An eleventh-century castle in the heart of the Dolomites, where history finds renewed life A new dimension of time in the present. Here, time appears suspended; a fragment of eternity poised between what has passed and what is yet to come. Wellbeing takes the form of light mountain air, the healing essence of herbs, flavours rediscovered, and a landscape that unfolds without limit, open to infinite interpretations.
Originally founded around the year 1000 and later transformed into a female Benedictine convent, the castle will reopen as a haven of refined hospitality.
Located near Brunico, at the foot of the Kronplatz / Plan de Corones ski area, Castel Badia is a place where past and present are in constant dialogue, where hospitality meets local tradition, and where the perception of time expands in harmony with the spirit of its guests.
The restoration establishes a seamless exchange between heritage and modernity. The stone walls retain the strength of the centuries, while the interiors translate history into a contemporary idiom of Alpine colours, natural woods and fine velvets. Original frescoes, curated museum areas and ancient stonework narrate a millennium of history.
Walking through Castel Badia is an immersion in history, where every space reveals traces of the past. The Abbess’s Hall, once the focal point of community life, now serves as a place of quiet reflection, where stillness and atmosphere evoke a sense of timelessness.
At the western edge of the gardens stand the remains of the Chapel of St. Gotthard (12th century), reinterpreted through the work of artist duo SCHWARZENFELD (Raphaela Aurelia Sauer and Michael Meraner) in their installation, mirrored surfaces and golden geometries restoring light to the ancient ruins.
The Chapel of St. Vigilius, possibly the earliest nucleus of the fortress, rises at the summit of the hill.
Surrounding the castle are seventeen gardens, each with its own identity. From the Apothekergarten, preserving the knowledge of medicinal herbs, to spaces devoted to seasonal flora and natural fragrances, indigenous and ancient species coexist in delicate balance on the original rocky terrain.
The church and crypt, dating from the eleventh century, lead back to the castle’s origins. Their apses and naves, built with horizontally laid stone, still bear traces of frescoes. The crypt, dating to circa 1030, remains one of the most evocative spaces within the complex.
Twenty-eight rooms and one Chalet, suspended between history and modernity, each defined by its own character and atmosphere. Spacious and filled with natural light, the rooms open onto views of the valley, the inner courtyard or the nearby village.
Wood, stone and natural materials interact with contemporary design, while architectural details recall the building’s historic layers. Each room is unique, a distinct expression of place and time.
Many feature bathrooms conceived as spaces of retreat and renewal: panoramic bathtubs, private saunas and hammams transform the act of bathing into a ritual of restoration.
Just a short distance from the main building, the Chalet spans three floors surrounded by greenery, with a private panoramic terrace overlooking the mountains and the village. An intimate retreat immersed in an enchanting landscape.
The castle’s culinary philosophy is shaped by its mountain setting and a deep respect for the rhythms of nature, the seasons and time-honoured traditions. Its gastronomic soul is revealed across a sequence of historic rooms: from the intimate, wood-panelled Stube with its ancient tiled stove to the Residenzstube with finely carved ceilings.
Each space retains the warmth of places once central to communal life, where people gathered at day’s end to share food and conversation. Today, this spirit is reinterpreted through a contemporary alpine sensibility, giving life to dishes that narrate the story of Tyrolean cuisine, past and present.
Breakfast, included with every stay, celebrates local abundance with a daily selection of fresh regional produce: mountain butters and preserves, cheeses from nearby farms, pastries baked in-house, and dishes that weave together alpine tradition and international influences. From lunch through to dinner, seasonal vegetables, mountain broths and soups, traditional desserts and modern interpretations transform the table into a shared story.
Alongside the Stube, the fine-dining restaurant embraces cooking as a primal act of love. This intimate setting, centred around a chef’s table warmed by an open brazier, offers a contemporary interpretation of mountain roots.
Designed for a limited number of guests, it is an experience suspended between memory and modern vision.
At Castel Badia, wellbeing is a return to essence. It is the art of listening, reconnecting with nature, and drawing from ancient knowledge that endures through time. Sheltered by stone, the spa preserves the monastic tradition of herbal medicine and the healing virtues of the mountain environment. It is an homage to these early traditions, reflecting the balanced relationship between "ora et labora" - to work and pray, or to be active and to rest - which offers a sustainable approach to caring for body and spirit.
The Apothekergarten, once cultivated by the convent’s nuns, remains central to this philosophy, linking heritage, nature and contemporary wellbeing.
Water accompanies the journey through saunas, hammam, steam bath and heated pool. Along an underground corridor with Romanesque vaults, former monastic cells have been transformed into serene treatment rooms. Outside, heated pools open towards the Dolomites, integrating the surrounding horizon into the experience of stillness and renewal.
The castle serves as a privileged gateway to the Dolomites, offering direct access to the cultural and natural heritage of the region.
From its hilltop position, one can reach turquoise alpine lakes such as Braies and Anterselva, ancient villages preserving traditional crafts, and forests and peaks that narrate centuries of human presence in harmony with nature.
In winter, Plan de Corones, located just five minutes away, provides 120 kilometres of ski slopes and direct connection to the Dolomiti Superski area. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledging, biathlon and ice-skating complete the seasonal offering. During the summer months, the same slopes become scenic trails for hiking, cycling and mountain biking. Paragliding offers an aerial perspective over the Dolomites. Guests have complimentary access to the Pustertal Golf Club, at the base of Plan de Corones, featuring 9-and 18-hole courses set within unspoilt nature.
The original fortress was built around the year 1000 by Count Otwin von Lurngau, conceived as a “fortress of judgement”: Sonnenburg, as it remains known today. His son Volkhold later transformed it into a female Benedictine convent, the first of its kind in historic Tyrol.
The abbesses who resided here were cultured and independent, in constant dialogue with the outside world. Among them, Verena von Stuben stands out: in the fifteenth century, she defended the convent’s autonomy with determination and courage, guiding her community through a period of transformation.
For more than seven centuries, the castle served as a guardian of spirituality and knowledge until the dissolution of the monastery in 1785. Only the abbess’s wing survived, later falling into decay and repurposed as a military hospital and refuge.
In the mid-twentieth century, a local family, inspired by the site’s historic and cultural value, acquired the remains and began their restoration, returning Sonnenburg to the heart of Val Pusteria as a place of hospitality and remembrance.
In 2025, Castel Badia begins a new chapter. Its spaces have been meticulously restored, reawakening the memory embedded in the stone and harmonising it with a contemporary Alpine aesthetic.