Tradition, innovation, sustainability: Bolzano will surprise you

Why choose Bolzano as your next holiday destination? The answer is simple: to be immersed in a unique cultural mix. Here, north and south, Mediterranean and Alpine meet, creating an irresistible and unique combination.

Be enchanted by the different architectural styles that are colourful and soft and, as soon as you turn the corner, become imposing and square. Stroll along the acardes, the commercial heart of the old town over 300 metres long, listening to the mix of languages that characterise our city and immerse yourself in the sounds of nature by walking along the many promenades that climb the sunny slopes. Get on your bike and explore more than 50 kilometres of cycle paths through Bolzano. Discover the green and innovative soul of the city. Take one of the cable cars from the city centre to reach the surroundings of the South Tyrolean capital in just a few minutes, including Colle, an oasis of peace, and the Renon plateau.

Taste the perfect combination of Tyrolean cuisine and Mediterranean flavours in the many restaurants in the city streets. Combine traditional dishes with wines from the many wineries in the valley. Marvel at the sparkle of the traditional and modern shop windows. There are plenty of ideas for taking home a unique souvenir. Don't miss the numerous events that enliven the gateway city to the Dolomites in every season.

Cableways

Bolzano is situated at 265 metres above sea level in a basin surrounded by mountains. In just a few minutes by cable car you can reach the sunny plateaus and beautiful forests on the Renon Hills and Colle, where you can feel a clear and crispy atmosphere. At an altitude that ranges from 1000 to 1400 metres, you will enjoy superb views of the Dolomites, and breathe deeply into the delicate scents characteristic of woodlands and pastures.

Cable car Colle

Cable car Colle is a journey into the past. It is the first passenger cable car in the world, invented by innkeeper Josef Staffler from Bolzano, who ingeniously saw a great chance for tourism. Over a century has passed since then, and more precisely since 29th June 1908. A copy of the original cars, built at the beginning of the century, is displayed near the station at the top and is worth visiting.

Colle means tranquillity. Large forests and a beautiful mountain landscape with many opportunities for walking; all this just a few minutes from the city. Colle is the northernmost summit of the hills south of Bolzano, which extend as far as Corno Bianco and are bordered to the east by Val d'Ega and to the west by Valle dell'Adige. Near the mountain station, a lookout tower provides a view of the peaks and glaciers of the central Alps and the nearby Dolomites.

The best way to reach this true oasis of peace is by cable car, the first cable car in the world to transport people.

Arcades

Once the heart of the medieval village, they have kept this characteristic to date with their seamless continuity of shops, some typical and traditional, others chic and modern. The façades are a joyful sequence of different architectural traits: erker (murals), stucco decorations, pastel colours, the balcony of palazzo Mercantile, arcades alternating in various heights and decorations. The Old Townhall arcades, now centre of the Archivio Storico Comunale, are particularly beautiful with their pointed arches and fresco decorations. The back streets linking parallel roads are also of interest as they show the architectural sequence of buildings and the various uses of living spaces (shops, stores, cellars, halls, laboratories are some examples).

Piazza delle Erbe

The colourful and lively piazza delle Erbe, heart of the city centre, hosts the famous fruit and vegetable market daily (except on Saturday afternoon, Sunday and public holidays).

The Neptune fountain, with a statue with his trident and bronze shells, by G. Mayr di Fiè (1745), is on the corner with via Portici. It has been classified amongst the one hundred most beautiful fountains in Italy and is also called "Gabelwirt" (Innkeeper with fork).

On the corner with Via Museo a plaque on the façade of the neo-Gothic building, commemorates the old "Al Sole" hotel where eminent personalities such as Goethe, Herder and Emperor Giuseppe II, resided between 1783 and 1790.