Museums

Enjoy a family holiday and experience South Tyrol’s museums first-hand

South Tyrol’s museums are anything but boring. In the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano you get the chance to go back in time with ”Oetzi” to visit the Stone Age, the State Museum for Folklore allows you to see how people lived and worked in the old days, in the Bienenmuseum (bee museum) in Ritten you will find it difficult to overcome sweet temptations, and the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are captivating thanks to the blooming flowers from around the world. You will gain an insight into the diversity of South Tyrol’s natural landscape in the Museum of Nature in Bolzano or in south Tyrol’s Nature Park Centres. And South Tyrol’s unique “Max Valier” Observatory in Gummer shows young and old alike the infinite expanse of the universe.

The private landlords of South Tyrol recommend for a successful holiday excursion :

---

Experience the Neolithic era in the ArcheoParc Schnals

The ArcheoParc, situated in Unsere Frau in Schnals, is South Tyrol’s first hands-on museum suitable for the whole family. This permanent exhibition is dedicated to the habitat and way of life of mankind during the Ice Age and contemporaries about 5,300 years ago. The highlight of this museum is being able to see the discovery place of glacier mummy “Oetzi” first-hand. Young and older visitors alike are then invited in the open-air ground to have a shot at being “Neolithic” themselves: Baking bread, archery, making pottery, processing leather or just watching the copper melting...

For more information go to

---

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle

The botanical Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle isn’t just a popular destination for adults, but also for families with children. Highlights of the Gardens are the aviary where mountain parrots live and also the grotto with a multimedia show about biogenesis. Furthermore, the exploration of the geological mosaic, the 2-metre-high adventure bridge through the lowland forest and the path through the maze all offer children a great holiday experience.

For more information go to

---

Sweet temptation in the Bienenmuseum (bee museum) in Ritten

In the Bienenmuseum (Bee-keeping Museum Plattner Bienenhof) the history and development of South Tyrolean bee-keeping in South Tyrol is demonstrated. In the open-air grounds interested parties can find out about bee pathology by means of a nature trail. The path passes by old apiaries where adults and children can observe the arduous activities in front of the entrances. Furthermore, old beehives, bee skeps, honey extractors and honey presses and different apiarist tools are on display. The visit ends with sweet temptation – the tasting of the honey – at the Bienenhof (bee yard).

For more information go to

---

Loden Museum in Vintl

In the Loden Museum in Vintl an experienced guide shows the long process involved in making loden cloth. Loden is a high-quality material which was originally used by herdsmen to protect them from the cold in the winter. It wasn’t until through Kaiser Franz Josef that loden became haute-couture and nobility throughout Europe selected it as their winter attire. The expedition begins with the sheep that provide the raw material, wool. Visitors are shown the warping, milling, the wool combing works and the spinning. At the same time, children are also able to take part in all these activities.

For more information go to

---

Observatory

South Tyrol’s first, unique public observatory and the solar observatory in Obergummer offer adult and young astronomy fans and aspiring astronomers insights into the universe. The observatory is situated at an altitude of 1,350 m amidst really attractive, scenic surroundings with a view of the Dolomites.

For more information go to

---

School Museum in Tagusens

This small, but dignified School Museum, portrays everyday school life at Tagusens by Kastelruth. Visitors are able to view an unique collection of fixtures and school documents which were obtained from the premises. Parents will be able to think back to their own childhood and children will be astonished at what the school day was like in times gone by and the teaching equipment that was used.

For more information go to

---

Gherdëina Museum

This museum presents the history of Gröden Valley and offers a lively insight into the culture and nature of the Ladin Valley. Visitors can admire the wood carving art which is over 300 years old with illustrations of animals, nativity set figures and chess figures as well as a comprehensive collection of wooden toys. The Gherdëina Museum also presents archaeological discoveries such as fossils, rocks and minerals dating back to the Stone Age and portrays the geological history of the Dolomites.

For more information go to

---

Insight into farmers’ lives in Dietenheim

The Folk Museum in Dietenheim is one of the nicest open-air museums in Europe and boasts over 4 hectares of open-air ground. It gives the whole family an insight into the variety of house and yard shapes as well as responding to the social stratification of rural society. Old farmhouses and hand workshops can be seen on the open-air grounds. In the museum’s core, in the mansion house ‘Mair am Hof’, several collections from the areas of folklore and tradition and folk art (such as collections of pipes, belts and zithers) are on display.

For more information go to

---