San Zeno Castle

San Zeno castle is located at the entrance of Val Passiria in exposed position.

The rock on which San Zeno Castle is located is a strategic point. Already Romans established a checkpoint to control trade routes. This was also the place where in late antiquity and early Middle Ages the castrum majense, origins of the city of Merano, came into existence.

In Middle Ages, to the honour of San Zeno, a chaped was established, which used to be a pilgrimage site for a long time. At the turn of the century the religious importance of the chapel diminished, the building kept deteriorating.

The fortification was built in the 13th century under Meinhard II, who used it as seat for his reign. When Castel Tirolo in 1301 was destroyed by a fire, this seat was transferred to San Zeno Castle. In 1347 the Luxembourger Karl IV. destroyed the castle and from this point of time it has no longer been rebuilt. His descendants provided for the consolidation of the castle.

Castel San Zeno has only been preserved in its substance, but it cannot be visited.