Top 14 Castles around Kastelruth - Castelrotto

A lovely place to stop for a break after a hike along the Oachner Höfeweg. I can wholeheartedly recommend the delicious buckwheat cake.

Prösels Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1279. Its construction, then still known as Prösels Castle, dates back to the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. The castle underwent a major alteration at the beginning of the 16th century, for which Leonhard von Völs was responsible. The Barons of Völs family had been the family that owned the castle the longest and thus significantly shaped its present appearance. It was chosen as the family seat of the Barons of Völs due to its strategically favorable geographical location, which also seemed ideally suited for defense purposes. Therefore, Prösels Castle was equipped with the most modern military and defensive technology of its time. At that time, it served to ward off enemies while simultaneously meeting the need for representation and comfortable living. Events that occurred at Prösels Castle at the beginning of the 16th century certainly cast a dark shadow over the castle's history. Between 1506 and 1510, the so-called witch trials were held at Prösels Castle, which was also the seat of the Fiè district court. Around 30 people were sentenced to death. A memorial at the entrance to the castle, erected by the municipality of Fiè allo Sciliar, commemorates these tragic witch burnings. The following inscription is inscribed on this memorial: "The municipality of Fiè allo Sciliar commemorates its fellow citizens who were convicted as witches and sorcerers 500 years ago. Their burning at the stake of ignorance and delusion serves as a warning to us, the next generation, and makes us vigilant against intolerance and every form of exclusion." Since then, the ravages of time have taken their toll on the walls of Prösels Castle, leaving it increasingly to decay. Thanks to the commitment of private individuals, this decay was ultimately prevented. The Kuratorium Schloss Prösels GmbH has owned the castle since 1981. Source: https://seiseralm-schlerngebiet.com/schlerngebiet/orte/225-proesels.html

The ruins are located at the confluence of the Vallunga and Val Gardena valleys, over 1,600 meters high in the Stevia rock face, in the Puez Group of the Dolomites. The small castle served an important strategic function, guarding the crossing over the Gardena Pass into Val Badia.

Beautifully perched high!

On the left side of the Val Gardena stream, between Selva and St. Christina, the Fischburg (Ladin Ciastel de Gherdëina) stands enthroned, surrounded by numerous fish ponds, which gave the castle its name. The castle was built between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as a summer residence and hunting lodge, even though the monumental building exudes medieval defensiveness. The castle was equipped more with hunting weapons than with military weapons. Fishing equipment was also found - obvious, considering the nearby fish ponds. At the end of the 18th century, the castle gradually fell into disrepair, and in 1826 part of the inventory was auctioned off. In the middle of the 19th century, Count Leopold von Wolkenstein-Trostburg donated the Fischburg to the municipality of St. Christina, which wanted to build a home for the elderly and the poor here. In 1926, the castle was sold to Baron Carlo Franchetti from Venice, who renovated the castle inside and out and equipped it with furnishings purchased in South Tyrol and Val Gardena. The castle is still owned by this Venetian family today and is not accessible. https://www.valgardena-groeden.com/de/highlights/burgen-schloesser/fischburg/

Beautiful old castle, which unfortunately cannot be visited. It is privately owned

Beautiful old castle that unfortunately cannot be visited

In the Langental, also called Vallunga, is the ancestral castle of the Tyrolean noble family Wolkenstein-Trostburg. It is located in a somewhat unusual position at over 1,600 m above sea level, high in the rock face of the Stevia, a 2,555 m high mountain in the Puez group in the Dolomites. The position suggests that it was used to guard the crossing over the Gardena Pass into the Gadertal. The castle dates back to the 13th century. After initially falling into disrepair, it became the property of Randolt von Villanders, an ancestor of the Wolkenstein family, from whom the famous minstrel Oswald von Wolkenstein would later descend. The well-known poet and composer led an adventurous life and is said to have often resided in the castle in the Stevia wall during the summer months. In the 15th century, the castle was stormed by the Venetians, in the 16th century it was rebuilt before finally being left to decay. Today, the south-facing wall and the castle courtyard are still preserved.