Top 11 Castles around Urtijëi - St. Ulrich In Gröden - Ortisei

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.

On the left side of the valley of the Gröden 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, Leopold Count 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. Today the castle is still owned by this Venetian family and is not accessible.

A beautiful castle on the cycle path.