Art and Culture

This is particularly true of the feast days and celebrations in traditional costume, foremost among them the festival of "Gröden in Tracht" in Val Gardena, a valley well-known to the outside world as the home of the finest sculptors in wood. (In this context you should not miss a visit to the Unika exhibition.) Why not take advantage of your holiday at Haus Gabi to get to know the culture and traditions of the Ladins, and explore what makes life in the mountains so appealing? Are you looking for an interesting destination for your cultural tours / a school trip / a cultural excursion? There's almost too much to choose from: superb museums in the ancient episcopal city of Bressanone and the regional capital of Bolzano, including the Museum of Natural History – particularly recommended for children – the richly painted Castel Roncolo, and of course the Archaeological Museum, where you can marvel at the oldest 'wet' mummy in the world, Ötzi, the ice man. From Castel Trostburg near Ponte Gardena to Chiusa, the artists' town crowned by the picturesque convent of Novacella, and all along the Isarco Valley you can admire old castles, forts and noble residences. The whole of the Alto Adige in summer is alive with music festivals such as valgardenaMusika, Brixner Initiative Musik und Kirche, and the Südtirol Jazzfestival Alto Adige, with performances in all kinds of unusual venues by musicians of worldwide fame and local groups, with a repertoire that spans classical and contemporary sounds.