Castelfeder

Above the village of Ora (Auer) and below Montagna (Montan) there's a local recreation area and a charming place of great historic interest which represents a popular excursion destination from spring to late autumn: Castelfeder. A 190 m high porphyry hill, enthroned by a Byzantine fortress providing protection against the Teutons, is at its centre. The fortification dates back to the time around 500 AD, whereas the St. Barbara Chapel was built in the 6th century AD. The history of the area, however, stretches much further back into the past: sacrificial altars and archaeological finds are estimated to date back to the 2nd millennium BC.

The panoramic view from the hill is stunning and includes wide parts of the Bassa Atesina area - the Valle dell'Adige valley, the Oltradige (Caldaro and Appiano) and the Chiusa di Salorno which represents the border to the Trentino. The area of Castelfeder with its small ponds, the upland moors and fens, the hard grass and the majestic shady oak trees is also a protected biotope. A great diversity of plant and animal species lives here.

By the way: Castelfeder is known as the "Arcadia of Tyrol". Originally, 'Arcadia' was a mountain and highland in antiquity and belonged to the Greek administration area of the Peloponnese. Shielded from the rest of the world, there was a pastoral tribe that lived in harmony with nature, completely free from social burdens and laborious work.