Above the village is the Laranza Forest, a fairytale forest and local recreation area with the “King’s Keep” lookout point
High above the Valle Isarco, southwest of the main village of Castelrotto in a sunny position, lies Sant'Osvaldo (St. Oswald). Like so many villages in the Sciliar area, also Sant'Osvaldo consists of only a few houses and - in this case - a school, a fire brigade and three places to stop for refreshments, but like the other villages it also has some special features to offer that make the village distinctive and give a stay full of peace and relaxation a cultural touch.
One of these special features is the Farm Life Museum in the historic Tschötscherhof, one of the three above-mentioned places to stop for refreshments. It was opened in cooperation with the Castelrotto Museum Association in the barn, and today tells you on two floors in a very pictorial way about the hardships of the mountain farmers in the last centuries and the often strange-looking tools and aids they used. The most famous inhabitant of Sant'Osvaldo is the singer Norbert Rier, who runs a successful Haflinger breeding farm here.
A small road leads from Sant'Osvaldo further down into the valley, towards the village of Ponte Gardena. The onion dome of the small St. Oswald Church, a building with beautiful frescoes located in the village centre, is easily recognisable from the road. A little further away is the Pflegerhof farm next to the ruins of Castel Rovereto, an experience for the senses with countless herbs. It is widely known as one of the first farms in the country to cultivate herbs organically: This interesting spot invites you to a visit and offers a garden centre with a young plants assortment.
