Already 150 years ago the small neighbouring village of Villabassa was part of the pioneering region for South Tyrolean tourism. From 1871 travellers coming from the large cities could easily reach the area by the Südbahn railway.

The museum, which is housed in Haus Wassermann, therefore depicts a journey through time from the early beginnings of tourism, such as the arrival of Isabella von Bourbon Parma and her staff who stayed in Haus Wassermann in 1760, to today’s tourism. It includes all early forms of tourism (many old inns and numerous spa baths), the construction of the Val Pusteria railway and early Alpine mountaineering in the region.
In addition to tourism the museum also showcases local topics from past times, such as the collection of obituaries from Haus Wassermann. An info point in the museum offers interested visitors the opportunity to research over 18,000 Tyrolean personalities and to gather information.