Pietra Castle

Sprechenstein is the name of an entire hill near Campo di Trens in the Upper Valle Isarco: The small district of Campo di Trens, to which a few farms belong, bears this name. Also, the biotope there is called Sprechenstein and, of course, the building that first catches the eye: Sprechenstein Castle resp. Pietra Castle in Italian. It is enthroned between the hamlet and the Vipiteno Swamp, opposite Tasso Castle. But while Tasso Castle can be visited, Pietra Castle can unfortunately only be seen from the outside. The hill on which the castle stands was already settled in prehistoric times. The castle itself is also very old and was already mentioned as "newly built" in 1241.

It consists of a lower and upper castle with a keep and a residential building that has been rebuilt several times. The round keep dates back to the 13th century, other parts were added later, such as the castle chapel of St. Erasmus with its winged altar and frescoes and the princely rooms with their Renaissance furniture. It is said that the ghost of a murdered knight strolls here at night with an arrow in his heart. Pietra Castle has already been in the possession of the Auersperg-Trautson princes for about 250 years. During the Second World War, the complex was severely damaged by bombs and then rebuilt by the owner family and the Ministry of Art of Trento.

The almost dilapidated farm next to it was also converted and houses some holiday flats and a restaurant today. And how can Pietra Castle be reached? Via the village of Prati near Vipiteno, the road leads towards Vizze to it. Below the castle, the bus line no. 310 from Vipiteno also stops and the Upper Valle Isarco Cycle Path passes by, stretching from Bressanone up to the Brennero Pass.