South Tyrol for connoisseurs: From Plars Castle to Lake Kaltern

I’ve kept some pictures from last autumn from you until now – and for good reason: Just as we at Plars Castle in South Tyrol felt like we were prolonging the summer in glorious sunshine in late autumn, this is also an ideal place to bring spring forward. If I had already raved to you about our wonderful break at the end of October, it might have been lost in the Christmas hustle and bustle. But now, I’m sure some of you are longing for the warming rays of spring sunshine. And that’s why I’m going to tell you today where you can spend an enjoyable spring weekend.

The box seat in Lagundo

For once, we travel to South Tyrol by car instead of public transport and reflect on this decision while we roll through the Vinschgau Valley with the slow-moving traffic. “When will we finally be there?” Just at the moment when the last rays of sunshine of the day make the southern slope of Lagundo, covered with vines and orchards, shine golden, we reach the entrance gates of Plars Castle. The history of the estate can be traced back to the 14th century. But nothing is dusty here. Today, the third generation of the Theiner family runs Plars Castle and has turned it into a unique bed and breakfast with twelve individually designed rooms and suites. A wonderful gem that impresses with many extras and details and where we feel comfortable from the first moment. Each of the twelve rooms is named after a wine. We are accommodated in the “Lagrein” suite and from here we have a magnificent view towards Merano.

Moments of enjoyment around Plars Castle

How great the room view really is, becomes apparent the next morning. Individual rays of sunshine break through the cloud layer and present Merano and environs from its most beautiful side. This awakens the desire to go out and explore the nature all around. But first, a fantastic breakfast buffet is waiting for us down in the salon, at the sight of which I inevitably wish that my time out would please last at least a week. All the cakes served are homemade. The same goes for the jams. And what is not homemade is sourced from the farms in the area. The same goes for the coffee. Instead of a normal cappuccino, the fairy godmother of the house – Eva – charmingly suggests freshly brewed filter coffee with beans from the Vinschgau coffee roastery Kuntrawant. If you stick with this selection of cappuccinos, you will receive a pitying smile from me. You don’t know what you’re missing!

After such a fine and rich breakfast, it is just right for us that the Algunder Waalweg starts directly above Plars Castle. This leads in a good 6 kilometres from Lagundo to the Merano district of Gratsch. A beautiful, leisurely short hike (about two hours), which can then be combined with a stroll through the alleys of Merano.

Afterwards, sweet idleness at Plars Castle beckons; Sit down with a book in the secluded garden or soak up the sun on the sun loungers in front of the infinity pool. When we visited in the fall, the pool was still unheated and I shied away from a swim due to the fresh breeze. However, from this year – you guessed it – the pool will be heated. So it definitely takes less guts to do a few laps in here.

Later, we take a look at the historic wine cellar, where treasures from bygone times are stored. While we find old wine barrels here, winemaker Andreas Theiner uses modern technologies to process the new wines in the new fermentation cellar on the opposite side of the castle. We toast in the salon with a glass of aromatic Sauvignon Marzan and then enjoy a hearty dinner in the restaurant Leiter am Waal. The restaurant is a five-minute walk from Plars Castle and has cosy parlours.

Architecture & Wine: Bijoux along the Wine Route

Plars Castle is a fine example of the exciting combination of architecture and wine. Historic walls, rooms interpreted and renovated in a modern way and a wine production that lives on the tradition. The next day, my interest in this combination leads me along the South Tyrolean Wine Road to Tramin. This trip was the main reason why we arrived by car this time. If you have more time, you can of course also do the tour by bike (or motorbike).

Biodynamic Surprise: Manicor Winery |

First I stop at the Manicor winery near Caldaro. Here, too, the vineyards are structured around a historic manor house, which was built in 1609. Wine has always been grown here, but in earlier times it was not cellared on the farm, but sold directly on. This changed when Micheal Goess-Enzenberg took over the business and, in close cooperation with the South Tyrolean architect Walter Angonese, developed a winery building that integrates almost imperceptibly into the existing topography and thus does not visually impair the Lake Caldaro landscape conservation area. What particularly impressed me, in addition to the sensitive handling of the new building, is that the company is run according to biodynamic principles. “Sustainability” is not just an empty phrase here, as it quickly becomes clear to me in conversation with Micheal Goess-Enzenberg, but an integral part of the production philosophy. In the tasting room, you can see for yourself that the biodynamic approach does not diminish the quality of the wine in any way.

Modernity meets tradition: Elena Walch |

Vis-à-vis the Manicor winery is Castel Ringberg, originally built as a hunting lodge, which belongs to the renowned Elena Walch winery. The fact that architecture and wine production merge smoothly here seems logical if you know Elena Walch’s professional background. As an architect, she has married into one of the most important wine families in the region and brought modern concepts to the traditional business with her flair for design. Both in Castel Ringberg and in the winery building in Tramin, she commissioned the Val Gardena architect David Stufflesser to plan the extension work.

Castel Ringberg has undergone a redesign and extensive renovation. The centrepiece is the successful integration of a sales room in the form of an inverted pyramid into the historic vaulted cellar. With this design language, the architect has succeeded in combining old and new with minimal points of contact. In Tramin, David Stufflesser created an elegant wine shop, which is naturally integrated into the historic village centre. At the same time, in 2015, a modern fermentation cellar was added to the winery building. I find it impressive that in the meantime Elena’s Walch’s daughters are continuing the success story in the fifth generation. A visit to Castel Ringberg (guided tours are offered twice a week in the summer months) as well as to the bistro in Termeno (in addition to wine, the bistro has fine platters on offer).

To relax: the most beautiful terrace on Lake Caldaro |

In addition to wineries steeped in history, I have discovered another architectural gem near Caldaro. Located directly on the shores of Lake Caldaro, the Seehotel Ambach impresses not only with its sun terrace (and heavenly food), but also with its timelessly modern appearance. The design from the 1970s was penned by Othmar Barth, whose oeuvre is considered groundbreaking for the development of modern architecture in South Tyrol. Many details of the Seehotel Ambach have been preserved in their original state from the opening year 1974. A fascinating building through and through, a visit to which can be perfectly combined with a lunch with a view of the lake.

Extra tip for music fans: Caldaro Pop |

When we were out and about in South Tyrol last autumn, we happened to catch the weekend when the Kaltern Pop Festival took place. Since friends of ours were there and Swiss acts were on the program (Julian Sartorius and Mario Batkovic), we spontaneously had the opportunity to get a taste of Kaltern Pop – really a unique ambience! If you like music festivals in an intimate setting, then you should definitely make a note of Kaltern Pop 2018.

Practical information about Plars Castle

• Journey by car from Zurich over the Ofen Pass to Lagundo takes about 4.5 hours. By public transport either over the Ofen Pass or via Brenner/Bolzano – the time required is about 8 hours.
• Depending on the type of room, accommodation prices vary between 92 and 119 euros per person/night in low season.

Note: This trip was supported by Schloss Plars and Südtirol Marketing. All opinions and impressions are, as always, ours.