Cultural highlights in Eggental Valley and South Tyrol

Churches & Chapels

Parish Church of the Saints Ulrich and Wolfgang

The parish church of Deutschnofen is a splendid example of late-Gothic architecture and is now 500 years old (first documented mention). Of the original church, only the lower part of the Romanic bell tower (which was raised in the Gothic style in 1555) has survived. In 1793, lightning damaged the church and destroyed the pyramidal spire, after which the tower was given an octagonal tambour and dome, thus acquiring its current appearance. The church is home to the famous altar by Hans von Judenburg. The church is open daily from 8:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. and may be entered for viewing.

The Gothic Chaple of St. Helena in Deutschnofen

The richly adorned frescoes of St. Helena church, completed around 1400, are a major art project of the Bozen painting school. Art historians note that there is a close relationship between these paintings and the wall paintings in the parish church of Terlan and St. Katharina church in Völser Aicha. The Niederthor court of arms in the triumphal arch gives a clue as to the origin of the paintings: This family may have placed an order for the paintings, as it did for the paintings in Terlan. The Niederthor emblems had been painted over for a long time. They were uncovered in 1885 and partly restored in 1938. The façade depicts St. Helena, St. Christopherus and a crucifixion scene. On the south wall, toward the apse (semicircular recess of the altar), you can see Mary with the child and the three holy virgins Katharina, Barbara and Margareth..

Pilgrimage Maria Weißenstein

The history of this pilgrimage site dates back to the year 1553, when Leonhard Weissensteiner had a vision of the virgin Mary, who healed him of his sickness. She said that he should show his gratitude by building a chapel, where believers can come and entreat her for help in times of trouble.
Since the original chapel quickly turned into a crowded pilgrimage site, it was necessary to build a real church. Thus, the church was built in 1673. 1719 -1722, the church was renovated by the architects Johann Martin Gump and Agostino Maria Abfalterer. In 1753, Giuseppe Dellai renovated it again and gave it a stronger baroque style. Emperor Josef II issued an edict to abolish the Weissenstein monastery, tear down three towers and auction off the entire inventory. In 1800, reconstruction of the building was started again.The basilica in baroque style was completed in 1654. It is part of the façade of the monastery, cared for today by friars of the Servite Order.

Pope John Paul II visited the Weißenstein Monastery in July 1988.

CHURCH OPENING HOURS: 7.30 - 19.00 without interruption (all year round)

South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bozen

Ötzi the Iceman. Ötzi and his artefacts have been exhibited at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy since 1998. Why is Ötzi so fascinating? We experience Ötzi almost like a time traveller.

Messner Mountain Museum Firmian in Bozen

As the centrepiece of the Messner Mountain Museum, MMM Firmian in Sigmundskron Castle near Bozen addresses the subject of man’s encounter with the mountains. In a setting dominated by the various peaks between the Schlern and the Texel range, the museum is spacious enough to be organised as an itinerary between the various works of art, installations and relics that it houses. The paths, stairs and towers lead visitors form the depths of the mountain, where their origins and exploitation are brought to life, and the religious significance of the peaks as an aid to orientation and a bridge to the beyond, to the history of mountaineering and the alpine tourist industry that we know today. Annual exhibitions are also held.