When God was finished with his work, creating the world, he wanted to grant himself a special wish as a reward for all his efforts and shape a small piece of earth according to his ideal concept - South Tyrol was born.
It is the beauty of the natural scenery that makes the heart of the beholder jump with joy. It's unusual diversity with the bizarre rocks of the Dolomites, shredded in myths, the mighty glaciers, the gentle meadows and the dark, mysterious forests. The climate, which, without denying the seasons, is characterized by the sun and mildness of the southern side of the Alps.
The people who live here not only decorate the villages and towns, they preserve the land through attentive care of nature, culture and tradition and have been able to preserve the original state of their homeland. They are friendly and interested in talking with the guests and with a glass of wine you can learn a lot about the country and people, which is written in none of the many books about South Tyrol.
The Vinschgau is located in the west of South Tyrol and extends from Meran about 80 km to the Reschenpass. The sun is good with the valley, rainy days are rare. It is the driest area of the Eastern Alps: the "Sonnenberg", which forms the southern roof of the Ötztal Alps, has a very significant impact on the character of the Vinschgau, which is one of the most interesting cultural landscapes in the Alps.
In the middle of it, about 30 km from Merano, there is the town of Latsch (639 m) with its 4300 inhabitants, with good infrastructure and surrounded by extensive orchards.
The view reaches across graceful, hilly cultivated landscapes with man-made fruit trees and grapevines. The construction of sumptuous Renaissance or Baroque churches could not be afforded in the barren valley; that is why in the Vinschgau much Romanesque church art was preserved. The inhabitants of the ancient cultural landscape between Reschensee and Merano have a reputation for being particularly creative. Proof of this is provided by the modern architecture of the Vinschgau, which combines traditional materials with new perspectives.
The Vinschgauer Sonnenberg is an ancient settlement area, on which numerous prehistoric finds were made and are still to be expected. The high settlement age of at least 4000 years confirm excavations from the younger Stone Age and Bronze Age. Impressive hints are offered by the numerous, pointing into the megalithic culture stone stones. These are rocks with artificial depressions of various shapes and have cultic origins.
Directly above the main street in Kastelbell is the castle Kastelbell. Currently still in state ownership and by the "Kuratorium Kastelbell Castle Gen.m.b.H." managed and managed. The oldest frescoes in the German-speaking world from pre-Carolingian times originated around 770 and were discovered in the inconspicuous St. Prokulus church near Naturno. The Late Gothic winged altar by Jörg Lederer in the Spitalskirche in Latsch is a feast for the eyes of everyone.
The just discovered Menhir stone from the 3rd millennium BC. Chr. Is right next to it in the "Bichlkirche" to admire. The Stefanskapelle, located on the castle hill of Montani Castle, has frescoes from the Lombard and Swabian regions.