Trostburg Castle is considered as one of the most stunning castles of South Tyrol. Located on a natural rocky promontory above Ponte Gardena it dominates the Isarco valley. It is a ministerial castle dating from the 13th century. It was mentioned for the first time in 1173 as the residence of Konrad of Trostberg. In 1290, the castle was passed on to the Count von Wolkenstein-Trostburg. From 1385 to 1967. For about 600 years, the Earls of Wolkenstein-Trostburg, one of the main Tyrolean noble families, held possession of the Medieval castle. The minstrel, poet and composer Oswald von Wolkenstein grew up here (1377 – 1445).
Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Trostburg was built upon, mainly inwardly. Fortifications and other expansions were added in the 16th and 17th centuries.
There are Roman arches and arched windows, majestic panels and rooms dating back to the 16th and 17th century as well as examples of the Renaissance period. You will be amazed by the Gothic Stube with wooden panels and richly decorated beam ceiling as well as the library, which is one of the most famous from that epoch.
The storm piles and the wrought-iron gate present a castle rarity, as does its wine press, one of the largest of its kind in South Tyrol. An important attraction is the magnificent Knight’s Hall with its coat-of-arms adorned coffered ceiling. Of special beauty is a triple-domed Gothic room. The little chapel is a real treasure trove!
In 1967, ownership of the castle was transferred to the “Südtiroler Burgeninstitut” (South Tyrolean Castle Association), which has undertaken major conservation and restoration projects in the last couple decades in order to prevent Trostburg from falling into ruin.
The “Südtiroler Burgeninstitut” converted Trostburg from a medieval residence in its South Tyrolean Castles Museum.