All-round culture
How about paying a visit to Reinhold Messner in his castle at Juval? Or looking at art treasures in castles, churches and museums? You could follow in the footsteps of Vinschgau's oldest inhabitant, Ötzi, or take part in the vital cultural heritage of Vinschgau and Meraner Land? Dolce Vita for being and awareness.
In the Vinschgau and Meraner Land, and South Tyrol as a whole with its history spanning thousands of millennia, there are many destinations that are ideally suited for discovering the holiday paradise around Latsch and Naturns from its culturally significant side as well. It has castles, fortresses and churches with art treasures worth seeing.
Museums document local life from Ötzi's times up to the present. In all towns all the way to nearby Meran there is a lively cultural scene that invites you to enrich your holiday with intellectual pleasures as well.
Dolce Vita at a high level
- Current cultural programmes, programme tips and ticket reservations at reception
- Organised guided tours, presentations and readings
- Cultural highlights in combination with guided hikes
Latsch near Meran
Dolce Vita in Latsch goes back a long way. The engravings on the menhir, the large stone, are 5,000 years old. In Obermontani Castle an original handwritten scripture of the Song of the Nibelung was found. Castles, churches and frescoes tell tales of big historical events: of Romans and knights, of painters of the Lombardic School and passionate artists. And some even of Ötzi, the ice man, the oldest Vinschgau inhabitant... Listen to all the tales - on guided tours. Or at traditional celebrations where you will encounter Tyrolean dance and song, such as the Castle Festival or the concerts in the Renaissance arcades of Goldrain Castle. Your Dolce Vita reception knows where you can hear the best stories.
Culture all around in Latsch every Tuesday at 9:15 p.m.
Naturns near Meran
Since Ötzi's times Naturns im Vinschgau, in one of the major Alpine, has provided us with rich traces of history, culture and architecture. In the church of St. Proculus the oldest frescoes of the Alpine region were found (8th century). The church's museum is a unique subterranean structure which illustrates the lives of the people in this region over a period of 1,500 years. On the guided evening tours which can be booked in the Dolce Vita Hotels you can experience captivating cultural and historical encounters. Or you can take part in a reading of Maria Gerstgrasser, Naturns' annalist and author, which will provide you with profound insights into country and people. Guided tours and reading are coordinated with the dinner times in the Dolce Vita Hotels so that you can enjoy dolce culture without stress.
Culture all around in Naturns every Wednesday at 9:15 p.m.
Heinrich Koch and Maria Gerstgrasser are professionals when it comes to Vinschgau's history, myths and customs, traditions and curiosities. During the regular tours through the village and the cultural guided tours you will hear some spooky tales and everything you need to know about our country's culture.
Castles and Chateaus
South Tyrol is one of the European regions with the most castles. Particularly in the region of Valvenosia, there are majestic castles and palaces to discover and visit, through which an important military and trading route has run since ancient times. Witnesses to an illustrious past.
ArcheoParc in the Schnals Valley
What do genuine grains looks like, which woods were used, which herbs and berries collected? Back to the future - the Archeoparc offers insights into the legacies of past eras when the ice man was still alive. The park brings the Neolithic Age into light. You can obtain information on
www.archeoparc.it
Archaeology Museum Bozen
The exhibition of the South Tyrolean Archaeology museum is set up chronologically, and documents the entire history of the South Tyrol region, from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods up until the Carolingian period. Set in the historical framework, the man from the ice and the other findings form the central exhibition. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, Thursdays from 10:00am to 7:00pm.
Shopping cities Bozen and Meran
Shopping in Bozen. Who doesn't love the opportunity to get a hold of the forerunners of Italian fashion and design ideas here - in this small city which is regarded as the cultural centre of the predominantly German-speaking area of Southern Tyrol. From the fruit market to the arbours, the architecture, which dates back to the 15th century, is fascinating. Those who look around Meran are fascinated by the elegant atmosphere of the Imperial Era the old villas and townhouses still proudly radiate. A shopping tour promises happiness. So many beautiful shops, classically furnished, next to modern designer shops. Fashion is strongly represented, from Avantgarde to Classicism. But there is also plenty of art, lots of delicatessen and everything that makes life wonderful.
White Gold Laas Marble
It is not only world-famous but also unique - the white gold from the Laas Mountains: the marble. Sculptors appreciate it because of its beauty, and the shiny limestone has been shipped to many parts of the world for centuries. The marble quarries cannot be visited but Laas is full of the stones. And there are marble tours which are up to three hours long. More information in your Dolce Vita Hotel.
Legendary Glurns
Walking along pergolas, city gates, churches and wall walks in Glurns means immersing yourself in a lively past. South Tyrol's and even Italy's smallest city (850 inhabitants) is like a well-rounded picture. In every corner the Middle Ages are lurking and tell of war times when the salt trade terminal between Southern Germany and Lombardy was located here. City tours from May to October, every Tuesday.
Ötzi discovery on Hauslabjoch
The most famous South Tyrolean is still a mystery: He was only 20 years old and lived approximately 5,200 years ago. Ötzi, the ice man, was discovered in 1991 by hikers at Similaun Glacier. Please contact the Dolce Vita Hotels if you would like to visit Ötzi's grave at the Hauslabjoch.
Dolomites
The Dolomites are one of the most beautiful and most visited mountain ranges in South Tyrol. They were named after French geologist Dieudonn Dolomieu (1750-1801). The Dolomites are limited by the rivers Eisack, Etsch, Brenta, Piave and Rienz.
