Bolzano - Main Sights

Main Sights

Its mediaeval city centre, Gothic and Romanesque churches and bilingual signage give it a unique flavour of a city at the crossroads of Italian and Austrian cultures. This and its natural and cultural attractions make it a popular tourist destination.

Among the major monuments and sights are:

• Walther Square, with a statue of Walther von der Vogelweide, a German minstrel (minnesinger)
• the Lauben, a mile-long street in the city centre with mediaeval arcades along its entire course, now housing countless high-street shops
• the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, which has the mummy of Ötzi the Iceman
• the Gothic Cathedral, started in 1184, expanded in the 14th century by architects Martin and Peter Schiche (completed in 1382)
• the old parish church of Gries, with an altarpiece by Michael Pacher
• the benedictine monastery of Muri-Gries, with baroque paintings by Martin Knoller
• various castles, including Castle Maretsch, Runkelstein Castle and Firmian/Sigmundskron Castle
• Victory Monument, a triumphal arch built on the order of Benito Mussolini in 1928
• Messner Mountain Museum of Reinhold Messner

For more historical and geographical information see South Tyrol.