be the reasons why earth pyramids reach toward the sky in Collepietra instead of lush, green and fertile meadows.

Children of erosion
Heavy storms, the “punishment of God”, are in fact the cause of these unique and extremely rare natural landmarks. Where glaciers deposited moraine clay during the ice age, heavy rainfall formed a clay paste that slowly flowed down into the valley. Harder material, such as larger rocks, protected the underlying clay from the rain: over the millennia pillars of up to 30 metres in height were formed, each complete with its own “hat”.

How to reach the Wilder Mann

The Wilder Mann Buehel is located in the protected area of the forest of Monticolo, above the little lake of Monticolo. It is one of the hiking destinations in this area that is ideal for those who do seek the most challenging trails. If you park your car in the sports area of Ronco, you can either walk or overcome the distance by bike. At the Wilder Mann you can admire ancient high altitude settlements of the Iron Age. Also the little stone pyramids, that is to say little stone constructions, are eye-catching both for adults and kids. This is also where you can enjoy a panoramic view on the Oltradige and the Monticolo forest.

The name of the remote place dates back to the period in which the first humans settled the area of Appiano. This mountain was imputed with the characteristics of a wild man (Wilder Mann), for this reason it is still called “Wilder Mann”. Other theories claim that it used to be an ancient sacrificial site. Archaeological findings dating back to the Ice Age and late Bronze Age partially testify the assumptions of the researchers. However, there are also other mystical stories telling about this place.

However, what is sure is the following: Peter Weth, citizen of Appiano, used to live in this place in the 19th century. On a journey to North America, in which was digging for gold, he lived with the Indians for a while. After his return, he was attracted by the calm of nature and started living in the forest. Still today you can see his carvings “P.W., geb. 1824″ (P.W. born in 1824).

Opening hours:
Open all years

Free entry!

Contact:
Tourist office Appiano
Rathausplatz 1
39057 Appiano
+39 0471-662206