Bozen

Bolzano is the capital of South Tyrol and blends Alpine and Mediterranean influences, visible in the arcaded lanes of the old town and the surrounding vineyards. Its most famous resident is Ötzi, the over 5,000-year-old Iceman, on display in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. Three cable cars lead up to the surrounding plateaus.

Highlights

• Ötzi in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
• Medieval arcaded lanes
• Alpine-Mediterranean flair and vineyards
• Cable cars to Ritten, Kohlern, Jenesien

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Practical info

Background & History

Bolzano is the capital of South Tyrol and lies at a crossing of valleys, where the Isarco and the Talvera meet and the routes from north to south over the Brenner Pass converge. This favourable location made the town an important trading place between the German-speaking and Italian-speaking worlds from the Middle Ages onwards, and its Bolzano markets and fairs were renowned far and wide, attracting merchants from half of Europe. To this day this old role as an intermediary is reflected in the town's bilingualism and in the arcaded lanes, whose deep archways once served to protect the goods on display.

Bolzano's most famous landmark rests in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology: Ötzi, the more than 5000-year-old glacier mummy discovered in 1991 at the Tisenjoch in the Ötztal Alps, which gives unique insights into life in the Neolithic. Architecturally, the Gothic parish church with its delicate spire, together with numerous castles and manor houses in the surroundings, shape the appearance of the town. Nestled among sunny vineyard slopes and favoured by a mild climate, Bolzano combines alpine and almost Mediterranean features. As a hub and gateway to the Dolomites, the town brings together history, good living and the mountain world in the closest of spaces, and its lively squares with their fruit stalls bear witness to the centuries-old trading tradition of this valley metropolis.