Museum of Tourism Alta Pusteria

Holidays 150 years ago... those were different times! In 1760, Isabella of Bourbon-Parma stayed at the Haus Wassermann with her servants, but its origins go back to the 15th century, when it was the residence of the Lords of Kurz. From 1892 to 1977, it housed the coffee house of the Wassermann family, who created a rich folkloristic collection. The municipality of Villabassa renovated the old house in 1989 with the help of the Province of South Tyrol and now manages the Museum of Tourism Alta Pusteria.

On the 1st floor, old inns and spas are on display. An important topic is also the construction of the Val Pusteria Railway, a significant turning point in the history of local tourism: When this railway connected Fortezza with Vienna in the 2nd half of the 19th century, the Austrian capital was only a day's journey away. Alta Pusteria therefore became easily reachable for the society of the imperial and royal monarchy. Guests from the northern Italian regions followed soon after. Painters and musicians were inspired by the beautiful landscape and alpinists were attracted to the Sesto and Braies Dolomites already in the 19th century.

The 2nd floor is dedicated to social tourism at the turn of the century, but also to the collecting activities of the Wassermann family. The experience is rounded off by approx. 18,000 copies of death pictures. The Museum of Tourism Alta Pusteria is one of the 12 destinations of the Culturronda, a South Tyrolean cultural course. And how can it be reached? It is located along the state road in Villabassa, about 25 km from Brunico. The bus stops a few metres before it at the church (line 402 Brunico - San Candido).