Bolzano Old Town & Piazza Walther, South Tyrol
Bolzano, Italy
About This Activity
Bolzano (Bozen) is unlike anywhere else in Italy: its street signs are bilingual, its people largely German-speaking, and its architecture a blend of Tyrolean and Italian Baroque. The elegant Piazza Walther anchors the old town, overlooked by the Gothic Cathedral (Dom) with its famous green-and-yellow diamond-tile roof. From there, the arcaded Lauben shopping streets lead to Piazza delle Erbe — a daily produce market selling South Tyrolean speck, cheese, and apple cider. Coffee at a konditorei with a slice of Strudel, or stand-up espresso Italian-style — both are available in the same block. Free to walk; market open Mon–Sat mornings.
Seasonal note: Year-round; famous Christmas market in December; best weather April–June and Sept–Oct
See This in an Itinerary
This activity appears in 18 of our curated itineraries.
Best 3 Days in Italy — from Bolzano
Bolzano
Best 3 Days in Italy — from Bolzano (Saturday Start)
Bolzano
Best 3 Days in Italy — from Bolzano (Sunday Start)
Bolzano
Best 3 Days in Italy — from Bolzano (Monday Start)
Bolzano
Best 5 Days in Italy — from Bolzano
Bolzano → Rome → Florence
Best 5 Days in Italy — from Bolzano (Saturday Start)
Bolzano → Rome → Florence
More Activities in Bolzano
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology — Ötzi the Iceman, Bolzano
View Ötzi — a 5,300-year-old Copper Age mummy — through a refrigerated window and examine his intact copper axe and clothing
Dolomites Hiking Day Trip — Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) from Bolzano
Take the train to Castelrotto and gondola up to Europe's largest alpine meadow — loop trails from 2 to 6 hours with Dolomite peak panoramas
South Tyrolean Cuisine Experience
Dine on hearty South Tyrolean specialties — speck, Schlutzkrapfen, and Strudel — in a traditional Stube
Merano Day Trip — Spa Town & Thermal Baths
Take a scenic 30-minute train to Merano, South Tyrol's elegant Belle Époque spa town
Runkelstein Castle
Visit the 'picture book of the Middle Ages' — a castle with Europe's largest secular medieval fresco cycle
Alto Adige Winery Visit & Tasting
Taste Italy's finest white wines at a South Tyrol winery with panoramic Dolomite views
South Tyrol Wine Route (Alto Adige DOC)
Sample world-class Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir along the vineyards encircling Bolzano
Free time in Bolzano
Explore Bolzano at your own pace — cable cars, alpine villages, or cycling the valley floor