Sightseeing in Bolzano - what to see. Complete travel guide

Bolzano is located in one of Italian regions and is an administrative center of the autonomous region Bolzano. The country has three most widely used languages – Italian, German and Rhaeto-Romanic. However, we should mention that the biggest part of the region’s citizens is Germans.

Earlier the territory of the city was full of numerous swamps and only in15 BC the son of the Emperor August decided to build here a bridge and several watching towers.

Later this land got into ownership of bishop Trento and he made an order to build a big city there. The city was rebuilt and expanded many times and this action was so systematic that today we can see lots of buildings referring to different architectural styles and periods. This doesn’t make Bolzano unattractive and adds unforgettable charm to the city, moreover, here you can see multiple buildings that are known as masterpieces created by many great masters.

The local gothic cathedral will definitely attract your attention. It was built in 1295. Actually, the building started earlier and it was planned to be made in the Roman style. However, that didn’t happen and the building was finished only in the 15th century, bringing many traits of gothic style to the cathedral. Today this magnificent building is 65 meters high and has a belfry. This is not the only sight in the city and Bolzano has many cultural and historical sights. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Those fond of taking walks will surely enjoy Bolzano; one of the most beautiful streets of the city is considered to be Via dei Portici. On this historic street there are lots of unique buildings, decorated stucco mouldings, today many historical buildings feature interesting shops. Each of the buildings located on the street has its particular features, the search for which is one of the tourists’ favourite activities. Incredibly beautiful mouldings, preserved wooden shutters, original jewellery and baroque frescoes are present in this historic area, so you can take a lot of interesting photos. 

Not far from the historic centre of Bolzano is a beautiful castle Marecchia, beautifully preserved after hundreds of years. It is most interesting to visit this ancient castle in the warmer months; it is surrounded by a large and beautiful garden; in which it will be relaxing to take a walk. 

In the immediate vicinity of Bolzano is the Roncole castle, it was built in the first half of the 13th century. The main value of the old castle is considered to be medieval frescoes, which show various scenes from the life of the court. In 2000, the castle was completely renovated, now guided tours are held there regularly. 

Among the religious sites Franciscan monastery should definitely be noted, it was built over 800 years ago and today is one of the oldest buildings, not only in the city but in the whole country. In the Middle Ages the monastery was surrounded by a thick wall, which also managed to survive to the present day. In the monastery there are numerous unique elements of decoration, including frescoes from the 14th century. 

Those fond exploring the museums, too, will not be bored in Bolzano: here they can visit the Archaeological Museum of South Tyrol. Its most valuable exhibit is "snowy mummy Ötzi" - the ancient man who froze to death in the Alps more than 5000 years ago. The city has a very interesting Museum of Modern Art, which regularly hosts a variety of exhibitions, and one of the most unusual museums is considered to be the Museum of Trade. It occupies a renovated building of the Mercantile palace, and presents to the visitors an extensive exhibition on the history of economic development of the city. For saving tourists it is worth noting that all the museums of the city are free to visit on certain days of the week.