Gais/Uttenheim 845m
Inhabitants: 3.100
Guest beds: 1.204
Postcode: 39030


From the "Brunecker Weitung" to the pass between the castles "Schloß Kehlburg" and "Schloß Neuhaus" you enter in the valley "Tauferer Tal" near Gais, like through a powerful lock gate. Thousands of years ago during the last Ice Age, the beautiful and impressive landscapes were built by nature. Gais, the village on both sides of the river "Ahr" has been settled since primeval times, which is proved by the "Gaisinger Pipe" (955m) and the "Kehlburghügel" (1188m). The name "Gais", has its origin in the indorgermanic derivative *ghid (Gisse, to run) and means alluvial land. The natural run of the streams coming from the "Bärental","Tesselberg" and "Mühlbach", built a beautiful landscape. If you drive or walk through the main valley in northern direction to Taufers, your eyes are catched by the huge bright "Firnen" and the woods all along the valley. The mountain slopes are covered with many small farms, often only consisting of a small barn, stable, kitchen and living-room. The municipality Gais consists of the villages Tesselberg, Mühlbach and Uttenheim. Gais is 5km away from Bruneck and 3.5km away from Uttenheim. Gais has a good bus-connection to the villages around (every half hour!) Between Bruneck and Taufers, farming, custom work, trading and the wood-work industries have caused that the traditional centre of the village, is no longer visible. The juwel of the big village is the old romanic church, which has been built at the end of the 12th century:

The three noticeable round apses, the tower and the main house have been built in late-gothic times. The vault has been victim of the baroquisation. From 1906 till 1911 it has been rebuilt in new-romanic style. The stonework is very impressive. Another must to see is the guardian house, on the right side of the river, next to the inn "Burgfrieden".(One of the last minnesingers Oswald von Wolkenstein, has been resident here in 1425 and the famous american poet Ezra Pound, escaped with his family during the 2nd World War to this guardian house in Gais, where the grave of his mother Isabell Western Pound is, too. In former times there has been a medical bath against stomach-aches in Neuhaus, as well. Above the castle next to the chaple "Magdalenenkapelle" there was a little settlement. The chronic of Gais mentions six erimites (Klausner), which have lived in it between 1611 and 1718. Opposite of the chaple, there is the ruin of the castle "Kehlburg"(1188m). A ancient place, maybe the estate Chela, which has been bought by bishop Albuin, about the year 1000. The castle has been lent to many members of nobility by the bishops of Brixen. Around 1545 the Lords von Rost had to promise to renovate the ruined castle. e The good repair of the castle is based on the complete renovation in 1891. The bishop "von Kaschau" (Hungary) S. Bubics purchased the castle from the lords "von Rost".Later he had to give the castle buildings back because of financial problems. In 1944 the "Kehlburg" completely burned down. From the "Kehlburg" you get through the valley "Bärental" to the hamlet "Tesselberg" (1485). Today a road mounts up to it. The 1441 inaugurated Gothic building is furnished in baroque style. The small village is a part of Gais and has school and an inn. A definitely must to see are the "Paarhöfe" with their nice rooftops. You should not be scared to hike up to the "Schönbichl" (2450m) along the "Tesselberger Alm"; up there, a old tale is told about the the "Tesselberger Männlein", which were once mining in the mountains. The emperor Barbarossa is told to have crossed this area on his way South, to built up his kingdom. A little bit more to the north you find the smallest but steepest settlement of the "Tauferer valleys": Mühlbach (1462m). Around a little church, the few houses has been built on the steep slope.

The small village Uttenheim exists since 970 a.c. .1100 a.c. the castle above the village has 
been built by the noble men. Possession relations were really difficult in medieval times: the border between Taufers (Tyrol) and Uttenheim-Neuhaus (Görz), has run straight through Uttenheim.Additionally there were complicated tax harassments. The chronic of the village writes about natural desasters as well. In the years 1338-1341 and in the year 1479, the sky darkened because of millions of grasshoppers, which ate all of the harvests of the area. Between 1789 and 1808, more than 60 children of the small village died because of poisonous leafs. The stream "Ahr", which runs through Uttenheim, flooded the settlement from time to time. A tornado destroyed the roofs of 25 houses in 1797. The majestic parish church of the village has been built on the same place where a thunder burned down the former church of 1175 a.c. . In 1774 it was built in baroque style and F.A. Zeiler did the beautiful paintings outside and inside the church. The beautiful and noble church seemed not to fit in the former rural image of the whole village. Today a lot of new built houses, villas and inns make the village very beautiful. In the chronic of the village, the famous master of Uttenheim ("Meister von Uttenheim") is mentionned, too.(End of the 15th century). His paintings can be found in exhibitions in Vienna and Innsbruck. From Uttenheim you can walk up to the mountain farms of Lanebach (1560m). One of the steepest settlements on mountain slopes of the country. Above the village you find the castle "Schlössl", too. A old farmer stil lives in the ruins and works on the fields around. A old memorial reminds of the lords "von Rost", which were once residents on the castle. Another settlement are the alpine pastures of "Anewandt" (1250m).Back to the valley!

Parish church/Pfarrkirche Gais,
The old parish church of Gais is one of the most interesting churches of South Tyrols countryside.

Parish church/Pfarrkirche Uttenheim,
Originally it was a Romanic building, but later it was further built in a Gothic style. It has a very valuable altar made by the so called "Meister von Uttenheim". It means "Master of Uttenheim" (1430-1480). The real name of him is unknown. Today he belongs to the great masters of Gothic. He is probably the master of the great Michael Pacher.

Mountain chapel "Schloß Neuhaus",
was a very popular place of pilgrimage at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1999 is was renovated by the Hofers, a family of the municipality.

Castle "Schloß Kehlburg",
burned down to the ground on 30th of April 1944. Until today nobody knows how the flames broke out. It has never been built up since those days and therefore one can only visit the ruines of it.