Perched on top of a calcareous cliff, the Castle of Salurn, the Haderburg, is the
landmark of the town. The
ruins of the castle from the High Middle Ages have always represented the linguistic boundary between the German-speaking and the Italian-speaking Tyroleans (known as the Welschtirolern = Italians).
The height of the structure is impressive. Worthy of notice is the Bergfried, a tower which was built with porphyry instead of the local lime stone and this had to be hauled up to the peak of the mountain.
Initially, there was only a tower, a palace and fortified walls. During the 14th century, a small shelter was built in front of the castle, at the summit of the cliff.
During the early modern era large bastions and barrier systems were added. Most of these interesting structures were built in the walls of the Geierwänden, across from the cliff, and occupy an area which is larger than the castle interior.
History
The Haderburg was first mentioned as early as 1053 in a travel journal and probably dates back to the first castle building period. The castle stands on an isolated cliff in the Geierwänden. The fortress belonged to the Counts of Eppan in 1158, when the Pope sent to Germany his two most important cardinals, who bore gifts for the emperor Barbarossa. But when the cardinals reached the narrow valley they were attacked and robbed by the horsemen of the
castellum Salurna, who held them hostage. The position of the fortified castle was pivotal, as it lay on the most important road which connected the north to the south. Around the year 1200, the castle became property of the Count of Tyrol, a good 50 years before the “country in the mountains” (the future Tyrol) was unified (1248). From here, the Meran dynasty conquered almost the entire territory of the present-day Unterland.
In 1284 the castle became property of Meinhard II of Görz –Tyrol. In 1349 it was besieged and conquered by Ludwig von Brandenburg and it was enlarged several times during the centuries that followed. Today the parts which can be visited are the bastions, the barrier walls, the watch routes, and other structures which have survived artillery fire. In 1648, the Haderburg became part of the property owned by the powerful Counts Zenobio-Albrizzi, who already owned quite a few other castles in Tyrol and in Trentino. The “Castle of Salurn” is still property of the same family today.
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