Bolzano

Where to stay in Bolzano

Capital of the autonomous province of South Tyrol, Bolzano occupies a basin where several valleys meet, ringed by vineyards climbing the slopes with the Dolomites behind. It is bilingual in the most concrete sense: signs, place names and conversations alternate Italian and German, and the architecture tells the same double belonging.

Ötzi

In 1991, two hikers found in the Ötztal Alps the mummified body of a man who lived five thousand three hundred years ago, preserved by the ice along with his clothing and full equipment. What makes Ötzi unique is not only his age but the fact that he was found exactly where he died, with the objects he carried to survive at altitude. The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, opened in 1998, devotes the heart of its route to him across three floors and twelve hundred square metres, reconstructing through him life in the Copper Age.

The old town

The heart of the city is Piazza Walther, overlooked by the cathedral with its spire sixty-five metres high, built between 1504 and 1519, and its tiled roof in geometric patterns. From there runs Via dei Portici, the Laubengasse, with terraced houses and arcades that shelter from summer sun and winter cold; at the far end opens Piazza delle Erbe with its daily market and the Neptune fountain. The Palazzo Mercantile recalls the commercial role the city held for centuries as a hub between north and south.

Going up

From the city the Renon cable car climbs in minutes to the Soprabolzano plateau, where a historic narrow-gauge train continues through meadows and woods with views of the Dolomites: it is the quickest way to pass from the arcades to the mountains. Near the centre, Castel Mareccio stands among vineyards within walking distance, while the Guncina and Sant’Osvaldo promenades climb the sunny slopes.

Where to stay and when to go

The old town is compact and walkable. The seasons have distinct characters: autumn brings Törggelen and the foliage, December the Christmas market in Piazza Walther, one of Italy’s busiest, with prices and availability affected accordingly. Bolzano is also a base for the valleys: Val Gardena and Alta Badia are an hour away, Merano and Bressanone half an hour by train. For more see where to stay in Bolzano and our guide to the Christmas markets.