Historie a kultura v Jižní Tyrolsko Vinná cesta

The castle ruins of "Castelforte/Festenstein" can be described as Andriano's symbol. It reigns over Andriano from the lofty, rocky outcrop of the Gola del Rio Gaido, and can only be reached via a steep mountain climb. Its location was certainly a pondered choice by the stonemason to ensure the weapons of the enemies would never reach the castle. At the same time, the spectacular location of the castle offers a 360° view across the lower Valle dell'Adige. "Festenstein" was first mentioned in written documents in the mid-13th century. We assume that the castle was built at the time or greatly expanded. Regardless, it had already been built by the time the Counts of Appiano oversaw the valley, they probably assigned one of their vassals to administer the castle.
Managing such a castle would have been tedious work  and included collecting taxes from farms, the constant worry about providing the castle with water, food, and firewood, improvement works and endless suveillance shifts. All these tasks, considering the virtually inaccessible location of the castle, would have been pure torture. Sometime between the 13th and 14th century the castle was damaged, probably during the ongoing skirmishes of the time, because in 1383 it became property of the Lords of Villandro, who were tasked with restoring the decrepit ruins to their former glory. This shows how the castle still had a role to play at the end of the 14th century.

In the following period, the castle changed hands various times. In the 15th century it belonged to the Sparrenberger, members of the gentry, followed by the Lords Lanser of Appiano between 1654 and 1818.

In 2008,  Count Meinhard Khuen von Belasi purchased the castle ruins and commissioned, together with the South Tyrolean Office for Cultural Heritage, various restoration measures to secure the state of the walls and protect the castle from further deterioration.

After years of restoration work, Castelforte is now open to visitors. On various dates, the Andriano Tourist Association enables a special opening of the castle.
Special Opening of the Ruins Festenstein 2023:

Sunday, 02.04.2023
Friday,07.04.2023
Sunday, 16.04.2023
Friday,21.04.2023 cancelled
Sunday, 30.04.2023
Friday,05.05.2023
Friday,12.05.2023 cancelled
Friday,19.05.2023
Monday, 29.05.2023
Friday, 02.06.2023
Saturday, 10.06.2023
Sunday, 11.06.2023
Friday,16.06.2023
Friday,23.06.2023
Friday,07.07.2023
Friday,21.07.2023
Friday,11.08.2023
Friday,25.08.2023
Sunday, 03.09.2023
Friday,08.09.2023
Friday,15.09.2023
Friday,22.09.2023
Sunday, 01.10.2023
Friday,06.10.2023
Sunday, 15.10.2023

Opening times:  10:00 – 15:00

Cancelled in bad weather!

The limekiln in Andriano is a kind of kiln where in the past people used to produce quicklime from limestone.

The Monte Corno visitor centre is located in the building of the “old mill” in the centre of Trodena. Under the theme “Make visible the hidden” it gives information on the biodiversity of the Nature Park Monte Corno. Furthermore, the visitor also gets information about the geological structure, the flora and fauna of the nature park as well as on the culture and history of the place. Centrepiece of the house is certainly the electricity-powered elevator mill buildt 1948-49. It's three stories high and the only one in South Tyrol which works today. The flour, which is being grinded in the summer season on the mill grinding days, is used for baking bread.

In the year 2020 we enjoy 40 years Nature Park.

The Visit centre is open also on Sunday during the months July, August and September.

 

Distillery with prize-winning products

Since 50 years the distillery Fischerhof produces high quality grappas from its own grape pomace and from various fruits first-rate distillates and liqeurs. At the moment there are about 40 different types of products available for tasting ans sale.

 

The fertile terrace between Auer/Ora, Neumarkt/Egna, and Montan/Montagna is an ancient cultural landscape. Castelfeder was the center of human existence in the south of South Tyrol for thousands of years. There are traces of settlements from the Stone and Bronze Ages. The remains of a castle complex, the legendary fertility chute and the walls of the Barbara Chapel bear witness to a mystical past. Also, Raetians, Romans, and other tribes who settled in the area around the hill retreated to the 400-meter-high hill in troubled times and left their traces.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire had Castelfeder refortified as a bastion against the Germanic tribes shortly after the year 500. On this "acropolis," hundreds of people could find refuge together with their cattle and supplies. The last remains of the 500-meter-long ring wall of this largest fortress of the Adige Valley are the "Kuchelen," whose construction resembles the city wall of Constantinople.

Because of the Mediterranean vegetation, the area was called the "Arcadia of Tyrol" by romantic poets. The Castelfeder hill is important not only from an archaeological and historical point of view, but also from an ecological one. Thus, a zone with an area of about one hundred hectares was placed under landscape protection as a biotope years ago. Due to the Mediterranean climate, it is particularly mild on the hill as early as March. Today, Castelfeder is home to some animals that have become rare in Europe. The biotope's flora and fauna can be explored on the nature discovery trail.

The viewpoint at the mountain station of the Mendel cable car, offers a breathtaking view on Kaltern and the Dolomiti mountain peaks of Rosengarten/Catinaccio and Latemar.

Mysterious eras of the past Food, drinks and an attraction A brief journey back in time to the High Middle Ages. Only the freshly prepared dishes create a rather delicious bridge to the future. Boymont Castle was built as the seat of a noble family in the year 1230. After a fire in 1742, the ruins came into the possession of several owners, until it was finally bought by Fritz Dellago in 1977. The two knights' halls, as well as the stone-framed arched windows, pillars and capitals are worth a visit in their own right. Special dishes: Daily ribs and roast in medieval style made in the smoker. Opening hours Ruin Boymont is open daily from 11.00 till 17.00. Day off on Mondays, except from Mid-September till October.

Ansitz Freienfeld was built in 1521 by the Earl of Indermauer. (Courtyard surrounded by embattled walls.) In the large windows of the Trinkstube beautiful frescoes can be seen.

South Tyrolean Wine Museum in Kaltern - How could it be otherwise? The South Tyrolean Wine Museum is located in Kaltern! Innumerable objects impress the visitor with the history and significance of wine in South Tyrol. There are impressive wine presses, wine barrels and other wine production tools and equipment. You will hear informative stories and legends about wine - for example the importance of the “Saltner” as the guard of the vineyards.

Egna is located at the foot of he Castelfeder hill. Already in the Middle Ages the village was a thriving trading centre due to its strategic geographical position and today it is the main cultural and economic centre of the Bassa Atesina. It is no coincidence that this lovely village is considered one of the most beautiful places in Italy. A must see is the old village centre with its 500 metres of arcades, its stately manors and magnificent inter courtyards. This is where you will find the perfect mix of entertainment, relaxation and taste.

A lovely winding mountain road leads you quickly up from Kurtatsch, through woods, meadows, vineyards and fruit orchards to the high plateau of Unterfennberg. The jewel of this plateau is without question little Lake Fennberg, perfect for a summer swim. Although the lake is a biotope with unusual flora and fauna (more than 35 types of orchids, freshwater crayfish and other types of plants and animals),  a small wooden pier with a ladder leads down to swim in the silky moor water while enjoying the views of the tiny St. Leonard's church and the surrounding mountain peaks. Water lilies and dragonflies build a frame for the lake, which is a popular spot for ice-skating during the cold winter months. The plateau offers many walking paths as well as the possibility of travelling up by car, hiking path or via ferrata. The plateau is also an excellent destination for bikers, be it mountain bikers, motor bikers or racing bikers.

The wine trail was strategically created in the shape of an eight, with its crossing point at the PUNKT Winehouse on the village market square, and leads you past vineyards and wine estates all the way to Lake Kaltern. White limestone road markers provide information on the unique names of the vineyards - such as Puntara and Palurisch, Salt and Plantaditsch. There are four resting stops along the way, marked by bronze plated information tables.

In 1557, this house on the square, always described as small, was still an accessory to today's Amplatz, formerly the inn "zum Zotten" and connected by three doors. After it was later mentioned as an accessory to the Hilber, it was occupied around 1700 by the priest Johann Teiss the Elder. His heirs sold it in 1722 to Balthasar Öfner, Ladler or Krämer auf Montan. In 1783 the cobbler Johann Babtista Monsorno bought the upper part of the house - the seller received a pair of new shoes on top of the purchase price - and in 1788 Monsorno also bought the lower part. In 1813 the house was divided again: Peter Kaufmann received one floor and Josef Gaßmann one. In 1834 Gaßmann ceded his part to Peter Kaufmann. In 1838, he bequeathed the house to the community as the holder of the patronage rights of the Teissische Benefizium, with the condition that it be made available to the respective beneficiary free of charge. In 1905, the Benefiziumhäusl was sold to Jordan Amplatz. In 2017, Karl Amplatz sold it to the Zuchristian-Amplatz family, who lovingly renovated the house and expanded their directly bordering accommodation business (Amplatz). This closes the circle, and the Benefiziumhäusl is once again an accessory to the adjacent Amplatz, as it was in 1557.

 

Since 1507, a sundial has adorned this house, which in addition to the sundial on the church tower shows the time to visitors to the village square. As a special feature, this chronometer even distinguishes between "old" (winter time) and "new" time (summer time).

The Saalhaus is a type of building which is about 45 to 60 meters deep with a façade width of 5-11 meters. Through the entry door in the façade, you pass through a long, vaulted archway into the inner courtyard onto which rooms, used as storerooms, open. In the heart of the house, facing the courtyard, is the "Saal" or hall, a room of large dimensions, reaching from the ground floor up to the roof. Thanks to its opening onto the courtyard and its dormer windows, the room is well lit and remains cool during the summer months. These characteristics make it suitable for many domestic activities, for example, the preparation of agricultural products or drying of laundry. All the second-floor rooms and the balconies for accessing the upper floors face this room; all of this contributes to making the "Saal" the heart of family life. It is possible to look at the internal structure of a Saalhaus while passing through the pedestrian passageway that leads through the inner courtyard of Via Andreas Hofer 32.

During his first trip to Italy in 1494, the famous German painter Albrecht Dürer had to deviate from his route to Venice because of a flood on the Adige River. After possibly spending the night in the monastery "Klösterle" of St. Florian/San Floriano or in Neumarkt/Egna, he probably arrived at the Freedom Square in Laag/Laghetti and from there took the path over the Sauch Saddle into the Cembra Valley. This assumption is based on Dürer's watercolors of Segonzano Castle and a mill. Today it is possible to follow Dürer's footsteps on the Dürer path of the same name, which begins in St. Florian near Laag.

Here used to be the farm at Ziggl, first mentioned in 1541 as the property of Franz Seemann von Mangern, later as the property of the Barons von Coreth. In 1798 Bartlme von Hebenstreit sold it to the court clerk Anton Teiss. In 1820 Michael Rizzoll acquired the farm; the majority of the estates were separated in the process. In 1862 it went to Katharina Rizzolli and in 1871 to the grocer Mathias Pfitscher. In 1880, he sold it to the municipality. From 1889 onwards, the school building was erected in the lower part, the upper part being the community hall until the first half of the 20th century. Today, this house houses various social institutions, a primary school, library, flats for the elderly and the doctor's ambulatory.

 Inside the house there are numerous cross vaults, and the doors and windows are mostly stone-framed. The sandstone for these openings was once quarried in the surrounding area, for example in Kalditsch.

The “De Campi” estate dates back to the 16th century and is connected to the Wohlgemuth manor by a stone portal on which the coat of arms and three pinnacles can be seen. The street-side façade is symmetrically divided into three storeys. The windows and doors are also stone-framed. The upper floor has two polygonal corner oriels. In the middle of the two is an elegant double-arched window and above it is a wide French door with a wrought-iron balcony. The year 1563 is written on the cellar door.

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.

Be enchanted from the subtle perfume and the exellent taste of our distillates!

The pleasure of tasting the distillate should wake up memories from a warm summer evening under the fruit tree, from a walk through the wineyards or from gandmothers kitchen, where the jam gets boiled. With great passion, love and ambition we make sure that this experience comes true.

The Leuchtenburg/Castelchiaro ruin dominates the hill above Lake Kaltern and shapes the landscape all around this wonderful village. The panoramic view from there is stunning and involves Kaltern itself, Tramin/Termeno, the South Tyrolean Unterland/Bassa Atesina and the nearby mountain peaks.

Distillation at the highest level
With fruits and grapes from our own vineyards we produce excellent fruit brandies and grappa. We use only fresh, sun-ripe and healthy fruit. Those are the heart and the abundance of aroma of our noble brandies and grappa. Barrique barrels in our naturalstone cellar hold special distillates up to 2 years, thus they get a pleasant mature and finesse! In our sortiment you will find various fruit brandies, berries brandies, grappa and liquors.

Ancient domestic grapevine in Magrè In the Vicolo dei Conti in Margreid, a house grape which was planted in 1601 covers the entire facade of the Feichter residence and still proudly produces 80 kg of grapes for harvest every year.

Estate building in the “Fuchsloch” quarter, consisting of two wings connected by a gate.
The older north wing (formerly the “Anichhaus”) is of 13th-century medieval origin: the newer south wing
(the “Cazanhaus”) was added around 1600 during the Renaissance. Vaulted courtyard passage and
remains of a Baroque façade painting.

Castelfeder (from castello, the Italian word for castle) is nestled between the holiday villages on this strategically important porphyry hill. Castelfeder is a prehistoric and Roman as well as early medieval settlement characterized by the remnants of several structures and buildings on a large hilltop. It is a true place of energy and a popular destination for excursions, especially in spring. Today, sections of the encircling defensive wall with the well-known "Kuchelen" castle walls, and parts of the Barbara chapel from the 6th century can still be seen. In addition, the sunny Castelfeder hill fascinates with its unique and diverse flora. A special feature is the smoothly polished fertility chute carved in porphyry. It was a central component of an ancient cult. Rumor has it that even today sliding down it results in the arrival of a much yearned-for baby.

Our hiking tip: You can reach the Gasthof Buchwald starting from Perdonig following the mark 8/10 to the former Gasthof Pichler on a steeper rise. You can go back on the “Eppaner Höhenweg” (number 9) to Perdonig (number 12) (Time approx.. 3,5 hours)

The Lake Kaltern The Mediterranean landscape around Lake Kalterer See leads many to the correct assumption that this lake really is the warmest lake in the Alps! There are four public beaches that offer direct access to the lake, known for its especially inviting water quality and colorful splendor! Sometimes it's a tint of deep blue, other times it mirrors the green of the surrounding landscape! And Lake Kalterer See is so versatile: row boats, sailboats, pedal boats and surf boards glide across the water. Yet it's so incredibly tranquil here. For sure you'll hear the sound of children's laughter; after all, this is their little corner of paradise. Quite simply, it's beautiful in the lake, on the lake and all around the lake.

Calvary was laid out by the Order of the Capucin monks near Bozen. After this, most other brother houses of the Order did the same, and this included Eppan. At the end of this pathway the Gleif Church was built in 1716. Each station of the cross took time to erect and several figures were finished in the 19th century. Architectural style: the church was built in the middle of the 18th century as the graveyard church at the end of the pilgrimage path. The two domed towers of the Renaissance building give it an impressive appearance. With all its inside decorations, it is definitely worth a visit. Extras: the view of Eppan from here is worth the walk. Walking: the easy walk to the Gleif Church is part of nearly everyone's holiday programme, but can also be combined with the Ice Holes, Matschatsch, Kem Ravine, the Mendel or the Gantkofel.

This fantastic vantage point above Neumarkt offers a spectacular view over Neumarkt, Montan and the entire Unterland region as far as Bolzano/Bozen, Lake Kaltern and the entire Mendola group as far as the Corno di Tres above Fenn. To the north, the peaks of the Ifinger and Hirzer mountains can be seen, as well as the Sarner Scharte and the Texelgruppe above Meran/o.

The panoramic view at the mount Penegal, on 1,737 m offers a stunning view towards the near Dolomites, the Brenta Dolomites as well as the Etschtal/Val d’Adige (South Tyrol) and the Val di Non (Trentino). Absolutely not to be missed especially in case of optimal weather conditions.

Once the "Wirtshaus am Steg". In 1523 the Leb family lived here. Ulrich Leb, called Uez, was a master tailor. In 1568, a bakery with master baker Hans Taz is mentioned for the first time on the lower floor. On the upper floor is the inn, which was probably run as such until the first half of the 17th century. Attempts to make it an inn again in 1670 and 1699 were successfully stopped by the then existing inns "Am Löwen" and "An der Rose" with reference to the few guest houses. After numerous changes of ownership in the following decades, several doctors of wounds moved in here one after the other from 1774 onwards. Only with the Wegscheider family, who have owned the house for several generations, does this place regain its former purpose and become a village bakery and also an inn again.

The two oculi in the attic are remarkable. These openings, also called "ox eyes", are still a widespread element in the façades of historic houses in Montan today.