An Afternoon at the MMM Ripa in Brunico

The snow falls lightly on Brunico’s rooftops while the frosty air carries the scent of burning wood from the stoves in the historic center. You have just stepped out of your camper, parked in the equipped area of Brunico Nord, and the day opens with a promise: to climb the castle hill to meet the peoples who have inhabited the world’s mountains for millennia. Brunico Castle, with its towers emerging from the snow-covered meadows, holds something rare: not just medieval walls and episcopal frescoes, but the voices, faces, and traditions of the Sherpa, the Mongols, the Tuareg, the Andean peoples, and all those cultures that have made the mountains their home, culture, and source of resilience. The MMM Ripa – the fifth museum in the circuit founded by Reinhold Messner – awaits you for a journey that crosses not space, but time and humanity.

From Camper to Castle: A Walk in the Heart of Brunico

The route from the Brunico Nord camper area to the castle is short but charming: about 15-20 minutes on foot through the historic center. Leave the parking area and head towards the center, following signs for Via Centrale (Stadtgasse). In winter, the shop windows are illuminated and the atmosphere is that of an alpine village calmly embracing the cold season.

Pass through the Ragen Gate and immerse yourself in Via Centrale, with its houses boasting colorful facades, wrought iron signs creaking in the wind, and artisan workshops selling loden, speck, and painted ceramics. Continue to the end of the pedestrian street and exit through the Ursuline Gate. From here, the castle is already visible on the hill in front of you.

The path climbing towards the castle starts right at the foot of the hill: a scenic route, slightly uphill, crossing meadows and trees. In winter, however, caution is required: the path can be snowy or icy. We advise you to wear shoes with non-slip soles or, even better, to bring light crampons to attach under your boots. The ascent takes 10-15 minutes and, if the snow cover is firm, it becomes a small adventure that rewards you with an increasingly expansive view of the city and the valley.

As you climb, Brunico is revealed at your feet: the snow-covered rooftops, the parish church bell tower, and the Aurina Valley mountains in the background. The air is cold and clean, the silence broken only by your breath and the crunch of snow underfoot. When you reach the castle, your heart beats a little faster – not just from the effort, but from the anticipation of what awaits you.

Visit Brunico Explore

Wooden sculpture

Messner Mountain Museum (MMM) Firmian

The Castle and the Museum: Where the Ancient Meets the Cultures of the World

Brunico Castle was built in the 13th century by Bishop Bruno von Kirchberg, who wanted to protect his possessions in the Puster Valley and, in doing so, laid the foundations of the city itself. For centuries, the castle was the summer residence of the Prince-Bishops of Brixen: each bishop left their mark here, expanding walls, adding rooms, and frescoing halls. The coats of arms of Bishops Albert von Enna, Ulrich Putsch, and Andrea d’Austria still decorate the walls, silent witnesses to a power that tasted of incense and politics.

In 2011, the castle was reborn in a new guise: no longer the home of the powerful, but the house of mountain peoples. Reinhold Messner, the South Tyrolean mountaineer who climbed all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks in the world, transformed these walls into one of the six Messner Mountain Museums. The MMM Ripa – “ripa” in Tibetan means “man of the mountain” – is dedicated to cultures that have lived at high altitudes for over 10,000 years, in symbiosis with peaks, glaciers, plateaus, and remote valleys.

The castle’s renovation was daring: contemporary materials such as treated grey wood, glass, and steel were placed alongside the ancient stones. The contrast is jarring but effective, as if the past and present were conversing without fear. Cross the wooden bridge that leads to the inner courtyard and you will find yourself in a protected, silent space where time seems to slow down.

Cellar: The Peoples of Africa and Oceania

The museum itinerary begins in the castle cellar, where the atmosphere is cool and intimate. Here you encounter the mountain peoples of Africa and Oceania: the Damara, the Masai, the Tuareg, the Dani. These are cultures that have adapted life to extreme altitudes, mountainous deserts, and the misty forests of Papua New Guinea. The objects on display tell stories of survival and ingenuity: clothing made of leather and fur, hunting weapons, ritual masks with vivid colors and piercing eyes. Every tent, every utensil carries centuries of knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

First Floor: Caucasus and Alps

Ascend to the first floor, and the geographical horizon shifts towards the Caucasus and the Alps. Here, the Caucasian peoples and the Walser – German-speaking communities living in the Alpine valleys – show how the European mountain has been shaped by man. You will discover objects of daily life: carved wooden cradles, agricultural tools, heavy wool garments to face winters that last months. One of the most fascinating installations is the reconstruction of traditional dwellings: Mongolian tents, yurts, houses of stone and wood. Children love to enter these structures and experience firsthand how people lived – and in some cases, still live today.

Second Floor: Religions and Spirituality

On the second floor, the museum addresses the theme of mountain religions. Here, the peaks are not just physical obstacles but sacred places, dwellings of the gods, passages to the afterlife. You will find statues of the Tibetan Buddha, Christian crosses carved in wood, animistic fetishes, and votive offerings left on the summits by pilgrims and mountaineers. It is a room that invites reflection: for these peoples, the mountain has never been just nature to be conquered, but a living entity to be respected, feared, and venerated.

Tower: Tourism and the Panoramic View

The final stop on the itinerary is the castle tower. A wooden staircase – over 100 steps – takes you to the summit, where a breathtaking panoramic viewpoint opens up. From the tower, you can see the Brunico basin, the three-thousand-meter peaks of the Aurina Valley, Kronplatz dominating the valley, and the mountain farms clinging to the slopes. In winter, the landscape is a white expanse dotted with fir trees and houses with colorful facades.

But the tower also houses the final section of the museum: alpine tourism. Here Messner poses an uncomfortable question: what happens when the mountain becomes a commodity? Historical photographs show the first Victorian mountaineers, the pioneers of the Dolomites, and the caravans of guides and porters. And then, the explosion of mass tourism: ski lifts, ski slopes, luxury hotels. The museum does not judge but invites reflection: can the mountain withstand this pressure? Are the peoples who have inhabited it for millennia surviving or being swept away by modernity?

Hanuman, the Hindu monkey deity

large Tibetan Buddhist prayer mill

Practical Tips for Your Visit

Opening Hours (Winter Season 2025/2026):

From December 7, 2025 to April 25, 2026
Every day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last admission at 5:00 PM)
Closed on Tuesdays + December 24 and 25

Prices (2025/2026):

Adults: €14
Students/Seniors 65+/Groups (min. 15 people): €12
Children and youths 6-18 years: €6
Family ticket (2 adults + children under 14): €32
Family ticket (1 adult + children under 14): €18
Free for children under 6 years

MMM Tour-Ticket (access to all 6 Messner museums):

Adults: €55 | Reduced: €45 | Children 6-18: €25 | Family (2 adults + children): €125

Duration of the visit:
Allow 1–1.5 hours for the complete museum, plus time to climb to the panoramic tower. If you are traveling with children, they might want to spend more time in the interactive installations (tents, yurts, dwellings).

Accessibility:
The museum is accessible to people with mobility difficulties thanks to an internal elevator. It is not permitted to enter with bulky trekking backpacks or walking sticks.

What to bring: