No matter which side you approach the town from, the first thing you will see is the large, beautiful bishop's palace, Bruneck Castle. It is situated on an easily accessible hill above the town and looks down on the houses of the old quarter as if it was still responsible for watching over the people's lives and safety.
The main entrance to the castle is the south gate that was once reached over a drawbridge.
In the castle's inner courtyard, steps in the half round tower lead to the upstairs rooms. The royal rooms are in the right wing, and in the left, the custodian's residence, where the staff also originally lived.
MMM Mountain Peoples
Since summer 2011 the fifth Messner Mountain Museum is opened! The castle was opened by the well-known mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, in Bruneck Castle.
With the interactive "MMM Mountain Peoples" project, Reinhold Messner aims not to "exhibit" people, but rather to invite them to take part in an exchange of experience with the local rural population. Every year guests from another mountain region will spend the summer in the Messner Mountain Peoples Museum and talk about their way of life, accompanied by everyday cultural exhibits belonging to different mountain regions and their inhabitants, including the Sherpas, Incas, Tibetans and Mongolians.
About Reinhold Messner
The same passion that took Messner to the highest summits and later to the edges of the earth, is now being brought to his Mountain Museum. He has poured both time and resources into this project for many years. And all of his enthusiasm too. His aim is not to create a natural history museum, nor an art museum, rather his interest is in human nature! With the help of relics, testimonies, music and works of art he will tell the story of the experiences of people in the mountains. Like religion, they have become a human phenomenon. You can find out more about Reinhold Messner on his personal website: www.reinhold-messner.de
