Kastelruth: Village Culture, Kofel and Paths to the Seiser Alm

Kastelruth combines a distinctive village centre with museums, regional history and a variety of paths in the surrounding area. During your holiday, you can combine cultural discoveries in the village with short walks, destinations on the alpine pastures and longer tours around the Seiser Alm.

Painted façades and fascinating insights into local history

In Kastelruth’s historic village centre, the Mendelhaus, Edenberg, Landhaus and Wolfwirt feature painted façades. They were designed by local artist Eduard Burgauner. Another striking building is the bell tower of Kastelruth: it is 82 metres high and has 298 wooden steps.

The Costume Museum in the historic Laechler building in the centre displays traditional costumes and accessories from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The Spatzen Museum provides information about the music group Kastelruther Spatzen; you can also purchase a large selection of souvenirs there. The Kastelruther Spatzen Festival takes place every year in October.

School museums and farming heritage

The school museum in Tagusa near Kastelruth has existed since 2005. It displays a special collection of furnishings and teaching documents preserved at their original location. The school museum in Tagusens is open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m.; no registration is required for a visit.

There has been a primary school in Tagusa since the 18th century, when compulsory education was introduced. You can gain another insight into rural life in days gone by at the Farming Museum in St. Oswald. It is located in the old hay barn of the Tschötscherhof farm belonging to the Jaider family. The Farming Museum documents the life, beliefs and hard work of ancestors and farmers through contemporary objects and various agricultural tools.

Kofel, Marinzen Alm and paths for different interests

Kofel is a porphyry hill in the middle of Kastelruth village. It serves as a local recreation area, features a Way of the Cross and is a place full of adventure for children. The well-maintained circular trail over Kofel (Monte Calvario) leads through picturesque scenery and is suitable for short walks, including with a pushchair.

Above Kastelruth, at an altitude of 1,500 metres, lies the Marinzen Alm. The Marinzen cable car takes visitors from Kastelruth up to the alpine pasture. For more extensive excursions, Kastelruth and the Seiser Alm have a 450-kilometre network of hiking trails. The paths lead to viewpoints, places steeped in legend, alpine pastures, mountain huts and traditional alpine farmsteads. There is also plenty of choice for cycling tours: Kastelruth and the Seiser Alm holiday region offer 22 bike tours with 16 variants for different fitness levels.

From Kastelruth, you can reach the Seiser Alm either by bus on the Seiser Alm Express, line 10, or by the Seiser Alm railway from Seis. Another themed visit takes you to the Pflegerhof in St. Vigil. Registration is required for the tour, during which the cultivation of medicinal and culinary herbs is explained.

Festivals throughout the year

Village life also comes alive during recurring festivals. In Kastelrotto, major celebrations take place for Corpus Christi in May or June, the patron saint’s day at the end of July and the harvest festival at the beginning of October.

More destinations

Völs am Schlern, Ritten, Nova Levante, Sarntal, Selva di Val Gardena, Meltina, Lake Carezza, Tiers

To the higher-level travel overview: Salten-Schlern.