RS muehlbacher klause
RS muehlbacher klause

Rio Pusteria Fortress

The Rio Pusteria Fortress represents the western gate to the Val Pusteria and used to be a toll station

The Rio Pusteria Fortress can be found at the entrance to the Val Pusteria, between the villages of Rio Pusteria and Vandoies. The fortress is directly located along the main road, also the Pusterbike Cycle Route runs past this impressive place of interest. Exactly in this place, the borderline between the countships of Goerz and Tyrol ran in 1271. For this reason Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia, had a dam built, that is to say the castle-like Rio Pusteria Fortress.

Actually the original building was located 600 m in the west of the present-day location and consisted of a long-drawn-out barrage as well as two turrets. The ancient fortress was built according to the model of Mediaeval dam. The construction material consisted of natural and homogeneously-sized river stones, which were hardly modified. The last documents regarding this building are dated 1340.

The newly-built construction, that is by the way preserved still today, bears the hallmarks of Sigismund, Archduke of Austria. The fortress is decorated by round turrets, while a dam stretches up the forested slope. In fact, the Rio Pusteria Fortress not only used to be a toll station, but was also residential building and dam. The building can be visited in a guided tour in summer months, often it is also venue for theatre performances or other events. At night-time it is by the way illuminated.

Contact info

Opening times

  • Thu 28 Mar closed
  • Fri 29 Mar closed
  • Sat 30 Mar closed
  • Sun 31 Mar closed
  • Mon 01 Apr closed
  • Tue 02 Apr closed
  • Wed 03 Apr closed

Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

Full timetables
Despite careful control we cannot guarantee the correctness of the provided data.

Guided fortress tours - summer 2024 (13/06/2024 - 10/10/2024)

  • Mon closed
  • Tue closed
  • Wed closed
  • Thu 09:30 - 12:00 14:30 - 16:30
  • Fri closed
  • Sat closed
  • Sun closed

Feast of the Assumption 2024 (15/08/2024) 09:30 - 12:00 14:30 - 16:30

Admission

voluntary donation

More information

Guided tours to the Rio Pusteria Fortress are offered every year from June to October: every Thursday from 9.30 am till noon time and from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm (about one hour).

Further guided tours are available on request. In case of bad weather, the tour will be cancelled, ev. change of the opening hours will be visible at the entrance gate. Season start 2024 in mid-June.

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