Castel Badia

Castel Badia began in the 11th century, when Count Otwin von Lurngau established a castle here as a seat of justice. His son Volkhold soon gave it a radically different purpose, transforming it into a Benedictine convent — the first for women in historic Tyrol.

For centuries, the convent became an important spiritual and cultural centre for the surrounding valleys. Remarkably, it was governed by a succession of educated and unusually independent abbesses. Among them was Verena von Stuben, who fiercely defended the convent's autonomy in the 15th century, and Maria Antonietta Mörlin, whose distinctive “MAMA” signature can still be found on its walls.

After a devastating fire in 1598, the convent survived until its dissolution in 1785. Much later, in 1965, local entrepreneur Karl Knötig bought the deteriorating complex and began transforming it into a hotel while retaining its historic fabric. His son Gunther continued its stewardship.

The latest chapter began in December 2025, with Gunther Knötig working alongside the Gasser family, Kronplatz Holding and hotelier Aldo Melpignano. The restoration uncovered and retained ancient frescoes, original plaster, ruins and archaeological fragments rather than erasing them beneath a new hotel aesthetic.

Castel Badia's latest restoration has treated the castle as an archaeological record rather than a blank canvas. Medieval frescoes have been uncovered, original plaster preserved and ruins deliberately incorporated into the experience, while museum spaces reveal parts of the site's history rather than concealing them.

The surrounding landscape has received similar attention. Seventeen gardens retain historic identities, including an Apothekergarten dedicated to medicinal herbs, with native and ancient plant species selected to respect the castle's rocky terrain.

Perhaps most importantly, the Knötig family's stewardship has preserved the site for more than sixty years. Karl Knötig acquired the largely deteriorated complex in 1965, and his son Gunther remains involved in its preservation and interpretation today.