2026 - August - Bolzano - Runkelstein Castle

Promises, even those made to oneself, are meant to be kept.

And in 2020, I firmly resolved to visit Runkelstein Castle on my next trip to Bolzano. It looks wonderfully medieval, and one can hardly believe that it had fallen into significant disrepair and was even abandoned for a time. From 1880, it was extensively restored under Emperor Franz Joseph. He personally commissioned the restoration and later gifted the castle to the city of Bolzano.

In addition to its impressive architecture, the castle houses a world-famous secular (!) series of murals. Secular here means that these wall paintings tell stories from life, not related to religion. They depict status, jousting, giants, and, of course, love. There is nothing else like it in such detail.

However, entry to the interior costs 10 euros per person, and unfortunately, the regular South Tyrol Guest Pass does not apply here.

The castle is easily reachable on foot (or by bus) from Bolzano. Only the last stretch is a bit steeper and stony, making some prefer to descend in reverse.

Those who walk back into the city after the visit can also take a detour to the Victory Monument. It is worthwhile for quite different reasons … see my post for that …

https://vakantio.de/reisetante/2026-august-bozen-siegesdenkmal

And further, the link from 2020 with a report on Bolzano and many tips:

https://vakantio.de/reisetante/september-2020-bozen