Hocheppan Castle, Eppan, Italy - SpottingHistory.com

The Hocheppan Castle with its impressive donjon is located high above Missian, a district of Eppan on the wine route (officially Eppan an der Weinstraße). Until today, it ranks among the most important fortresses in Southern South Tyrol and has some surprises in store for art lovers, panorama fans and gourmets preferring proper meals.

The castle in the environs of Eppan was built in 1130 and was, already at that time, one of the mightiest aristocratic houses of the region. After an eventful history, the well-preserved Hocheppan Castle is an impressive witness of the Middle Ages, thanks to its beauty and magnificent panoramic position

Still, from an art-historical perspective, the chapel in the inner courtyard is the heart of the castle, which probably was built in the 12th century. The chapel is called as “Sistine Chapel of the Alps”, because its walls are decorated with well-preserved Romanesque frescos. They are so special, because they do not only show religious scenes. So you cannot only see several biblical motifs, but also the “foolish virgins”, a “dumpling eating woman” and a rare hunting scene.

The chapel and Hocheppan castle are open for visitors (guided tours) daily in summer season. The rustic castle tavern is ideal for a small snack after visiting the castle or during an excursion.

References:

south-tirol.com

User Reviews

Rusty Rusty (2 years ago)
Kleine, gut gepflegte Ruine. Ein Turm kann zwecks Aussicht bestiegen werden. Gastronomie vorhanden. Kann gut mit der Tour zur Burg Hocheppan verbunden werden. Es existiert ein Rundweg.

Silpa Parmar (2 years ago)
The walk wasn't too bad (it took us 17 minutes but we were sweaty by the time we got to the top!)... meant we burnt off some calories before replenishing them with beer and ribs. The horseradish is spicy but delicious. Amazing views. Definitely worth the trek if you're in the area.

tara verde (2 years ago)
Excellent...

Arjan Hansen (3 years ago)
The castle is part of the Burgenwanderung. Getting here from Burg Hocheppan is a bit challenging with some climbs and stairs. The path to Boymont from the parking lot is paved however quite steep. At Boymont you have great views of the valley. The castle tower is accessible via stairs. In the courtyard, there is a restaurant with drinks and a small menu.

Harry Jassi (4 years ago)
Wow

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Hocheppan Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?