Kastelruth is a comune in the province of Bolzano, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, at 1060 meters above sea level.

When is the best time to visit Kastelruth?

Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 24 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 18 rain days.

Which other towns are like Kastelruth?

St. Ulrich, Cavalese and Innichen.

Trentino-South Tyrol · Bolzano

Kastelruth

South Tyrolean village on a shelf below the Sciliar, eighty-two-metre bell tower over the square, home of the Kastelruther Spatzen.

Known for

ALPE DI SIUSI
Europe's largest high-altitude meadow at 5,400 hectares, with the Sciliar and Sassolungo framing it on either side.
THE BELL TOWER
Eighty-two-metre baroque campanile standing separate from the parish church in the central square, the silhouette of Castelrotto from any direction.
KASTELRUTHER SPATZEN
Folk band founded in the village in 1975, more than fifteen million records sold and a museum on the central square, a German-language touring institution.

When to visit

Best · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar

J4°
F7°
M8°
A12°
M16°
J22°
J24°
A24°
S19°
O15°
N9°
D4°

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

Castelrotto, in German Kastelruth and in Ladin Ciastel, sits at 1,060 metres on a shelf below the Sciliar, twenty kilometres northeast of Bolzano. The commune's territory rises from 720 metres at San Vigilio to over 2,400 metres on the Sciliar massif, with the Alpe di Siusi reached from within that territory. The name first appears in the tenth century and goes back to the Castellum Ruptum, a destroyed castle on the Calvary hill above the village, so the hill above the square and the name on the map are the same story told twice.

Of around 6,500 residents, 82 per cent speak German as their first language, 15 per cent Ladin and 3 per cent Italian. That balance, and the position on a shelf between the valley floor and the high meadow above it, is what gives the village its Tyrolean character rather than an Italian one: a settlement whose centre, church tower, and surrounding pasture all sit within sight of each other, with the mountain doing most of the work of orientation.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Kastelruth’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

From Verona (VRN), about 2h 25m by car.

Milan (BGY) is about 3h 10m away.

By car from the centre of Bolzano 44 minutes or Trento 1h 19m.

Coming by train into Trento? Kastelruth is about 1h 19m away by road.

What to see

Campanile della Parrocchiale
Standing apart from the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, the tower is visible from the surrounding pastures long before the village itself comes into view.
Chiesa Parrocchiale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Baroque interior beside the detached tower, the principal religious building of the commune since the medieval period.
Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm
Reached by cable car from Siusi, the meadow opens out with the Sciliar and Sassolungo on either side, a scale that is hard to read from photographs alone.
Chiesa di San Valentino
Small Gothic church standing alone in a meadow above the village, one of the most photographed views in South Tyrol with the Sciliar massif rising behind it.
Monte Calvario
Hill above the village square with a small chapel and views down to the centre, the site of the destroyed castle that gave the village its name.
Museo degli Spatzen
Gold records, costumes and instruments from a fifty-year touring career, housed on the square where the band's public presence in the village is still felt.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Kastelruth fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Living here

Population 6,967
In-betweeni
Pharmacy in town
Nearest airport Verona, 2 h 25 min drive
Regional capital Bolzano, 44 min drive

Common questions

What is Kastelruth known for?: South Tyrolean village on a shelf below the Sciliar, eighty-two-metre bell tower over the square, home of the Kastelruther Spatzen.
Where is Kastelruth?: Kastelruth is a comune in the province of Bolzano, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, at 1060 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Kastelruth?: Verona (VRN), about 2h 25m by car.
How long is the drive from Bolzano to Kastelruth?: About 44 minutes by car.
When is the best time to visit Kastelruth?: Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 24 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 18 rain days.
Which other towns are like Kastelruth?: St. Ulrich, Cavalese and Innichen.
How many people live in Kastelruth?: 6,967 at the 2023 count.

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

Elevation: 1060 m
Population: 6,967
Surface area: 117.9 km²

On the map

Google Maps Apple Maps Directions from Bolzano

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

Similar