Since 2011 the Schluderns Gate Tower in Glurns hosts a permanent exhibition concerning the history of this little medieval town, such as trade, customs, daily life and curiosities.
The museum in Sulden am Ortler, an underground structure at 1900 m above sea-level, is devoted to the world of ice. “At the end of the world” we call it. That is what it says on a 1771 map drawn by Peter Anich showing the glacier on the Ortler, beneath which the Ice Museum is located. At MMM Ortles Reinhold Messner tells of the Terrors of Ice and Darkness, Snow People and Snow Lions, the Whiteout and the Third Pole. The museum houses the world’s biggest collection of Ortler paintings as well as ice-climbing gear from two centuries. Skiing, ice-climbing and expeditions to the Poles are the themes. Visitors find themselves inside the mountain, where they are given a clear picture of ice mountains, the Arctic and Antarctic, the power of avalanches, and the pains taken by artists to depict the world of ice.
The museum is located in Hotel Mondschein in the centre of Sesto. It was realised by Mr. Stabinger with a lot of love for detail.
Nestled in the picturesque landscape of the Vinschgau Valley, Bunker23 in Tartsch holds a fascinating history beneath its surface. What appears from the outside to be an unassuming relic of the past was once a strategically important part of the so-called "Alpine Wall"—an extensive military defense system.
Today, this former shelter has been transformed into a unique meeting place. Bunker23 serves as a cultural space that unites art, history, and memory. Regular exhibitions, guided tours, and events take place in its cool corridors, immersing visitors in a truly special atmosphere.
Exhibition of sacred furniture from the baroque époque in the Tyrolean area. Next to the precious liturgical vestments and gonfalons painted by famous artists, the museum also stands out for its precious jewels from the 18th century.
The Bunker
A Cold War Relic in South Tyrol
Built between 1938 and 1942 as part of the Toblach defense line, the bunker was only activated in the 1950s under NATO’s defense plans against the Warsaw Pact. It was never used in combat, but espionage was widespread. Abandoned in 1993 and later privatized, it has housed the BunkerMuseum since 2017.
At Kaserbach, where hydroelectric power was once used, lies the former artisan zone that characterized village life back then. Our path leads past the smithy, the knitter mill and the old sawmill. At that time, the grain of the Lüsner farmers was ground in the mill. The "Stricker mill", whose historical roots reach back to the year 1645, has remained true to its original function until today.
The Pass Museum on the North Tyrolean side juts out like an erratic boulder into the South Tyrolean side, underlining the cross-border nature of the Timmelsjoch Experience. The "Ice Cave" inside the museum pays tribute to the pioneers of the High Alpine Road and their remarkable accomplishment.
Discover all about: the history of the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road, the name Timmelsjoch, a brooch dating back to the pre-Christian era.
Free admission
Opening hours: end of May until the end of October (when the Timmelsjoch road is open to traffic) · daily 7 am-8 pm
The "Museum for the Ortles Region" is an outpouring of passion and love of the Ortler region; it is a place where people are reminded of their roots and where the lives of both the great and the lesser pioneers of this part of the country are celebrated. A stroll through the history and the culture of the Ortles region, together with a special exhibition commemorating the 1915-1918 World War and also a rare and beautiful collection of minerals from the area. The museum will transport you back through 100 years of tourism in the Ortles region with its Alpine refuges, its sponsors and its pioneers from the history of this Alpine village at the foot of the Ortler. The greater part of the work of setting up these displays was carried out and financed by volunteers from the local Association and in particular by Konrad Knoll, who had undertaken the laborious task of finding, sorting and repairing many of the exhibits where necessary and who had also invested a considerable amount of his own money in the venture. Categories: culture, War, Contemporary history open year-round daily 9 am - 7 pm
Water is the main theme at the visitor center aquaprad. After entering the facility, visitors can hear and see water. About 30 local fish species can be seen in fourteen spectacular tanks. In an impressive manner, visitors will receive insight into the local fish fauna – from mountain streams to rivers, from high mountain lakes to the floodplain.
Tucked into the sun-drenched slopes of Maia Alta/Obermais and surrounded by age-old vineyards, Rametz Castle stands as one of the region’s most storied wine estates. Wine has been cultivated here since 1227, and in 1860, the first Pinot Noir vine in South Tyrol was planted on thisvery soil. Over the centuries, the castle has undergone various architectural transformations – most notably its 19th-century redesign in Tudor style under Franz Flarer. Among its illustrious guests were Empress Elisabeth of Austria, King Albert of Saxony, and King Alexander of Serbia – all drawn to its refined charm during Merano’s golden spa era.
The Museum
Today, where once royals sojourned, visitors can embark on a unique cultural experience. Since 1980, Rametz Castle has housed a private wine museum, offering an immersive exploration of 800 years of wine heritage. The exhibition extends across the ground floor and into the original porphyry cellars – among the most atmospheric in the region. In four meticulously curated rooms, guests are guided through the seasonal cycle of traditional winemaking: from soil cultivation and vine care to pest control, harvesting, and cellar techniques.
Historical tools, ancient wine presses, grain mills, and implements for speck production paint a vivid picture of rural life, where wine was not only a craft, but a way of life. Each artefact bears silent witness to the labour, ingenuity, and cultural richness behind South Tyrol’s viticultural identity.
A highlight of any visit is the guided tour, culminating in a walk through the stunning 18th-century porphyry cellars. There, guests are invited to taste five carefully selected wines from the estate, accompanied by the house specialty: Kaiserspeck, a noble ham once served to imperial guests. The experience concludes in the elegant vinotheque, where premium wines, sparkling vintages, and fine South Tyrolean delicacies can be purchased.
For those wishing to extend their stay, the estate restaurant Am Schloss Rametz offers seasonal gourmet cuisine with a strong regional identity – perfectly paired with wines from the estate’s own vineyards.
Rametz Castle is more than a museum – it is a sensorial bridge between past and present, a place where connoisseurs, curious minds, and lovers of culture gather to discover the essence of South Tyrolean wine.
The Völlan Farming Museum is located in a beautiful annex of the vicarage that once housed fire wood, the laundry, a pigsty and the baking oven and nowadays impressively illustrates pre-industrial farm life to visitors.
In front of the entrance you can already see various sandstone vessels, baskets for piglets and other farming tools. The two-floor museum consists of four rooms. The first one presents an original living room and through clothes and everyday objects gives insights into a farmer's life in the 18th century.
Many utensils like a butter churn, a Keschtnriggl (a traditional chestnut basket), sausage presses and pasta machines are on display in the adjacent kitchen, whereas the next room presents tools of all kinds that mainly were hand-made by the farmers of the pre-industrial era.
Nothing is better than to learn from history by living it. That is the reason why the Farmer's Museum in Völlan not only is meant for grown-up visitors but for students and children too, because ultimately it gives us insights into the hard everyday life of times long past.
Here you get an impression of the huge diversity of tools a farmer would need and use back then. The upper floor houses tools and equipment for spinning and weaving like a loom, a reel, etc. The mill in the last room, however, originates from Oberinn on the river Ritten near the capital of Bolzano/Bozen.
Here, through information and fun, nature becomes perceptible, tangible and accessible. Here are available information on the Natural Parks of the Pusteria valley and the formation of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage. On the first floor you can visit the temporary exhibitions. Free admission!
Where once cable car gondolas arrived, a new chapter begins: the Reinhold Messner Haus is an impressive example of how the future can grow from what already exists. The former mountain station on Monte Elmo was not demolished, but upcycled - transformed into a visionary centre for sustainability, environmental awareness, art and culture.
This is where people, ideas and horizons meet. The Reinhold Messner Haus is more than just an exhibition. It is an invitation - to pause, to think, to engage in dialogue. Between old wooden beams and contemporary architecture, a lively place is created where past and future join hands. A house that not only tells the story of Messner's life, but also prompts our own reflections on responsibility and change. A place of quiet grandeur - the Reinhold Messner Haus on Monte Elmo.
The Laas Marble World invites you to experience the legendary Lasa marble with all your senses. Surrounded by the impressive nature of the Vinschgau Valley/Val Venosta, visitors learn about the history of this special stone, from its historical beginnings of quarrying in the Jennwand, a mountain above Laas/Lasa, to the arduous transport on the unique inclined railway and the modern processing technology of today.
History comes alive in the Laas Marble World. Numerous display boards bear testament to the hard work of the quarrymen and the skilful processing techniques that have made Lasa marble world-famous. A particular highlight is the sculpture park, where impressive works of art made from the gleaming white marble can be admired.
In addition to its fascinating history, the marble world also offers a place of rest and recreation. Shady seating and elegant marble tables invite you to linger. There is a marble sandpit for younger visitors while those interested can try their hand at carving a block of marble themselves.
Sanitary facilities and fresh drinking water are available on site to make your stay as pleasant as possible. The Laas Marble World is an experience for the whole family: a place where nature, culture, and craftsmanship come together in a special way.
Admission: 4.00 euros per adult and 2.00 euros per child aged 6 and over.
Tickets can be purchased directly on site at the ticket machine.
One entry is free with the Südtirol Guest Pass Vinschgau (May – mid-November 2025).
Down the road of the kid park in Niederolang (Via Rienza) up to Mühlbach the are big stone with their signs that are about the thema of stones.
Further information
© Office of Archaeology, Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano
Entering the museum, a film shot from eagle‘s-eye-view provides you with an unusual impression of the park. A 3D relief provides visitors with multimedia information concerning the park’s mountains, trails, refuges, lakes and waterfalls. A pendulum gives visitors a close-up look at how the mountains arose, while a kind of stone puzzle provides insight into the geological structure of the mountains. Visitor information systems give information concerning nature, the landscape and the evolution of the nature park region. And for kids there are fairy tales and legends from times past.
Special exhibition (6th May - 31st October 2025): The snakes of South Tyrol
The exhibition describes the eight native snake species of South Tyrol and explains their important role in the ecosystem. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about the way of life of these special animals and raises awareness for the protection of these fascinating animals.
Discover at the Vuseum – the Vinschgau Museum – the versatility of this unique valley with its long history, and then take a hike to the prehistoric settlement of Ganglegg or along the old watercourses Leitenwaal and Berkwaal.
Experience the Vinschgau Valley …
The various film presentations and the walk along the water channels to the prehistoric site "Ganglegg" – well signposted – make the visit eventful. Additionally, the exhibitions in the museum change regularly.
… Understand the Vinschgau Valley
The exhibitions help visitors understand why the Vinschgau Valley is the way it is today and how the inhabitants, the “Vinschger,” have learned to cope with the harsh local conditions over millennia.
Ancient Vinschgau: The archaeological site near Ganglegg hill is an extraordinary testimony to the historical development of settlements in the Vinschgau Valley from the Neolithic period to the Roman era. The exhibition presents exceptional artifacts depicting the life, culture, religion, and craftsmanship of that time.
Travel and Stops in Roman Times: The permanent exhibition presents a series of unique finds along the Via Claudia Augusta in the Upper Vinschgau Valley, demonstrating the importance of the valley as a transit area.
Water Channels – Water for Irrigation: Vinschgau Valley is one of the driest valleys in the Alps. Concern for water has accompanied its inhabitants since time immemorial. Together, they built the “Waale” (traditional irrigation channels) with simple means and regulated the distribution of water by local statutes.
Today, much has been replaced by modern technology, but in some places the Waale system remains intact. In 2023, the Waale on the Mals Heath were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Swabian Children: Starting from the 17th century, poverty in the Vinschgau Valley forced parents to send their children on a very exhausting walk to Upper Swabia to find accommodation and work there. The exhibition traces the paths of the “Schwabenkinder” (Swabian children) and tells their story: from a simple life in the Vinschgau Valley to the hard daily life in a foreign land.
Travellers – “The Korrner”: Jenische, Dörcher, and Korrner were driven by hardship to distant regions. In the Vinschgau Valley, those who travelled with a cart and mostly worked as itinerant traders were called “Korrner.” They were typically registered in their home municipalities as fruit, vegetable, or livestock dealers. We distinguish between those who made their living this way and those who did so only seasonally or as a supplementary income.
Avelignese Stallion 249 Folie – The breeding of Avelignese horses in the Vinschgau Valley: In 1874, the stallion 249 Folie was born in the stables of Josef Folie and his wife Anna Fritz. Today, all purebred Avelignese horses descend from him. The documentary exhibition tells the story of Folie and his descendants in the Vinschgau Valley.
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.
As South Tyrol's traditional and largest fruit producing municipality, Lana is the ideal location for the collection and display of information regarding the history of fruit-growing Thus the South Tyrolean fruit-growing museum gives an interesting overview on the fruit-growing aspects of agricultural life.
As South Tyrol's traditional and largest fruit producing municipality, Lana is the ideal location for the collection and display of information regarding the history of fruit-growing Thus the South Tyrolean fruit-growing museum gives an interesting overview on the fruit-growing aspects of agricultural life.
The „Apple Museum" is located in the medieval mansion Larchgut and offers approximately 1,000 square metres of exhibition space where you can find a host of information about this aspect of South Tyrolean cultural history.
The Larchgut Mansion's medieval keep was mentioned for the first time in writing in the year 1301 and it is now a listed building. Since fruit-growing followed winegrowing and crop production, the oldest items on display relate to these topics. Among others you can see the oldest wine press in South Tyrol from the year 1570.
The reclamation of the marshlands of the Adige Valley in the 19th and 20th centuries was the basis for the boom in fruit-growing. The evolution of agriculture, rural customs and every day life of the 19th century are documented through many original tools and objects. In the barn of the estate you can also see antique means of transport, tools and machines that give you an idea of the hardships of a farmers life in the past.
Mineral Museum and Shop Kirchler – A Gem in the Ahrntal Valley
Born out of a decades-long passion for collecting and searching for minerals, our museum has become the most significant museum of the Eastern Alps.
Explore an impressive collection of minerals from the Ahrntal and the Hohe Tauern, as well as minerals from around the world, jewelry, and souvenirs to remember your visit.
Let yourself be enchanted by the intense beauty of the diverse crystals from our mountains!
No days off in July and August – come by and let yourself be captivated by the natural beauty.
Our products are available both on-site at the museum and conveniently in our online shop: www.mineralienmuseum.com
The Visitor Centre ‘naturatrafoi’ of the Stelvio National Park is situated in Trafoi at the Stelvio Pass road.
The exhibition offers interesting insight into the geology of the Ortler group and the survival and adjustment of flora and fauna to the extreme climate conditions in the high mountain region.
Impressive photo panels, an exhibition cinema, as well as rocks and furs introduce visitors to the ‘Life on the Edge’. For little visitors, we have prepared some games, fairy-tale listening stations, as well as a stone puzzle for ‘active understanding’.
There is free access to the information area on the ground floor. The admission fee for the exhibition area is €3.00 per person.
Fascinating water: learn more about water - about the power, the secrets and the magic.
During your visit, you bring water with your own energy to jump. Taste the gemstone water and learn how the water came to earth, etc.
The museum can be visited at any time on request for groups of 10 people or more. Also in winter.
The South Tyrolean traditional costumes are renowned for their beauty. It is interesting that almost every village and town has its own costume. These pieces of clothing are worn at every festive occasion, such as religious festivities or at processions. During the time of Charles the Great, it was not permitted for farming folk to wear expensive clothing. People of the lower ranks of society were not allowed to wear more than a Loden jacket. The farmers had to wear clothes made of materials they could produce themselves. Expensive fabrics such as silk and brocade were reserved for the richer people in society. Only when Empress Maria Theresia came to power, was this law amended so that the population could wear traditional costumes of any style. This resulted in a variety of traditional costumes that are still used to this day.
Kastelruth costumes for men: Men wear a shirt, cardigan and jacket with trousers and costume shoes. Their hat is decorated with a carnation and some leaves. The top button of the cardigan and jacketremain open.
Kastelruth costumes for women: Women wear a long black skirt and a black velvet corset. During the winter, they also wear a black small cape and during the summer a white jacket. On top of these, there is a silver or coloured shawl with long fringes. With the jacket, they need to wear a blue apron and with the small cape a black, water-silk apron. In addition, they wear fashionable ribbons that look well with their shawl. Married women wear their hair up, with a silver hairpin and a type of stylish comb, which helps to keep their hair in a knot. Unmarried women wear pigtails that are arranged in a type of Gretl hair style and incorporate this with a black velvet ribbon.
The Touriseum – South Tyrol Museum for Tourism – takes visitors on a captivating journey through the evolution of holidaymaking in the Alps. Housed in Trauttmansdorff Castle, once the retreat of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the museum has been inspiring curious minds since its opening in 2003. Spanning 20 imaginatively designed themed rooms, the exhibition explores how South Tyrol transformed from a remote mountain landscape into a cosmopolitan destination of global appeal.
From the very first step inside, it becomes clear: this is no conventional museum. The Touriseum invites guests to play, discover, and reflect – through life-size stage sets, hands-on displays, and clever storytelling. One moment you’re navigating a coach through a dramatic gorge, the next you’re checking into a grand hotel or accompanying a 1950s family on holiday. Highlights include vintage travel posters by celebrated Merano artist Franz Lenhart – graphic testimonies to the art of seduction in early tourism marketing.
History here is not just told – it is experienced. The second floor is home to the Sissi Rooms, where original furnishings and personal touches evoke the spa routines of Empress Elisabeth, who helped put Merano on the map as an elite resort in the 19th century. Throughout the museum, interactive multimedia stations offer the voices of locals and visitors, each adding their own perspective to South Tyrol’s cultural transformation.
A special feature of the Touriseum is its multilingual approach: all exhibitions are presented in German and Italian, with increasing content available in English – making it highly accessible for international and younger audiences. The tone is playful, even witty – perfectly embodied in the museum’s showpiece: the world’s largest tourism-themed pinball machine, where visitors can follow the highs and lows of tourism history with a flick of the wrist.
But the Touriseum offers more than historical knowledge – it inspires curiosity about social change, design, and regional identity. The museum itself is thoughtfully curated, both visually and conceptually, and forms the perfect gateway to the nearby Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, a botanical wonderland well worth exploring in its own right.
A visit to the Touriseum is a journey into the heart of South Tyrol’s identity – where stories are told with humour, depth, and style. It’s a must for anyone who wants to go beyond the surface and understand the cultural DNA of the region.
