Mareit: Wolfsthurn Castle and Nature Trails

If you’re looking for a hotel in Mareit, you can choose the focus of your trip based on the cultural and nature themes that interest you along the way. Wolfsthurn Castle and the parish church of St. Pancras offer different cultural highlights; several trails take you through the forest, along the stream and into the gorge. There’s also a cycling connection towards Sterzing and an insight into jewellery making.

Wolfsthurn Castle, Museum and Church

Wolfsthurn Castle stands on a hill above Mareta near Sterzing. Since 1996, it has housed the South Tyrol Museum of Hunting and Fishing. The second floor contains lavishly decorated rooms preserved in their original condition, furnished with period furniture, paintings, fabric wallpaper featuring hunting motifs and a crystal chandelier. A visit to the museum combines a look at the rooms and their furnishings with the themes of hunting and fishing.

The parish church of St. Pancras in Mareta offers a different architectural impression. It combines various architectural styles and features two golden reliefs. In the cemetery chapel in Mareta, life-size depictions of male and female Death stand in niches on either side. The castle rooms, church and chapel thus offer distinct, tangible points of interest for a cultural focus to your trip.

Trails along the Stream and through the Gorge

The approximately one-kilometre-long Forest and Water Trail includes stops such as the forest telephone and the wolf pit. The Forest and Water Nature Trail starts opposite Mareta parish church, leads through the forest along the Mareiter Bach and ends at the castle pond. The route and its stops give the trail a clear structure: you can use the named points to find your way while also taking the stream and forest into account when choosing your route.

Another hike leads into the Achenrain Gorge. It starts in Mareta, behind the Hofmannsteg bridge; from there, the trail follows the Fernerbach into the gorge. One section is lined with old dry-stone walls dating from the period of ore mining. This gives the route a different focus from the Forest and Water Trail: here, the gorge and stream combine with visible evidence of past ore mining.

A hike from Mareta also leads to the Mareiter Stein, a long mountain ridge more than 2,000 metres high. From there, views extend over the Ratschings and Ridnaun valleys and towards the Stubai Alps and their glaciers. Conditions may vary by season; take this into account when planning your trip.

Cycling, Mining History and Crafts

A cycle path follows the Mareiter Bach to Sterzing. Check local route conditions before setting off. The “Obere Erzstraße” educational trail starts in Mareta and follows the former route used to transport ore from the Monteneve mine. Both activities relate to the Mareiter Bach or to mining history, but have different focuses: the cycle path leads to Sterzing, while the educational trail follows a historic ore-transport route.

In Mareta, the Zössmayr stone-cutting workshop shows how pendants and other jewellery are made across 400 m² of exhibition space. This look at the production process adds a craft theme to the trails and buildings. Fürholz also has a natural ice rink. It is seasonal; check opening hours and whether equipment rental is available before you go.

Discover more destinations: Franzensfeste, Pfitsch, Sterzing, Mauls, Freienfeld, Brenner, Ratschings

Return to the main travel overview: Wipptal.