A short history of Hotel Villa Kastelruth

Until the end of the 19th century there was no road leading to Castelrotto and cities like Bolzano could only be reached from here by a laborious day's walk. Only in 1887 the first road was completed and more and more visitors were attracted to the plateau.
The enterprising town doctor Dr. Luis Mayr immediately realized the potential of the new guests and in 1903 started to build the thermal guesthouse "Kastelruth" (today Hotel Villa Kastelruth).

In addition to hydrotherapy, electrotherapy and medicinal baths, an advertising brochure from 1906 also advertises tobogganing (via the road to Ponte Gardena) and skiing (on the still completely undeveloped Alpe di Siusi).

Tourism boomed at the beginning of the 20th century and the transformation into a renown vacation destination seemed unstoppable. The only one who was less enthusiastic was the parish priest, who, in view of the many "strangers" brought by the new road, wondered "whether the road is also profitable in terms of the salvation of souls"...

Two world wars and the intermediate period of crisis interrupt the vigorous development of tourism in Castelrotto and the villa changes hands in 1924 and 1941. In 1962 family Plattner acquires the "Kastelruth" guesthouse.

In 2013 Mr. Anselmi from Bolzano becames the new owner. He renovates and expands the villa with great care into a 4 star hotel and in 2015 gives it to the Demetz family who is managing it since.