Bolzano Travel Guide: Your 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Depending on what time you arrive in Bolzano, the provincial capital, you may or may not want to push today's activities to tomorrow. If you arrive early enough though and with enough energy, I highly recommend you hit the ground running to make the most of your time here.

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Check-In to Your Hotel

If you can go ahead and drop your bags off, I recommend you do so. While the city center of Bolzano is surprisingly flat, it'll still be much easier to get around empty handed. If you can't yet get to your hotel or rental, use Radical Storage to find a luggage drop in town.

Don't yet know where to stay in Bolzano? I recommend staying somewhere central, like one of these hotels:

• Budget Stay: Stay COOPER l Tivoli: This is where we stayed in Bolzano with our 2 pets and loved it. The apartment was big, bright, clean, and perfectly located.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Pepper Lounge & Suite: Set in the city center, just a few minutes from the central park, this luxury apartment is more spacious and meticulous than the budget option.
• Luxury Stay: Meta Suites: Enjoy great views and a one-of-a-kind breakfast at this luxurious hotel right in Piazza Walther.

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Get Acquainted with Old Town

Now that you're not weighed down, head out to Bolzano's city center. Although it's pretty obvious, it's definitely one of the best things to do in Bolzano. While Bolzano is bigger than I realized, the main city center is walkable and not too spread out. The area that you'll likely spend your time in is divided in two, separated by the stunning Talvera Park and Talvera River. To make things easy, you can easily walk from one side to another on a number of bridges, including Talvera Bridge.

The heart of old town is around Piazza delle Erbe but it does extend in all directions from there. Other than checking out the local market that lines this street each day, I recommend you take a walk around to:

• Piazza Walther: This is the piazza right in the center of Bolzano. It's surrounded by restaurants, hotels, shops, and the beautiful Duomo di Bolzano, or Bolzano cathedral. The baroque architecture and beautifully tiled roof make it a sight to behold. The entire area between Piazza Walther and Piazza delle Erbe are great for walking around and photo opps.
• Via dei Portici: In Bolzano for the shopping? While there are a great mix of local shops and chains throughout the city, this is the main shopping street. Plus, there are porticos covering the sidewalk on both sides, so it's worth a walk, rain or shine.
• Via Cassa di Risparmio: The northern end of this street has some stunning and bright Austrian architecture that you'll love to see.
• Corso della Liberta: Cross the river and walk down this street starting at the Victory Monument, or Monumento della Vittoria, to see the more residential side of town. Walk under porticos and make your way down to the grape vines and picturesque mountain backdrop.

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Enjoy a Fusion Meal

Remember how I kept harping on the German heritage at the start of this article? While you'll see it pretty quickly in the architecture, no where is it more visible than in the local food.

You can certainly find menus devoted to Italian favorites like pizza, pasta, and gelato but most menus offer this plus typical German and Austrian food like sausages, sauerkraut, and pretzels. Since we live in Trieste, Italy and indulge in delicious pasta often, when in Bolzano, we went heavy on the local specialties.

If you want to try food common in South Tyrol, I recommend these restaurants:

• Batzen Häusl: Enjoy an extensive beer and food menu at this garden-style restaurant. I highly recommend the Käsekrainer sausage.
• Hopfen & Co.: Another beer house style restaurant that serves a fusion menu between Italian and German classics. If available the barley and smoked meat soup and the pumpkin tiramisu are fantastic.
• Franziskanerstuben: For a higher end meal, this is a great restaurant. Want something lighter? The bakery next door is full of delicious treats.
• Wirtshaus Vögele: This low-key restaurant serves not only canederli and home-made pastas but also serves a variety of meat dishes keeping everyone in your group happy.

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Day 2

Now that you've seen a lot of what the city center of Bolzano has to offer, today I suggest you enjoy the great outdoors and surrounding mountains.

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Have an Outdoor Adventure

Depending on the season, the types of outdoor activities you have at hand will change. Lucky for you, no matter when you visit Bolzano, there's always something to be done outside. I'm going to divide this in 2 sections: those that want to spend time outdoors without leaving the city and those that are looking for a bigger outing.

Where to Get Outside in the City Center

Within Bolzano itself, you have a lot of green spaces to choose from. These are my top 3 recommendations for getting outside without needing to take any sort of transportation:

• Talvera Park: This park sits right in the city center along the Talvera River. It's home to a sprawling green space and a number of interconnected walking and biking trails. Bring a blanket and sit in the grass with a book or head on a trail and walk alongside the river.
• Oswald Promenade: This urban hike starts at the northeastern end of the city and goes as far up as you really want to go. This trail interconnects with others so you can either turn around wherever you'd like or keep on going if you have the energy. For city views, head to the panoramic point.
• Guncina Trail: Across the river from the Oswald Trail, you could alternatively head out of the city center on this trail instead. Like the other, you can go as far as you'd like, connecting to other trails or turn around one you hit the panoramic point.

Farther Away Options

From ski resorts like Rittner Horn and Meran 2000 just a 30-minute drive away and a number of hiking and biking trails for warmer weather, you'll be rewarded with stunning views nearly anywhere you choose.

Ski resorts and trails can often be accessed by public transportation but do know this often takes longer. If you're in Bolzano for a ski or hiking trip, you might prefer to rent a car to give you easier and faster access to the mountains.

For something easier and more unique, take the cable car from right next to the train station to the nearby small town, Soprabolzano. The cable car makes this trip scenic and easy. From here, you have a number of other hiking trails you can hop on to make the most of your day.

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Listen to Live Music

Although Italians love music, live music at a bar or restaurant isn't super common to find throughout the country, unless you're around for a special event, like Barcolana in Trieste.

One of the few exceptions I've found is at Waag Cafe in Bolzano. When we were in town, they were hosting an acoustic performer to a small audience. I can't say for certain how often they do open mic nights or if this is a nightly occurrence, but after you eat dinner at one of the other restaurants from my list above, I recommend you swing by and check it out.

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Day 3

Now that your legs might just be a little bit sore from yesterday's adventure, I recommend you take it relatively calm today while still seeing one of Bolzano's most famous relics.

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Pack Up & Check-Out

Since most hotels in Italy don't give a later check-out than 11 a.m., it's best you go ahead and check-out before your last thing to do in Bolzano. If your hotel allows it, I recommend leaving your bags with them, otherwise use Radical Storage to make your day easier before it's time to leave the city.

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Visit the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology

Ever heard of Ötzi, the iceman? This 5,000 perfectly preserved body was found in the nearby mountains and is now part of a permanent exhibition at the South Tyrol Archeological Museum. He was discovered in the Val Senales Valley in the Ötztal Alps, just north of Bolzano right near the border with Austria, by a group of hikers in 1991.

Since 1998 he's been wowing visitors of the South Tyrol museum with just how intact he, his clothing, and his equipment is.

We unfortunately didn't get to see the iceman who became famous worldwide but have it at the top of our list for the next time we visit Bolzano.

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Bolzano Travel Tips

I'm certainly biased and have long been in love with Northern Italy and all this area has to offer. Bolzano has just been yet another gem to add to this beautiful region. With an Italian culture full of German speakers, it really is a unique destination that I highly recommend you visit.

To make sure your trip goes extra smoothly, keep in mind these few extra travel tips.

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Getting to Bolzano

Compared to other towns in the Italian Dolomites, it's really easy to get to Bolzano. The only thing to keep in mind is just how far north the city is because it'll add a few hours to your travel plans. You can arrive here by train, car, plane, or bus. The route you choose should be based on your starting point.

Bolzano has a central station that's well connected with the rest of Northern Italy, with direct trains even going as far south as Rome. You can also hop on an international train to Innsbruck and other Austrian cities.

Train travel is one of the best ways to get around Italy so I highly recommend you take advantage of the train station right in the city center when visiting Bolzano. If coming from another part of the mountains, a local bus or Flixbus might make more sense.

Another option is to drive but just be sure to ask your hotel about parking before you choose this route. Although you will be thankful for your car to discover more of the beautiful mountains surrounding Bolzano, parking in the city center could be tough.

Lastly, there is a small airport in Bolzano and while they do have a few flight routes, it's more often used for chartered or private planes.

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Foods to Try in Bolzano

As I mentioned above, Bolzano is home to a unique combination of Italian food and Austrian or German food. Even if you've eaten your way through other parts of Italy, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the new plates to try here.

A few of my top suggestions are:

• Canederli: These giant dumplings are found all throughout South Tyrol and are typically served in a broth. There are a variety of dumpling types, from spinach to speck.
• Apple Strudel: This is a common dessert from Austria and Germany that you've likely heard of before, but still, I recommend you try the variety here as an after meal treat.
• Sausages: You won't lack for a wide variety of sausages to try. I recommend you test a few you've never heard of. My personal favorite? The Käsekrainer that I devoured at Batzen Häusl (mentioned in the restaurant section above).
• Pretzels: Try typical pretzels, pretzels with cheese and speck, ones shaped like a croissant, and others like rolls. Really, any type of pretzel you can imagine, you can likely find it here.

Don't want to miss a thing? Sign up for a Bolzano food tour to try it all with a guide.

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Best Time to Visit Bolzano

What's great about Bolzano, and South Tyrol in general, is that it gets 4 real seasons. You can expect summer to be warm and winter to be snowy, changing the activities you'll likely embark upon. Something unique about Bolzano though is that although it sits far up in Northern Italy, the city itself is in a valley, shielding it from a lot of the cold other areas get.

Regardless, as it's surrounded by the mountains, in the winter you can expect great skiing and snowboarding just 30 minutes from the city center. Also in the winter, enjoy Bolzano's Christmas market, one of the best in Italy.

In the summer, get outdoors and take advantage of mountain biking, hiking, and rock climbing.

We visited Bolzano mid-fall, and even then, the weather was perfect for outdoor adventures. Although we didn't have time for a big hike, it was the perfect weather for a long walk in the greenspace surrounding Talvera River.

The only time that you might prefer to be inside rather than out is in late spring. Typically in the mountains, this season marks the end of ski season and not quite the beginning of hiking and biking season. Trails are typically too wet from the snow melting to be enjoyed. This doesn't make it a bad time but it does make it low season, meaning better for museums, restaurants, and less crowds.

Regardless, Bolzano is famed for their sunny weather and, according to locals, receives about 300 days of sunshine each year.

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How Will You Spend Your Time in Bolzano?

Although I fell in love with the surrounding area the first time I laid eyes on the mountains in South Tyrol, Bolzano has become the cherry on top of the cake.

For those looking for a city surrounded by beautiful mountains, bright blue rivers, and impossibly green grass, you'll love visiting Bolzano just as much as we did. It's such a beautiful city with so much to do right around it that we've even short-listed it as our top place to move when and if we leave Trieste. Go and see for yourself why!