Wipptal: Cultural History and Mountain Experiences

Cultural history around Vipiteno

Those travelling through Wipptal with an interest in history, architecture and mountain experiences will find distinctive destinations in Vipiteno for a variety of holiday itineraries. The Torre delle Dodici is considered Vipiteno’s best-known landmark and is approximately 46 metres high. Vipiteno is also home to churches, works of art and historic spaces that reveal several centuries of regional culture.

The Chiesa di Santo Spirito contains a Gothic fresco cycle created between 1400 and 1415 and attributed to Hans von Bruneck. The Chiesa Parrocchiale “Nostra Signora della Palude” is one of the largest late Gothic hall churches in the entire Alpine region. The Altare di Multscher was created by Hans Multscher between 1456 and 1459. This picture is complemented by the Chiesa di Santa Elisabetta in the Palazzo dell'Ordine Teutonico: the octagonal church was built in the 18th century and is richly decorated with frescoes and stucco. The Chiesa di Santa Margherita a Vipiteno is a Baroque church from the 17th century with an older tower.

Town Hall, Museum and the History of the Order

Vipiteno Town Hall was built between 1468 and 1473. It has a Gothic council chamber with wood-panelled walls and a ceiling with exposed beams, as well as an inner courtyard. The Museo Civico e Museo Multscher Vipiteno is housed in the Deutschhaus near Vipiteno Parish Church. It contains most of the late Gothic works by the Ulm sculptor and painter Hans Multscher, including altarpieces. At the site of the Antica Commenda dell’Ordine Teutonico, a hospice for pilgrims, travellers and the sick existed by 1241 at the latest.

Mountain lifts, trails and active days

For the mountain side of your stay, the Sentiero Dolomieu offers a particular highlight. The trail begins at the mountain station of the Monte Cavallo cable car in Vipiteno at an altitude of 1,860 metres and offers views of Monte Cavallo in the Dolomites. The Monte Cavallo Panorama Mountain Coaster complements this offering with a 1,300-metre-long toboggan run at an altitude of 2,120 metres. A gondola lift takes visitors from Vipiteno up to the mountain in 12 minutes.

Cyclists can also plan their trip around a clearly described section: the first section of the Brenner–Bolzano cycle path runs from the border crossing to Vipiteno, slightly downhill along the tracks of the old railway. For an outing with a particular focus on activity, the Skytrek Adventure Park is located in Vipiteno’s Nordpark. The park includes suspension bridges, zip lines, nets and ropes. It can be reached directly by public transport; the bus stop is opposite the entrance.

Choose accommodation according to your own travel plans

When choosing your accommodation in Wipptal, you can therefore take different interests for each day into account. Culture travellers can plan their stay around the historic churches, the Town Hall and the Museo Civico e Museo Multscher Vipiteno. Those who prefer physical activity and high-altitude experiences can include the Sentiero Dolomieu, the toboggan run or the Skytrek Adventure Park in their itinerary.

Discover more places

For further orientation, you can also explore Vipiteno, Val di Vizze, Brenner, Mules, Fortezza, Racines, Campo di Trens and Mareta.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bolzano.