The Skeleton of Hauenstein

About an hour from Seis am Schlern you will find the ruins of Hauenstein on an enormous mountain slope. These ruins were once home to poet and singer Oswald von Wolkenstein, and every so often in the quiet of the night, one can hear the sounds of violins and the mournful song of a maiden who is said to have been bewitched there. Late one evening, shepherds were guarding their flocks around the castle. They sat to rest at the entrance to the castle and recounted one tale after another. All of a sudden, they sensed that somebody in the castle had opened a window. They looked up and saw, through the shimmering light of the open window, a woman combing her long hair. Her head, however, was but a skull, and the shepherds blood curdled at the sight of such beautiful hair growing from a head so fearsome. The woman threw stones and sand at the flock of sheep, who ran in terror. It's believed that the skeleton is the wife of a banished knight, destined to roam the castle until the return of her lost spouse.

Approach
We start at the valley station of the Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway in Seis am Schlern. From here we follow the hiking trail n 3, the Oswald von Wolkenstein trail, which leads you to the Hauenstein ruins (about 1 hour).

Parking
Parking is available at the valley station of the Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway (parking garage or open car park) and in the centre of Seis in the underground car park behind the Esso petrol station.

Public transportation
The starting point is easily accessible via the following public connections: By bus line 176 from Tiers, line 2 from Völs am Schlern, and line 3 from Kastelruth. Additionally, it can be reached by bus line 170 from Bolzano or Brixen.