Památky v Jižním Tyrolsku

In 1220, the Church of San Giovanni/ St. Johann in Taufers was built as a Romanesque church in the shape of a cross. The fully frescoed groined vault depicts its Byzantine influence. It is worth seeing the Late Romanesque frescoes. Whole sections of the walls of the predecessor church from the 9th century were used to build the church. 
Later, the church was used as a hospice church and served as a common room and sleeping place for pilgrims. 

The church S. Johann in Taufers is open every day from 9.30 a.m. until 5.00 p.m..

Campofosso Lake is also a deep blue alpine lake (2.439m) with a legendary story: once upon a time there was a beautiful, green meadow in the Campofosso area. This was the property of the richest farmer in the village of Terento. A young shepherd, with eyes as blue as gentian, used to live here. One day, the only daughter of the farmer brought his lunch up to him. When she looked into his eyes she fell in love. He fell in love too. Some time went by, but the farmer's daughter did not visit the shepherd again. One day, the farm labourer brought lunch up to the alpine pasture and informed the shepherd about the upcoming farmers' daughter's wedding. The shepherd was petrified and the mountain trolls provoked a storm. Instead of the alpine hut, the farmers' daughter found a lake, as blue as the eyes of the shepherd.

Waalwege is the German name for the characteristic hiking trails in the Vinschgau Valley, which run without significant inclines along the hill at the foot of the high mountains. They are the paths along which run along the narrow water channels, that were dug many centuries ago and were used to irrigate the fields until the 19th century. Today, the irrigation channel paths are among the most popular hiking trails in South Tyrol.

The paths are popular hiking trails for families, moderate hikers and everyone who wishes to enjoy the unique flora and fauna in the entire valley. There used to be 300 irrigation channels in the Upper Venosta Valley but today, only a dozen of these are still accessible. The Leitenwaal, Berkwaal und Oberwaal are navigable year round. The Turnaunawaal in Taufers i.M./ Tubre in Val Monastero also offers spectacular panorama views of the valley and the high mountain ranges.

The western Lodner glacier is located between the Lodnerspitze (3,228) in the south and the Hohe Weiße (3,278) in the north. 
About 20 years ago, the glacier extended from a height of 2,780 m to a height of 3,180 m and covered an area of 25 ha.
In recent years, this glacier has also receded considerably and no longer reaches these dimensions. Today, the glacier extends from about 2,855 m to 3,030 m. The only larger ice field that can be seen is about 200 m x 200 m, which is an area of 4 ha. In former times, the northern flank of the Lodnerspitze (3,228) was covered with ice all the way to the peak, but today only three or four small ice fields remain as reminders of this.
Four to five smaller ice fields can still be seen on the southern flank of the Hohe Weiße (3,278). The rest of the ice is covered with rocks that fall from the wall.

Source: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano ripartizione Natura, Paesaggio e Sviluppo del Territorio

The sulphur springs are located at the Tirler on the Seiser Alm. They are a geological natural monument. There are two springs that emerge at the upper edge of a marshy forest seal. At the larger spring there is a wooden fountain from which you can drink. The water is not poisonous, on the contrary, it has a purifying effect. The water is not tasty, because it smells like rotten eggs. The water has whitened those objects that are in the springs.

The narrow-gauge railway: The Ritten railway was opened on 13th August 1907. For the first time it was possible to cover the just under 1,000 m difference in altitude from Bolzano up to the Ritten effortlessly. Quick, reliable and not subject to changes in weather the modern railway carried not only passengers but also goods up to the Ritten. Up until the 1960s the rack and pinion railway was the lifeline of the Ritten. Today all year round it joins up the localities of Oberbozen, Wolfsgruben, Lichtenstern and Klobenstein. In order to cope with the requirements of the “Südtirol Takt” (regular-interval timetable), the rolling stock has been extended. The course is set for the future. The Ritten railway is one of South Tyrol’s treasures. It is an important public means of transport, a sought-after excursion railway and a technical railway rarity passengers have become fond of and that will also bring a lot of pleasure in the future to those who have taken it to their hearts.

One of the seven nature parks in South Tyrol is the Trudner Horn/ Monte Corno Nature Park. It covers an area of 6,851 hectares and includes the municipalities of Truden/Trodena, Altrei/Anterivo, Montan/Montagna, Neumarkt/Egna, and Salorno/Salurn. It is bordered to the north by the foothills of the Val di Fiemme, to the southeast by the Val Cembra, and to the west by the Adige Valley between Neumarkt and the Salorno hermitage. It owes its name to the 1,781-meter-high Trudner Horn, a mountain of the Fiemme valley Alps. Due to its location and the sub-Mediterranean climate zone, the protected area offers the most species-rich flora and fauna of all South Tyrolean nature parks.

The Wandelhalle was originally erected in the 1860s, to provide sheltered seating for visitors. It was meant to provide shelter and thus to enable visitors to enjoy the sunshine and the mild local climate even in winter. The Wandelhalle quickly became a popular gathering spot and was enlarged in 1891. There are busts of distinguished citizens in the middle section or Ehrenhalle (hall of honour), while the side walls are adorned with landscape depictions by such stellar artists as Franz Lenhart, Rudolf Complojer and Peter Demetz.

In front of the Lagundo Tourist Office near Merano (Meran) there are exact replicas of Menhirs (tall, upright stones) discovered during excavations of the area in the 1990s. The stones form part of the remnants of a cult originating from the Illyrian and Ligurian settlement 3,000 years ago. The petroglyphs found on the stele are similar to the design of the tattoos found on the skin of Ötzi the Iceman. The originals are preserved at the Civic Museum in Bolzano (Bozen).

No-one has yet been able to explain exactly the function or the reason why ancient man hollowed out identations in the rock face know as "Schalensteine", although thousand of pages have been written on this subject. In the Vinschgau and neighbouring valleys hundreds of "Schalensteine" can be seen. They vary in size from minute hollows to hollows the size of a human cranium. Some possibile theories of their use are that they were places of workship, guiding points for travellers or possibly that the hollowing out of the stone face was for ritualistic or medical purposes.
Route description
Start at the village square in Castelbello, pass by Castelbello Castle, go to the Latschander irrigation channel path and follow it until the junction for Laces. There is the access to the nature's myths path. The first section of the myths path takes you on path no. 8 towards Montetrumes. The path leads through Douglas firs, Austrian pines and locust trees before you reach the so-called "Luamer Tschött" pond and the cupstone after some 30 minutes. Soon afterwards, the path branches off to the right. It is first even before you descend to reach the Via Montetrumes street that you follow for about 300 m towards Castelbello. Turn right at the sign (path no. 8) and continue to the "Klumper" slab and the irrigation channel path above Castelbello form where you can return to Castelbello's village square.

Registered as a natural monument since 1979 with the Provincia Autonoma of Bolzano Department of Nature, Landscape and Spatial Development.

The reason for protection is the great age of the tree and its aesthetic peculiarity.
The chestnut is located directly at the Happichlhof (Happichl Inn) in Rabland/Rablà in Geroldstraße/Via Gerold and can be visited during a hike along the Rablander Waalweg/sentiero della roggia di Rablà (irrigation channel).

According to the owner, the roots reach under the adjacent barn of the Happichlhof (distance 10 m).

As a result of its free standing, it was able to develop unconfined.
The trunk divides into two main branches at a height of 6 m.

The hunter’s monument was erected in 1968 on the Mesnerbühel by the hunters of Natz.The column was carved out of an old chestnut tree trunk. The inscription reads: „It is the hunter’s honour to protect and tend the game.“

The two Tablander Lacken lakes are situated the west of the Tschigat (3,000 m) in shallow basins lime-covered by ice-age glaciers, which are framed by the Plattenspitze (2,828 m), the Tschigat and the Partschinser Rötelspitze (3,037 m) and are open to the west.
The Great Lake (2,649 m) is 160 m long, 90 m wide and about 8 m deep. The inflow comes from the slopes of the Rötelspitze. Most of the outflow runs underground into the Zieltal valley.
The Small Lake (2,666 m) is 50 m long and 40 m wide and has no visible inflow or outflow.

(Source: Menara H. & Rampold J. 1976: Südtiroler Bergseen. Athesia Bozen.)

Growing on the west side of Unterweirachhof farm is an approximately 250-year-old vine of the Weißer Heunischer grape variety, which has been placed under protection as a natural monument.

Tradition has it that this vine was destroyed by the French during the pillaging of the courtyard during the Napoleonic Wars in 1809. When the farm was rebuilt in 1810, the vine began to sprout again. The base of the grapevine has a circumference of 106 cm.

This formerly widespread grape varietal can now be found almost solely on old stock located on the viticultural fringes. Since it is a winter-hardy variety, it is also said: “From loden skirts and the Heunischer vine, Tyroleans shall never part.”

The Fachschule für Obst-, Wein- und Gartenbau Laimburg (College for Fruit, Wine and Horticulture) used seedlings of this Heunischer to include them in the collection of old grape varieties.

31 August 2012 marked exactly one hundred years since the Mount Vigiljoch cable car made its maiden voyage, the world's third suspended cable car approved for passengers. To mark this anniversary and beyond the cable car monument remembers this technological breakthrough.

In Lana, at the roundabout of Meranerstrasse / Ultnerstrasse streets, looking down to the station towards the valley, one of the decommissioned cabins of the Monte S. Vigilio cable car, still functioning today according to the latest safety standards, serves as an all-around visible eye-catcher.

The Lana Monte S. Vigilio Cable Car

As the world's third suspended cable car approved for passengers, in 1912 the cable car on Monte S. Vigilio made history. Today, rebuilt according to modern safety standards, the cable car is a technical monument of national importance.

Since the company of the Monte S. Vigilio cable car tried already in 1912 to attain a refined artistic impression, it proclaimed Gustav Birkenstaedt as the artistic consultant to the company, which included, beyond the cable car, also the planned “high colony” (Höhenkolonie). As a result, Birkenstaedt developed the plans for the mountain hotel located near the mountain station and for a holiday house model that proved influential for the emerging residential area.

In 2008 the cable car once again underwent a general refurbishment. New cabins allow passenger transportation today without accompaniment in the cabin, and a video surveillance system ensures maximum safety. The journey from Lana to Monte S. Vigilio (1,486 m above sea level) takes 8 minutes.

The sulphur baths at Bad Bergfall The newly reviving bathing culture in South Tyrol is only one of the reasons why we have reconstructed Bad Bergfall. Here you can feel the element of water with all your five senses: Sulphur baths, Fountain of youth baths, Drinking cures, Inhalation fountain, Relaxation room, Relaxation massages, Energetic massages e Fitness programme The spacious pool facility with adjacent guesthouse provides the ideal retreat for people who want to spend recreational holidays to improve their health. The Pörnbacher family meets this increasing demand with professional bathing offers.

Between the 3,337 m high Roteckspitze and the 3,254 m high Rotwand, the glacier "Roteck Ferner" extends in an easterly direction.
The former direction of flow of the glacier can be seen very clearly in the lateral moraines, which point in the direction of the Zieltal valley and are partly already overgrown with cushion vegetation and grasses. In the upper part of the cirque, the glacier is partly covered with metres of very large boulders. The rock that falls and is carried down the valley by the ice consists mainly of muscovite schist and paragneiss in this area. The Ferner used to have an ice surface of 50 ha, of which about 30 ha are left today.

Source: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano ripartizione Natura, Paesaggio e Sviluppo del Territorio

The highest point of the Schlern is the Petz with 2563m. You can also take a summit tour around the Petz.

The Texelgruppe Nature Park, which encompasses more than 30,000 hectares, is the largest nature park in South Tyrol. It is situated between the Etschtal, Vinschgau, Schnalstal and Passeiertal valleys and the main chain of the Alps.

Some of the most beautiful hiking routes around Meran/Merano are located within this unique protected area. Examples include the Merano High Mountain Trail, which loops around the Texel Group over the course of several days, or the hike to the Spronser Seen lakes, one of the largest lake districts in Europe. The diverse geography and nature of the Texelgruppe Nature Park boasts deciduous and larch forests, high moors, blooming Alpine pastures, rugged rock faces, roaring streams, crystal-clear mountain lakes and panoramic peaks.

The Texelgruppe range boasts attractions beyond its diverse flora and fauna: the remains of prehistoric settlements, fortifications and places of worship demonstrate that mankind has long been attracted to this fantastic area. Neolithic engraved stones, "Ötzi the Iceman,” as well as the old ‘path of the dead’ from Pfelders/Plan to Dorf Tirol/Tirolo underscore the early presence of man in the Texelgruppe range area. In the late Middle Ages, due to the increase in population, farmsteads were operated year round up to an altitude of 2,000 metres. 

The Texelgruppe Nature Park is shared by the municipalities of Schnals/Senales, Naturns/Naturo, Partschins/Parcines, Algund/Lagundo, Dorf Tirol, Riffian/Rifiano, St. Martin in Passeier/San Martino in Passiria and Moos in Passeier/Moso in Passiria.

 

The St. Benedikt church of Mals was ercted in the 8th century A.D. Its Carolingian frescoes are among the earliest murals in central Europe. Originally, St. Benedict's did not have a tower; this was probably only built in the 12th century and therefore appears somewhat oversized. 
Without doubt, however, the two portraits of the founders are the most interesting. They show the Bishop of Chur and a Franconian landlord in traditional costume. This portrait is unique in Europe, as there is no comparable representation anywhere else. 

Opening hours 08.04.2024 - 31.10.2024:
Visitation: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 11.30 a.m.
Guided Tour: Monday, Wednesday and Friday (only in German at 2 p.m. and Italian 2.30 p.m.
Prices: € 1,80 per person; € 3,00 per person with guided tour
Registration not required 

Guided tours only in german or italian language (Info: +39 0473 831190)
The church is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

An interesting natural appearance in Entiklar is the legendary rain stone at the wine road, a rock face dripping water with many tuff and sinter formations. It is said that a weeping princess is on the inside of this stone and she appears once every 100 years in order to be redeemed and to richly reward her saviour.

The plague wayside shrine is a well known landmark of Valdaora and is reminiscent of the plague epidemic from the year 1448.

In the center of Valdaora di Mezzo, not far from the St. Ägidius church, Valdaora remembers one of his famous sons. The hero of the french wars from 1809/10 is devoted a huge monument from Hans Piffrader.

Face the sun to leave the shadows behind! (Blessing) The brightness has a positive effect on the mood. To underline the status of the sun, so-called “nature solariums” were realised, the first of this type in South Tyrol. The solariums are situated at two different locations in Terento. In addition to enjoying some healthy vitamin D therapy and deceleration, they also offer a splendid view of the Dolomites.

Registered as a natural monument since 1979 with the Provincia Autonoma of Bolzano Department of Nature, Landscape and Spatial Development. The reason for protection is its aesthetic peculiarity.

The sweet chestnut tree is located directly at the Oberweirachhof in Töll, Via Weirachweg and can be visited during a hike along the Peter Mitterhofer cultural hiking trail.

The Oberweirachhof is located near the Buschenschank Unterweirachhof (here you can find the natural monument grapevine "Weißer Heunischer").

The crown of the chestnut tree is densely leafy and well formed. It projects over the nearby Talgütl farm.

The "Human Shapes" project is a tribute to ten personalities from the past, who made a significant contribution to Merano’s cultural life during the course of their lives. The project embraced a wide temporal arch. It draws back to the theme of the plastic representation of the human shape, although it supports a free interpretation through contemporary art’s expressive means. The "Human Shapes" project has given life to an open-air art gallery along the Passer Promenade, between the Theater Bridge and the Iron Bridge. Every year, three to four busts of influential personalities were created.
Find out more at www.kunstmeranoarte.org

The St. Johann Benedictine convent of Müstair Valley across the border in Switzerland is a well-preserved monastery complex that dates back to the Carolingian period. Here, Benedictine everyday life, cultural cultivation, art and research meet. Legend has it that none other than Charlemagne laid the foundation stone for the monastery. Immediately after his coronation, Charlemagne was caught in a snowstorm on the Umbrail Pass. Out of gratitude for having survived this, he founded the monastery in Müstair in 775. 
St. Johann Monastery has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. 

More information, guided tours and opening hours of the monastery church at: www.muestair.ch

The Marian Sanctuary is located in the village of Senale in the region of Alta Val di Non. Various legends surround this place of pilgrimage, on of the oldest of South Tyrol.

On 1.184 the first stone of  the Sanctuary was placed. On 1.432 the church was enlarged, to get the present shape. At the beginning of XIV century the pilgrims flow, decreased, so the convent, attached to the hospice, lost its independence, then to belong to Augustinian order of Gries, Bolzano.

On "Wallneregg-Bühel", where robbed graves can be visited; some burial objects have been found in the moss. On the top of the "Bühel" you can admire the remains of an altar more than 3 m high, which served as a burnt offering place from about 1500 to 750 BC.

The small mountain lake "Blaue Lacke" is located in the basin of the Blaulackenkopf, the Kreuzspitze and the Texelspitze and lies at approx. 2915 m.
Size: approx. 105 x 65 m;
Colour: brownish-green, murky water;
The lake lies lonely and alone. At present only a small slope glacier remains.
It has changed a lot in the last 10 years and has shrunk considerably.

It is best reached from Katharinaberg, via the Schrofl-Hof, from there continue in the direction of the Mair-Alm, then take path no. 9 to the GinglJoch, which lies at 2938 m; now go left up over large stone slopes to the Blaulackenkopf (3163 m), from here the lake is clearly visible.

(Source: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano / Ripartizione Natura, Paesaggio e Sviluppo del Territorio)