The history of the village is closely linked to the name-giving “beautiful castle”, as it is called in Italian
Image gallery: Castelbello
"Castel bello", the beautiful castle, is the most striking building on the way to the main village of Castelbello-Ciardes. It is enthroned majestically above the road on the way to the Val Venosta valley: From May to October it displays the exhibition about the Via Claudia Augusta Roman Road and the impressive frescoes in the Romanesque castle chapel. Castelbello Castle once belonged to the Lords of Montalban, later it passed to the Tyrolean sovereigns and the Counts Hendl: From a military fortress it developed more and more into a stately palace.
Today Castelbello presents itself in a sunny position on the slopes of the Monte Sole and is therefore a popular starting point for various tours, both on foot and by mountain bike. Here you can cycle and hike through chestnut groves and deciduous forests, up to the alpine pastures and Mt. Cima Trumes and Mt. Cima Vermoi or along the old irrigation channels, called Waale. One of them, the hike along the Latschander Waalweg path, takes you also to Castelbello e Ciardes. On the orographic right side of the Adige River, on the other hand, the apple orchards on the valley floor are located - from Lacinigo and Montefontana, both also districts of the municipality, you can reach the peaks in the mountain chain that separates the Val Venosta from the Val d'Ultimo.
Castelbello (Kastelbell) is also interesting from a culinary point of view. In spring, the Castelbello Asparagus Weeks are celebrated, during which the freshly harvested asparagus is served with a special asparagus wine. In autumn, when the days get cooler and the harvest is in, the wine cellars and farm inns open their doors for the cosy Törggele evenings. Then the new wine is tasted and the traditional "Schlachtplatte" (meat platter), roasted chestnuts and "Krapfen" can be enjoyed.
