Excursions into the Puster Valley and other parts of South Tyrol

Experience South Tyrol 

• Plan de Corones/Kronplatz, the local mountain, is home to the Concordia liberty bell. The bell is a reminder of the mountain pioneers who conquered the Plan de Corones/Kronplatz and is consecrated to Saint Bernhard, the patron of all mountain and ski sports. The bell is one of the largest in the Alpine region, weighing 18.1 tons. It has a diameter of three metres and a height of 3.11 metres. A heavy bell tong produced by a smithy weighs 500 kg and brings the bell to life every single day. The Concordia 2000 was initiated as a liberty bell. It’s Latin inscription ‘Donet deus populis pacem‘ translates into ‘May God give peace to his nations‘. Apart from the usual bell ringing on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12.10 p.m., the bell also rings when another country abolishes capital punishment or when a person convicted of a crime is pardoned, as well as when a war comes to an end.
• According to the ADAC leisure atlas, the Folk museum in Teodone/Dietenheim is one of the most beautiful outdoor museums in Europe. On the land in the open air museum, there are some old farmhouses and craft workshops which offer an insight into the variety of house and farmhouse types. The Mair am Hof residence, which is the centrepiece of the museum, houses a number of collections.
• The Puster Valley is a green valley …..with romantic Alpine lakes such as the Braies/Pragser Wild Lake, the Anterselva/Antholz Lake and the Dobbiaco/Toblach Lake, a number of imposing mountains such as the Tre Cime/Drei Zinnen, the Sesto/Sexten sun dial, the Pragser Dolomites and the glaciers of the Rieserferner group of mountains, as well as three natural parks: Fanes-Sennes-Prags, Rieserferner-Ahrn and Drei Zinnen.
• Just above the town of Brunico/Bruneck on a hill you’ll find Brunico/Bruneck Castle. At the moment, Castle Bruneck hosts the fifth museum by Reinhold Messner, MMM – Messner Mountain Museum RIPA. Every year, guests are invited from a different mountain region in the world, such as Sherpa, Indians, Tibetans, Mongolians, Hunzas, to spend the summer at the MMM and report about their country and their way of life.
• The Monte Piana and World War outdoor museums were stages during World War I. They also offer their visitors 360° of magnificent panoramic views.
• Castle Ehrenburg is situated in the village of the same name and is an arcade courtyard well worth seeing. On three sides of this courtyard, there are granite columns with filigree capitals (top of column), which are the carrying elements for the lavish round arches. Castle Ehrenburg is one of the few castles still fully furnished and open to the public.
• Burg Taufers offers its younger visitors a ‘weapon chamber‘, where the kids can touch the exhibits. Lovers of art can enjoy the Pacher frescoes and those with a more romantic nature will particularly enjoy the fairy-tale-like castle buildings. Special exhibitions and cultural events take place here and the castle pub is an interesting place to discover.
• The Taufer Ahrn Valley with its imposing Rein waterfalls is also a must to visit.
• Bressanone/Brixen and the Abbazia di Novacella/Neustift Cloisters: Novacella/Neustift near Bressanone/Brixen is home to the active Augustine Canon monastery with a church, covered walkway and library. The bishop’s town of Bressanone/Brixen presents you with its castle, the Diocesan and Nativity Museum, the Bressanone/Brixen cathedral and a long line of shops.
• Look, haggle and buy at the market! Valdaora/Olang: every Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Brunico/Bruneck: every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the bus station Farmers‘ market in Brunico/Bruneck: June – October, every Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bressanone/Brixen: every Monday Bolzano/Bozen: every Saturday
• The highest-altitude mines in Europe, the mine of Predoi/ Prettau with their climate-controlled shaft lead you deep into the underworld.