Wolfsthurn Castle

High above Mareta in the Upper Valle Isarco sits Wolfsthurn Castle, South Tyrol's only Baroque castle. Its history dates back to a 12th-century tower. A unique feature: The number of windows (365), doors (52), fireplaces (12), and portals (4) corresponds to the days, weeks, months, and seasons of a year. The castle's floors tell the story of hunting and fishing in South Tyrol.

The second floor is dedicated to the castle itself and the history of the Wolfsthurn family. In the South Tyrolean Museum of Hunting and Fishing, you can visit the well-preserved state rooms and immerse yourself in aristocratic life of the 18th and 19th centuries. From the outside, the brightly plastered building is characterized by triangular gables and curved roofs from the 18th century.

The main building and the ancillary building enclose a courtyard with a fountain. Wolfsthurn Castle (Schloss Wolfsthurn), also known as Mareta Castle, is owned by the Sternbach family, which owns several stately homes in South Tyrol. Incidentally, another Wolfsthurn Castle exists near Andriano, close to Bolzano, though it has no connection to this Wolfsthurn Castle.

How to get there: Parking is available in Mareta below the castle hill. From the church, the one-kilometre-long "Forest and Water" footpath leads you to the eastern castle entrance. Below the castle, the hike on the Obere Erzstrasse Path also begins, taking you to the Ridanna Mining World.