Bolzano is an Italian alpine town, the capital of the homonymous autonomous province in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. 74% of the population is of Italian language, a little more than 25% speaks German and a 0.68% is of the Ladin language. Bolzano is located on the eastern part of the vast basin that comes from the conjunction of Isarco, Sarner and the Adige valleys. Basin is bounded on the West by the chain of Maier, the Altopiano del Salto at noth-west (1500 m), the Round mountain at north-east-and by Mont Pozza (1619 m) in the south. A small rocky cliff of the latter, called Virgolo is located behind the city. The city is connected to the three closest mountains, through cable cars that exceed each about 1,000 metres. From the city, you can see the mount Rosengarten (3004 m) which is part of the Dolomites with the Vajolet Towers. The historic centre of the city is located in the triangle bordered to the West by the Talfer torrent, on the South by the Isarco River and on the Northeast by Mount Tondo. To visit: the Romanesque and Gothic styles Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta in Walther Square; the archaeological museum which preserves the body of Ötzi, the man of the ice era; the International Museum of the mountain; the Stabile Theatre (1950) and also the beautiful gardens for walks. Bolzano is also much visited for its Christmas market, the oldest in Italy.
The area is a paradise for hikers or climbers, whether beginners or experienced. The trails are all well marked and easy to follow. The surrounding landscapes are breathtaking.
If you like the winter, there are several ski slopes, spas, restaurants with excellent alpine food and wonderful desserts. Enjoy the traditional meal ‘polenta’, good cheese, sausages and smoked meats and good wine.
If you go there in December, don’t miss the ‘Christmas market’, it is the most important in the area, you will find many crafts even as typical products sold by their producers. Note that at this time it is very cold and you will find mountain cold to endure all day outside, cause the market is in the open air; so be careful and dress warmly. You can warm in one of the typical cafés with a hot chocolate or several kinds of coffee and delicious pastries.
