Torre Castle

Discover the historic Torre Castle near Tirolo village, home to a restaurant serving Napoleonic wine

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Several castles in one picture: the mighty Tyrol Castle, below it Fontana Castle and, in the background, Torre Castle in the middle of it all.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Torre Castle is located in a panoramic position above the Merano valley basin: It was built as a residential tower in the 11th century.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Above it towers Mt. Cima Muta, the 2,291 m high south-eastern cornerstone of the Tessa Group, on the slopes of which you can find the Muta Farms.
Foto: AT, © Peer
Today, Torre Castle is home to a restaurant with a panoramic terrace - the farm building, the barn next to it, has been converted into a hotel.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The Via del Castello road takes you on foot from Tirolo towards Torre Castle and then as a circular tour to the Thurner Schlössl and back again.
Foto: RD, © Peer
Almost done… the walk first takes you past Tyrol Castle and the Tirolo Earth Pyramids: Look to the right before you reach the castle!
Foto: RD, © Peer
San Pietro di Tirolo, the village where the castle is located, has another building worth seeing: the parish church with its precious frescoes.
Foto: AT, © Peer
The “Thurm Platzleid” became something big: In the 16th century the south wing was added and then in the 18th century the north wing.
Foto: AT, © Peer
A last look on Torre Castle: It was already in the hands of the Heustadel, Katzpöck, von Planta, Eyrl, Rottenpuecher and Wittenbach families.
Foto: AT, © Peer

Around the same time as the ancestral seat of the Counts of Tyrol - Tyrol Castle - was built in the 11th century, a residential tower known as "Thurm Platzleid" was constructed to the west. Later, the property was expanded and granted as a fiefdom to the chamberlain of the Counts of Tyrol.

The first documented mention of "Thurnstein" - still today its German name, Schloss Thurnstein - dates back to 1478. Today, it is one of the many castles in the Merano area. The imposing estate has been owned by the same family since the late 17th century and is easily accessible. For a century, the old walls, once frequented by nobles, have housed a restaurant.

Here you can enjoy Mediterranean and Tyrolean specialities, as well as Napoleonic wine, in the traditional "Bauernstube" - the farmhouse parlour which once was the only heated room in the farmstead -, the grand hall, or on the terrace. The adjacent farm building now serves as a hotel.

How to get to Torre Castle: A small road leads uphill to San Pietro di Tirolo and directly past the castle. A walk from the village centre of Tirolo is also recommended. Via the Via del Castello road, closed to traffic, you'll pass Tyrol Castle on your way to San Pietro and Torre Castle.