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Bozen Travel Guide

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Bolzano
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Bolzano

Bolzano in Italian or Bozen in German (and also Balsan or Bulsan in Ladin [1]) is the capital city of South Tyrol, the most German region in the northern part of Italy. Bozen/Bolzano is the largest city of its region and it's archealogical museum is worldwide famous, because it is the home of the Iceman Ötzi. In Italy is also famous as the Italian Capital of Christmas thanks to the characteristic Christmas market. Bozen's/Bolzano's population is around 100,000 and 25% of inhabitants speak German as mother language.

Contents

Districts

The city is administratively composed by 5 districts with a district mayor and council. These are:

  • City Centre - Bozner Boden/Piani di Bolzano-Rentsch/Rencio
  • Oberau/Oltrisarco-Haslach/Aslago
  • Europa-Neustift/Novacella
  • Don Bosco
  • Gries-St Quirin

Touristically we can divide the city into 6 tourist areas:

  • City Centre (Historical Centre-Neustadt Viertel-Dorf/Villa-Zwölfmalgreien/Dodiciville-Runkelstein Castle) Here there are the most important things to see, museums, theatres, restaurants, hotels and stores. The hearth of the City Centre is Walther square.
  • Rentsch-Rencio (Rentsch-Rencio/St. Magdalena-S. Maddalena/Bozner Boden-Piani di Bolzano) This is the most German part of the city with St. Magdalena on the hills with its vineyard and the nice Rencio district centre. Down behind the rail station is situated the Bozner Boden district. There are a lot of nice hotels, restaurants and guesthouses.
  • Kohlern-Colle Bolzano's home mountain, nice mountain resort.
  • Gries (Gries historical centre/Fagen-Fago/Guntschna-Guncina/Moritzing-San Maurizio/north-western Bolzano's countryside) Culture, art, nature and wine paradise in a small area. Gries was a "Kurort" (health resort) during the Hapsburg's Empire.
  • New City or West Bolzano (St Quirin/Europa - Novacella-Neustif/Don Bosco with Kaiserau/Bivio countryside and Sigmundskron/Firmian Castle) The Italian Bolzano is here. A lot of restaurants.
  • South Bolzano/Bozen (Oberau/Oltrisarco-Haslach/Aslago-Pfarrhof/Maso della Pieve-St Jakob/San Giacomo) Oberau is a nice districts built in 1900s with good restaurants. In Bolzano South area there is the airport and the fair.

Understand

Bozen/Bolzano is constantly among the top-ranked cities in Italy when it comes to quality of life. It has one of Europe's lowest unemployment rates, excellent services and a wonderful landscape. Also, many Italians affirm they would like to live in Bozen/Bolzano. People recognize that the city is a bit expensive, though.

Bozen/Bolzano has many peculiarities. It's an Italian city with an Austrian flair. In the city centre you will hear people speak mostly German or its local dialect. Nowadays, however, Italian and German-speaking people are living together in bilingual Bozen/Bolzano. Generally "Bozner" and "Bolzanini" are friendly and helpful. All German-speaking people can speak some Italian, but not all Italian-speaking people can speak German. Nevertheless, many young people can also speak English and a few can speak French too. In South Tyrolean schools the learning of the second language (Italian for German and vice-versa) and of English is compulsory.

Local tourist guides often say that Bozen/Bolzano has an incredible Mediterranean climate. That is not true. Bozen's/Bolzano's climate is continental with very hot summers and very cold winters. In autumn and spring blows often the föhn, a wind that comes from the northern part of the Alps. Whereas in Innsbruck it is a warm wind, in Bozen/Bolzano there are moments when it's relatively warm and strong, and then the temperature may fall suddenly. The coldest month of the year is January (min -6.2°C/20.8°F, max 5.0°C/41.0°F, average 0.0°C/32.0°F), the warmest is July (min 15.1°C/59.2°F, max 29.4°C/84.9°F, average 22.0°C/71.6°F). The annual average is 11.6°C/52.9°F. The extreme records go from -17 to +40.

Tourist information

Bozen Tourist Office Waltherplatz, 8 (+39 0471 307000, info@bolzano-bozen.it) - The Bozen's Tourism Board has an information office right in the Walther square on the right. You can get information about the city and the neighbouring areas and also take some free brochures and maps of the city.

Passes and discounts

Those who stay three or more nights in a hotel in Bozen or Jenesien mountain village receive a free Guest Pass with a free guided tour of the city and some discounts in museums, castles and swimming pools.

If you want to visit all Bozen's museums and the Runkelstein Castle you can buy the MuseumCard (€ 2.50), with which you have discounts in all the entrances (you can save until € 16.50).

Magazines, events calendars

BM - Bolzano Bozen Magazine the Tourism Board publishes this trilingual (English, German, Italian) magazine with a lot of information about the city. You can find it in the tourism office, in the railway station and hotels. Free.

BoBo MeMo [2] bilingual (German, Italian) magazine with the calendar of the events in Bozen, Leifers and Meran. You can find it everywhere. Free.

Inside - events in south tyrol bilingual (German, Italian) pocket calendar with all events in Bozen and in South Tyrol. The index is written in English. You can find it everywhere. Free.

Get in

Bozen/Bolzano is born because it is on the crossroad between Northern and Southern Europe.

Bozen/Bolzano is well-connected, possessing a small international airport and forming a major hub of the railway system in Central Alps.

Highway A22 (Autostrada del Brennero/Brennerautobahn [3]) from South and from North lead to Bozen/Bolzano, however they get congested during the Christmas market and especially during the ski season. For day trips to Bozen/Bolzano it's probably best to leave your car in the Parking "Centro BZ Mitte".

ABD Airport Bozen/Bolzano Dolomites [4] (BZO) is located around 3,5 km outside the Bozen/Bolzano city centre in the Southeast. At the moment there is not a direct connection with the city. Just the bus lines 10A and 10B stop 1 km in the North of the terminal. Now only taxi connection. Under project is the rapid transit system, which has also to connect the Airport to the City Centre.

By plane

ABD Airport Bolzano/Bozen Dolomites [5] (BZO), recently expanded, has multiple domestic and international charter connections. If unable to fly to Munich directly, travellers can get to Innsbruck or Verona and then take a train or a bus connection or get to Rome or Milan and reach Bozen/Bolzano by air. Flight time from Milan to Bozen/Bolzano is about 60 minutes.

Scheduled flights Winter 2005-2006:

Scheduled flights Summer 2006 (from April 06):

Charter flights Winter 2005-2006:

for more information contact a travel agency.

By train

In the Bolzano/Bozen Central Rail Station stop all the train from Germany and Austria and from Italy. There are many connection with several cities. Useful websites are that of Trenitalia (Italian Railway Company), Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railway Company) and Deutsche Bahn (German Railway Company).

Get around

By bus, train and cableway

Bozen/Bolzano has an excellent public transport system, which includes buses, cableways and commuter rail. Within Bozen/Bolzano itself, you can get a single trip ticket (including a second trip, if 45 minutes after the printing) for the bus for EUR 1.00. If you want to use the bus many times and with other people, you can buy the "Value Card" ("Wertkarte" or "Carta Valore") for EUR 5.00, 10.00 or 25.00. In city buses the trip will cost just EUR 0.65 and you can use this card on all types of transport system in South Tyrol: on the interurban buses, on the cableways of the SAD System, on the "Mendelbahn" and on all the trains from Innsbruck to Trento and on all urban buses in Meran, Brixen, Schlanders, Bruneck, Leifers, Mals and Innsbruck. Tickets can be bought at the yellow machines in major stops (also in Walther square) or simply at the shops, which sell newspaper, tobacco and little souvenirs. You can't buy the ticket on the city bus!

In Bozen/Bolzano there are 16 bus lines (generally 6 am - 9 pm) and 3 of this have also a night service (9 pm - 1 am).

Stamp your ticket at the start of its first use (there are green stamping machines on the buses or near the entrances to the stations). You have to buy another ticket if you stop and you catch a bus 45 minutes after the printing. Payment is by the honor system and inspectors check for valid tickets. If you don't have one, it's an instant EUR 25 fine (plus the fare you were supposed to have paid). All timetables and bus maps you can find free in the tourist offices or in the bus station.

Bozen/Bolzano has also two small urban rail stations (Bolzano South-Fair Quarter and Sigmundskron-Ponte Adige). Also here you can use the "Value Card".

Bozen/Bolzano is connected also with three mountain villages around the city by three cableways. If you want to go to Ritten/Renon or Jenesien/San Genesio you can use the "Value Card": a return ticket for Ritten costs EUR 3.50 (EUR 2.91 with Value Card) and for Jenesien costs EUR 3.20 (EUR 3.12 with Value Card). If you want to go to Kohlern-Colle you have to buy an extra ticket.

For all information about costs and tickets on the South Tyrolean Integrated Transport and Fare System web site [6] (also complete in English). About timetable and bus maps of Bolzano's/Bolzano's city transport service on the SASA web site (Italian and German) and of South Tyrol region on the SAD web site (at the moment only in Italian and German available).

Taxi

In Bozen/Bolzano taxis are not so common. Taxis parks on the Walther square and on the Main station square. Taxis are only on call available. Bozen's taxi service is powered by Radio Taxi 24h24 calling 0471 98 11 11.

Bike

In Italy the city has one of the most deveolped bike trail system in Italy with about 30km composed by 8 main trails. Guided tours are available. Maps are available in tourist offices and online.

Rentals are available in the following places:

  • Station avenue (Bahnhofsallee/viale Stazione) closed to the Walther square
  • main square of Gries

The service is available from 4 April until 31 October 7:30am-8pm (October until 7pm) and it's very cheap: €1 for 6 hours, €2 for more than 6 hours. On bail: €10.

In the fahrradfreundliches Bozen / Bolzano città della bicicletta (bike friendly Bozen, the bike's city) there are specific road signs that help the city biker. A lot of big table maps are placed in many parts of the city. On the bike trail #1 after crossed the Talfer river direction city centre is placed an electronic table which obtains the number of passed bikes. Here's a map which can be helpful for reaching specific places.

See

Museums, Galleries, and Memorials

For more information please see district articles

  • South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology [7] - admission €8 (reduced €6, children up to 6 years free) is the most famous and visited museum in South Tyrol. It's home of the Iceman Ötzi.
  • Special exhibition (from 12th August until 15th November 2006): original Chachapoya mummies from Peru [8]
  • Messner Mountain Museum Firmian [9] - admission €8 (reduced €6, children up to 6 years free) is the main seat of the MMMs realized by the famous South Tyrolean mountaineer Reinhold Messner.
  • South Tyrol Museum of Natural Science [10] - admission €5 (reduced €3, children up to 6 years free) explains the geological origins of the region and organizes a lot of interesting temporary exhibitions.
  • Municipal Museum [11] - closed for renovation. Is the oldest museum in Bozen/Bolzano.
  • City Gallery (de, it) - important temporary art exhibitions.
  • Monument of Walther von der Vogelweide is a statue situated at the centre of the Walther square. It was errected in 1889 after offers from all the German speaking countries for the building of a statue dedicated to the symbol of the germanity in the most southern of the German cities. At that time was supposed that Walther was born near Bozen. Before the building of the statue there had been a lot of polemics between the Liberals and the Conservatives. The last wanted the erection of a statue dedicated to Our Lady. The Fascist administration in 1935 deplaced the statue to an other park and Walther came back to the Walther square only in 1984.
  • Victory Monument is a controversial monument on the other bank of the Talfer river and was built by the Fascist Italy in 1928 as a nationalist symbol and for celebrate the Italian victory during WW1. On the front is written in Latin a sentence which affirms the Italic superiority on the Germanic people. During the 60s and 70s some South Tyrolean activists attempted to damage the monument but without effects. Now the Monument is under protection of the Italian State. Coming from the Talfer Bridge you can find a table which explains the thought of the City of Bozen about the monument. The Italian Ministry for Conservation of Ancient Monuments didn't permit to the city administration to post the tables on the grilles in front of the Monument.

museumnovember [12] - every year in November the museums offer special exhibitions and entertainment. The last saturday of November all the museums are opened until 1 AM (The Long Night of Museums) and the admission is free.

Churches

For more churches please see district articles

  • Cathedral Gothic-Romanesque bulding dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption built between the 13th and the 16th century with a lot of important frescoes and sacred arts. It's supposed that the church was built over a Roman basilica. Partly damaged during WW2 was renovated after the war.
  • Dominican's church The first Gothic building in South Tyrol contains frescoes of the Giotto School.

Palaces and Castles

For more information please see district articles

  • Runkelstein Castle de, it - admission €8 (reduced €5,50) is one of the most important castles for no sacred art in Europe with a scene of Tristan and Isolde. The castle was build in the 13th century and it's seat of interesting temporary exhibitions.
  • Maretsch Castle [13] is a castle situated on the valley near the city centre surrounded by beautiful vineyards. Now it's a conference centre. Visits on Tuesday.
  • Mercantile Palace de, it was built between 1708 and 1716 by the architect Francesco Pedrotti from Verona and it's an important piece of Baroque architecture. It holds the Mercantile Museum.

Squares

For more squares please see district articles

  • Walther square is called the gute Stube or salotto buono (good parlour) is the most famous square of the city. The square is surrounded by buildings in Austrian style. At centre of the square is situated the statue of Walther von der Vogelweide. The square was built in 1808 during Bavaro-Napoleon's domination. The square changed name five times: Maximilan square dedicated to the King of Bavaria (1808-1815), Johannes square dedicated to the Kaiser's brother Archduke Johann (1815-1901), finally Walther square (1901-1925). During the Fascist period the name was changed and the square took the name of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. In 1946 the name changed for the last time (Our Lady square) before becoming Walther square in 1947.
  • Fruit market's square is one of the oldest squares of Bozen and now like in the past holds the fruit market.
  • Victory square is a controversial square behind the Victory Monument and it's symbol of Italian nationalism. In 2002 the city administration wanted to reconcile the population of the two ethnic groups changing the name into Peace square. The majority of the Italians didn't appreciate the gesture and opposed. The Italian right wing parties (for the name dedicated to the Italian victory during WW1) wanted a referendum which was won by the old name. Now the tables display the name Victory square (former Peace square).

Parks and Promenades

For more parks and promenades see district articles

  • Talferwiesen/Prati del Talvera are the green lunge of the city and extends on both banks of the Talfer river. In Summer it's full of people and also during the cold Winter people like to go around the promenades.
  • Ducal park is a nice park in the Gries area.
  • Eisackufer / Lungoisarco Park is a big park on the right hand side of the Eisack river.
  • Henry's promenade the Heinrichspromenade is known also as Guncina promenade and is the oldest promenade of Bozen in the former Kurort of Gries. There is a lot of flora.

Do

Festivals

  • Bolzano Festival Bozen [14] offers concerts of the Gustav Mahler and European Union Youth Orchestra in Concert Houses and in the squares of the city, the International "Ferruccio Busoni" Piano Competition and the shows of Antiqua (Renaissance and Baroque music). Every Summer.
  • Transart [15] is a regional events of contemporary music and arts.
  • Bolzano Danza - Tanzsommer Bozen [16] is dance/ballet event in Summer.
  • Jazz and others - International Jazz Festival Bolzano-Bozen [17] is an important summer jazz festival.

Theater, Opera, and Music

  • New City Theatre is the bigger theatre of the region in importance and activity. It shows a lot of representations, opera, ballets and musicals. Representations both in German and Italian.
  • Haydn Concert Hall holds classical music concerts. In Summer it has a big activity with the EUYO, Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the International "Ferruccio Busoni" Piano Competition.
  • Kulturhaus Walther von der Vogelweide is a the biggest German-speaking theatre of South Tyrol. It shows a lot of representations in German language.
  • Cristallo Theatre is a new theatre with representations and festivals in Italian language.
  • Municipal Theatre of Gries shows representations in both German and Italian.
  • Carambolage is a very small theatre (99 places) but it's important for the big number of representations and cabaret not only in German and Italian.


Sport

  • Skiing. South Tyrol is full of ski resorts. The more 'Bolzanian' ski resorts are the Rittnerhorn (20km from Bozen) and Reinswald (just 15km). Both web sites are in English available.
  • Ice hockey. Home sport of Bozen/Bolzano is ice hockey. HC Bolzano/Bozen Forst Foxies [18] is the local professional hockey club in Bozen (it plays in the Italian premier league and it won 16 times the national championship -Italian record). They play at the Eiswelle/Palaonda ice palace.
  • Soccer. The most important football team of the region plays in the 'Serie C2' and its name is FC Südtirol Alto Adige [19] and plays in the Drusus stadion. In July/August test matches with renowed team such as the Internazionale Milan, Monaco, Stuttgart and others.
  • Ice rinks. In Bozen there are two ice rinks, one near to the Runkelstein castle and the other in the Genua street.
  • Swimming. In Summer the Lido [20] in the Trieste street is the favourite place of the people: open-air swimming pools and a big park with bar and restaurant. Admission €5. In Winter there is the swimming & fitness centre Karl Dibiasi [21] just behind the Lido. Admission €4.50/5.20.

Learn

Bolzano/Bozen is the ideal place if you want to study both German and Italian, or German or Italian after having studied one of the two.

  • Free University of Bolzano/Bozen [22] International trilingual (Italian, German, English) university. It's ranked as one of the best no statal universities in Italy. Officialy is a privat university but it's financed by the Autonomous Province.
  • Claudio Monteverdi Provincial Academy of Music [23] Like the university is ranked as one of the best academies of music in Italy (in Italy academies of music are considered at universitary level). Since 2006 it's controlled by the Autonomous Province instead of the State and it's foreseen a big development because of that.
  • European Academy [24]
  • ZeLIG School for Television and Film [25]
  • Claudiana Province College for Health-Care Professions [26]

Work

Bozen is a congress, financial and business centre. School of languages and institutions could look for English teachers/speakers and new minds are requested in some technical sectors. If both German and Italian are known everybody can find a job in a restaurant, shop or hotel if it had some job experiences.

Buy

For single shops see district articles

Every district has its own shopping area but the shopping paradise is the historical centre. Bolzano is the city in which the small ceramics scultures Thun are made. You can find Tyrolean and Italian fashion in the same place and local delicatessen have to be chosen.

Shopping streets

  • Arcades Is one of the most famous shopping streets in Italy with both traditional and international chains.
  • Greif Center Is a modern and luxurious gallery near Walther square.
  • Dr Streiter Lane It's the opposer and parallel street of the Arcades with traditional chains.
  • Arcades of Freedom's avenue The Corso is composed by the 'Italian' arcades.

Markets

  • Saturday market Every Saturday in the Victory square and border streets.
  • Fruit market Every day in the square with the same name in the historical centre.

Christmas markets

The 'Christkindlmarkt' take place every year from the last Friday of November to 23rd December in the Walther square with 80 stands. In the same period in the historical centre take place other markets too: the 'Handwerksmarkt' in the Municipal square and the market of solidarity in some streets of the historical centre. We can find smaller 'Christkindlmärkte' in the Mazzini square in Gries and in the Rome street (via Roma/Romstraße) in the St Quirin district in the New City.

  • Christkindlmarkt 2006 - 24th November - 23th December 2006, Walther square

Eat

In the city center, the traditional restaurants include "Weißes Rössl" ("White Horse"), Franziskaner and Vögele. Other well known restaurants include Il Torchio / Torgglhaus and Ca' de Bezzi / Batzenhäusl.

Drink

For more places please see district articles

Beer & wine gardens, halls & cellars

  • Forsterbräu Central Goethestraße, 6 (+39 0471 977243)

South Tyrolean Forst Brewing company runs a really nice restaurant with outdoor seating right in the Altstadt (Historical Centre). Good beer and food and the prices are reasonable. Try the Sixtus ale, goes right to your head. €€

  • Paulaner Bräuhaus Bozen Silbergasse/Lauben-Portici (Arcades) (two entrances)

Bavarian Paulaner Brewing company's first Bräuhaus in Italy. Good beer and food. €€

  • Hopfen & Co Wirtshaus & Brauerei Obstplatz, 17 (Fruit market) (+39 0471 300788, hopfen@boznerbier.it)

Here you can drink the original Bozner Bier (Bozen's beer) and eat typical Tyrolean food. €€

Pubs

  • Pogue Mahones Erbsengasse, 10 (+39 0471 978339) Very nice Irish pub in the historical centre. 5pm-1.30am (17:00-01:30). Sunday closed.
  • Dublin Pub Negrellistraße, 13 (+39 347 8810382) Irish pub with restaurant in the Bolzano South area.
  • Sugar Reef Museumstraße, 53 Pub near to the Talfer Bridge in the city centre. 8pm-1am (Sunday 3pm-12pm).
  • Boulevard Café [27] Goethestraße, 20 (+39 0471 300415) Pub & Restaurant in the historical centre.
  • Blaues Schiff Lauben [28] Lauben (Arcades), 57 (+39 0471 979099) Restaurant, bar, pizzeria and pub with a lot of young people. 8am-1am.
  • Casanova Erbsengasse,8 (+39 0471 301897) Nice pub in the historical centre. 10am-1pm. Sunday closed.

'Konditoreien', Cafés & 'Gelaterie'

  • Stadtcafé Waltherplatz, 21 (+39 0471 975221) Viennese style café with original Sachertorte.
  • Momus Dominikanerplatz, 20 Literary café. Sunday afternoon closed.
  • Bar Walther Waltherplatz, 2 Modern style café. Sunday closed.
  • Aida Café Konditorei Pfarrplatz, 3 Austrian style 'Konditorei'. Seats also in Walther square.
  • Monika Konditorei Goethestraße, 13 Austrian style 'Konditorei' with Italian style 'Gelati'.
  • Gelateria Eccetera Weintraubengasse, 23 Around 60 ice crem flavours.
  • L'Oasi del Gelato Museumstraße Big ice-creams and 'granatine'.
  • Gelateria Avalon [29] Freiheitsstraße, 44 In the New City. Self-made waffel cones.

Discos

Here the South Tyrol portal for fun and night-life.

Deep (Mirò) Dominikanerplatz, 3b Club located in the hearth of the city. Fridays called Mirò for adults and Saturdays Deep for teenagers. Entrance: € 10 (1 drink included)

Life [30] Galvanistraße, 39 Special guests, entertainment and dj music. The disco is located in the South Bolzano area. Entrance: € 15 (1 drink included)

Alumix [31] Voltastraße, 9 Entertainment, sometimes live music, alternative. The disco is located in the South Bolzano area. Entrance: € 9 (1 drink included)

Après Club [32] Hauptstraße, 20 - 39010 Gargazon/Gargazzone Special guests, entertainment, events. The disco is located out of Bozen, in the small village of Gargazon, between Bozen and Meran, on the statal road. 15 km from Bozen.

Keope Disco Club [33] Brennerstraße, 6 - 39050 Steinmannwald/Pineta di Laives Entertainment, dj music and Cuban dance. In the outskirt of Bozen on the statal road.

Baila Discopub [34] Boznerstraße, 5a - 39057 Eppan/Appiano Entertainment, special guests and dj music. The disco is located in Eppan near Bozen.

Sleep

Please see district articles

Stay safe

Bolzano is one of the safest cities in Italy and generally tourist don't have problems.

Get out

  • South Tyrol, a lot of towns, valleys and mountains have to be visited
  • Innsbruck, Austria, is an easy day trip from Bozen. 120 km (1h15)
  • Verona is an easy trip from Bozen. 150 km (1h30)
  • Lake Garda the famous lake with mediterranean climate is not far from Bozen. Nearest centres: 100 km (Riva del Garda) - 135 km (Lazise) (1h20-1h40)
  • Munich, Germany, if you have a few days to spare, this is the perfect trip, it can be also a day trip. 250 km (3h00)
  • Venice, if you have a few days to spare, this is the perfect trip, it can be also a day trip (by train). 250-300 km (3h30)


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