16.11.2021
Hiking excursion from Oberbozen on the Ritten to Runkelstein Castle near Bolzano
Right next to the mountain station of the Ritten cable car we follow the sign "Rittner Erdpyramiden" on the left and march westwards along the red and white marked path no. 23 downhill. Continue along the paved "Kaiserstraße". This was the most important road during Roman times, connecting the north with the south and leading over the Ritten.
Through the forest, we come to a large grassy terrace, which breaks off into the Katzenbachgraben. Directly below this break-off are the earth pyramids. They were formed from the soil of the moraines that were deposited here by the main glacier of the Valle Isarco during the late ice age.
Then, following the signs n.6, on which we also read the name "Keschtnweg", we descend again on pleasant paths, passing farms, through old chestnut groves and well-tended vineyards. After about 30 min. we come to the Buschenschank Ebnicher, where we like to stop. Here we enjoy delicious farmer's dishes and homemade juices, also a glass of home-made wine shouldn't be missing. But we don't want to lose sight of our goal, "Runkelstein Castle", and so we set off again on the path, marked with the number 2A, which is very steep in places, but the view of the Bolzano valley basin rewards our efforts and after an hour's walk we are standing in front of the medieval castle gate. A guided tour is worth it, because such beautiful medieval secular frescoes are rarely found.
On the way back, we make ourselves comfortable and use the public city buses and then take a relaxed ride from the valley station of the Rittner cable car back to the starting point. The view from the gondola confirms to us once again the beauty of this surrounding landscape.
Through the forest, we come to a large grassy terrace, which breaks off into the Katzenbachgraben. Directly below this break-off are the earth pyramids. They were formed from the soil of the moraines that were deposited here by the main glacier of the Valle Isarco during the late ice age.
Then, following the signs n.6, on which we also read the name "Keschtnweg", we descend again on pleasant paths, passing farms, through old chestnut groves and well-tended vineyards. After about 30 min. we come to the Buschenschank Ebnicher, where we like to stop. Here we enjoy delicious farmer's dishes and homemade juices, also a glass of home-made wine shouldn't be missing. But we don't want to lose sight of our goal, "Runkelstein Castle", and so we set off again on the path, marked with the number 2A, which is very steep in places, but the view of the Bolzano valley basin rewards our efforts and after an hour's walk we are standing in front of the medieval castle gate. A guided tour is worth it, because such beautiful medieval secular frescoes are rarely found.
On the way back, we make ourselves comfortable and use the public city buses and then take a relaxed ride from the valley station of the Rittner cable car back to the starting point. The view from the gondola confirms to us once again the beauty of this surrounding landscape.
