The city of Bolzano (Bolzano, Bozen) is the center of the province of the same name in northern Italy, also known as the capital of South Tyrol. The city was located on the border of three states: Switzerland, Austria and Italy and absorbed the culture and color of each of them. It officially speaks two languages (Italian and German), prepares German, Austrian and Italian cuisine, and the sights of Bolzano make it unlike any other city in northern Italy.
And also - Bolzano is called the "gateway to the Dolomites." This is a city of mountains, pastoral landscapes and beautiful ski resorts, a city where at any time of the year there is something to see.
How to get to Bolzano
Bolzano has a small international airport, which receives planes not only from Italian cities, but also from the neighboring countries of Germany and Croatia. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Bolzano from Moscow and other Russian cities, but you can fly to neighboring Innsbruck or Verona, and from there get by train or bus.
Find a plane ticket in the form below.
There are 10A and 10B buses from the airport to the center. The stop is located next to the arrivals terminal. However, it is much more convenient to get to the center by pre-booking the transfer.
In addition to the airport in Bolzano, there is a large train station. You can get here from Merano (30-35 minutes) Trento (45 minutes), Verona (1.5-2 hours), trains from Germany and Austria also stop here. Every Thursday, a direct train runs from Moscow to Bolzano. It follows the route Moscow-Nice or Moscow-Monaco with stops in Minsk, Warsaw, Vienna, Innsbruck and other cities.
Railway station - a major transport hub in the city
The train station is located in the city center, and it’s easy to get to the main attractions of Bolzano on foot.
Another option is the bus. The bus network of the city is very developed. It can be reached from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and some nearby cities of Italy.
It is very convenient to go to the city by car, which can be rented directly at the airport. In the direction of Bolzano, the A22 Brenner-Modena highway leads. It crosses the city at two points: from the south and north.
Keep in mind that during the Christmas holidays and at the height of the ski season, there are often traffic jams on the track. For those planning to rent a car, we recommend reading our article "Car rental in Italy: everything you need to know when booking a car."
Where to stay in Bolzano
In the city of Bolzano, you can find hotels for every taste from very budgetary close to the center and main attractions, to good 4 **** with picturesque panoramic views of the Alpine mountains in its vicinity.
Park Hotel Laurin
Among the most popular hotels for travelers are:
- Parkhotel Laurin ****
- Hotel Greif ****
- Stadt Hotel Città ***
- Gasthof Kohlern-Colle ***
- Rosengarten rooms
If a suitable hotel is not found, we recommend you to use the search and see all accommodation options in Bolzano and the surrounding area.
Bolzano Attractions and Surroundings
The city of Bolzano is small and conditionally divided into several areas. The most popular and visited by tourists is the historical center. In the medieval quarters of the center there are most of the sights, museums, restaurants and cafes of Bolzano.
It is best to start your acquaintance with the city from here.
Walther Square and Cathedral
The heart of the old town and the main attraction of Bolzano is considered Walther or Walterplatz square so named after the German poet of the Middle Ages, Walter von der Vogelweide, whose monument can be seen here.
Walther Square - the heart of the old town
On the southwest side, the square is bordered by a cathedral with a high Gothic bell tower from the 16th century. Duomo di Bolzano considered the most beautiful architectural structure of South Tyrol. In the exterior decoration you can see sculptural images of gargoyles, which makes it look like the famous Notre Dame in Paris.
Interior of the Duomo di Bolzano
Inside the cathedral is also striking with luxury and grandeur. Of particular interest are the priest's chair at the beginning of the 16th century. with bas-reliefs of the Evangelists, fragments of the frescoes of the disciple Giotto and the miraculous face of the Madonna.
Streets of Bolzano
A kind of "Arbat" in Bolzano is considered Porticos street or Via dei Portici Here the city’s shopping center is located and it is here that you should go shopping and souvenirs. Buildings on the street also deserve attention. They are richly decorated with stucco, porticoes, murals, wooden shutters and other Baroque ornaments. Don't pass by Town Hall buildings, where one and a half centuries ago was the management of local authorities.
Portikov Street - Bolzano's main shopping street
Another famous pedestrian street is Silver Street. Via Argentieri or Silbergasse. It got its name from the Silver House near Kornplatz Square. It is a pleasure to walk here only because the oldest palaces of the local intelligentsia are located here. Deserves special attention palazzo mercantilewhere the Museum of Commerce is now located.
The aristocratic palaces with pompous facades are also famous for the street Via della Mostra or Mustergasse. For several centuries, it was considered the most elite street in the center of the old city of Bolzano.
Via Dei Bottai - a street of artisans and traditional Tyrolean cuisine
Do not miss the opportunity to walk along the street Via Dei Bottai or Bindergasse. This is one of the oldest streets in Bolzano, where the "gate to the city" was located in the Middle Ages. Now dei Bottai street is famous for its national craft shops and taverns with traditional Tyrolean cuisine.
Churches and monasteries Bolzano
Bolzano is a multi-faith city. Here Dominicans and Franciscans, Benedictines and Capuchins, the Roman Catholic Church and the Teutonic Order coexist peacefully. In the center of Bolzano, each of the denominations has its own temple or church. But Bolzano's most impressive religious attraction is considered to be the Mury Gris Abbey with the baroque church of St. Augustine. Muri Gris is the only Benedictine monastery in Italy and one of the leading religious sites in the Alto Adige region.
Murry Gris Abbey. Church interior
The abbey is a castle built in the XII century and significantly expanded and supplemented later. Among the attractions of Muri Gris in Bolzano, one can distinguish a small museum of nativity scenes, frescoes by the famous artist of South Tyrol Martin Knoller and monastery wines well known far beyond the region.
Museums in Bolzano
Another count worthy of attention and visits are the museums of Bolzano. The most famous:
Archaeological Museum of South Tyrol
- Archaeological Museum of South Tyrol with its "snow mummy Etzi" - a man frozen in the Alps 5300 years ago.
- The Museum or the Museum of Modern Art, where the most prestigious exhibitions are organized.
- The Museum of Commerce in the Mercantile Palace, dedicated to the economic history of the city of Bolzano.
- Nativity Scene Museum in one of the towers of the Muri Gris Abbey, most of whose exhibits date from the middle of the 18th century.
- Mountain Climber Museum Reinhold Messner, who conquered all 14 of the highest mountains of the planet.
The Museon can be visited for free every Thursday.
Museums in Bolzano have days of free admission. So the Museum can be visited free of charge on any Thursday from 18:00 to 22:00. In addition, every year in late November - early December, the Night of Museums is held in Bolzano, when all of them are open until 01:00 and you can enter them without buying a ticket.
Castles Bolzano
Undoubtedly, numerous medieval castles both in the city and in the vicinity of Bolzano deserve attention. To see them all, we recommend renting a car. Most impressive:
- Castello Roncolo built in the middle of the 13th century by the rulers of Wangen.
- Castel Sant'Antonio also built in the 13th century as a family residence of the Weinek family
- Castel Mareccio, built in the historical center of Bolzano in the 12th century, the founder of the family of aristocrats Mareccio
- Castello Firmiano, known since the mid-10th century, as a castle of representatives of petty chivalry by the name of Firmian.
- Castel Flavon built in the 12th century. the Lords of Haselberg.
Roncolo Castle
Marecchio clan castle
The surroundings of Bolzano
The surroundings of Bolzano are a true paradise for lovers of incredible mountain landscapes, breathtaking deep emerald valleys, alpine lakes and snow-white peaks.
Dolomites are world-famous ski resorts
The Dolomites are also world-famous ski resorts: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa, Val Gardena and UNESCO-listed pink peaks (thanks to the dolomite mineral, the mountains are “painted” at dawn and sunset in warm orange-pink colors), and literally descended from postcards Tyrolean villages.
Pastoral landscape of South Tyrol
Impressions are definitely not enough for one vacation. Well, the most restless can ride in the neighboring cities of Merano, Innsbruck, Verona or on the shores of the picturesque Lake Garda.
Festivals and Holidays in Bolzano
Every year, Bolzano organizes many unusual and interesting festive events.
The Ice Music Festival, held annually in the last ten days of February, deservedly came first in the ranking of holidays. An ice cathedral is being built specifically for the festival in Bolzano, where musicians play unusual instruments made from the ice of local mountain valleys.
A very popular tourist season in Bolzano are New Year and Christmas. From November to January, the city hosts many Christmas events and traditional European fairs.
Christmas Market in Bolzano
On the penultimate weekend of May, lovers of gastronomic delights come to the “Speck Festival”, and from mid-May to mid-June the festival “Wine Route of South Tyrol” with numerous seminars and tastings takes place.
In the spring, the famous flower market operates in the central part of the city, and with the onset of autumn, it is replaced by the pumpkin market.
In the end
As you can see, in Bolzano and the surrounding area you can find rest for every taste and feel the flavor of several European countries that are not alike. Well, for those who plan to travel from Bolzano to other cities in Italy, we recommend subscribing to our free course with secret "chips" from experts in the country.
