The medieval complex of
Juval Castle, one of the first
Reinhold Messner museums, stands above the narrow Schnalstal Valley gorge near Naturno and was built by Hugo von Montalban around 1278 on a prehistoric settlement site. Since 1983 it has been owned by the extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner and is today the seat of one of the six
Messner Mountain Museums, all of which have dedicated themselves to a different theme.
The permanent exhibition in Juval Castle is dedicated to the
myth of the mountain. Here visitors will find an impressive collection of
tibetica, various masks from five continents, an extensive adventure library, the unique exposition on Gesar Ling, as well as Renaissance
frescoes.
Reinhold Messner's expedition cellar and an exhibition of pictures of the sacred mountains of the world are also part of the
varied exhibition. Trained personnel accompany visitors through the various rooms of the castle and bring the stories of the individual exhibits closer.
In addition to the Reinhold Messner Museum with all the exhibitions in the castle, there is a small mountain animal park on the castle hill, the
Schlosswirt inn offers farm products, the
Unterortl winery produces excellent wines and at the foot of the mountain can be bought local products in the
Vinschger Bauernladen (=farm shop).
Reinhold Messner The extreme mountaineer, book author and ex-politician was born in 1944 and has made more than 100 expeditions to mountains and deserts all over the world since 1969. He has achieved many first ascents - including the crossing of Antarctica, the Gobi and Takla Makan deserts and the longitudinal crossing of Greenland. In recent years Reinhold Messner has dedicated himself to the foundation of various museums in South Tyrol and to cultural and political activities.
Juval Castle opening hours Wednesday closed! From the 4
th Sunday in March to 30 June and from 1
st August to the 1
st Sunday in November 10 - 16 h
(can only be visited with a guide)
Tours in German: | working days: 10.15 10.30 11.15 11.45 12.00 12.45 13.15 13.30 14.15 15.00 15.30 16.00 Sundays and public holidays: 10.30 11.00 11.15 12.00 12.30 12.45 13.30 14.15 15.00 15.30 16.00 |
For further information and group bookings:
+39 0471 631264 or juval@messner-mountain-museum.it
Shuttle As there are no parking facilities near Juval Castle, please use the shuttle bus or walk.
The shuttle bus departs daily except Wednesdays from the parking lot in front of the "Vinschger Bauernladen" to the "Schlosswirt". From there it takes about 15 minutes to reach the castle.