Discover Bozen

Bozen (German) or Bolzano (in Italian) is a city in the Trentino-South Tyrol region of Italy; its 2001 population was 94,989, and the area of the municipality is 52.34 sq. km. Geographical location is 46°30′N 11°21′E. It is the capital of the autonomous province of South Tyrol (German Südtirol, Italian Alto Adige). The province is officially trilingual (Ladin being the third spoken language). The province covers an area of 7,400 sq. km, with 116 communes and 462,999 inhabitants (2001 census). The province recorded a population gain of 5,1% from 1991 to 2001.

The province is almost completely mountainous, and is extended on the Adige (Etsch in German) valley north of the town of Salurn; other important rivers are Eisack-Isarco, forming Eisack-Isarco valley, and Rienz-Rienza, that flows in Puster-Pusteria valley. The easternmost part of the province belongs to the Drave basin, tributary of the Danube. Bolzano-Bozen is internationally famous for the ice-mummy "Ötzi". Bolzano-Bozen is also the home of the Italian Army's Alpini High Command- COMALP and some of its combat and support units.

Things to See

The city's germanic character, enhanced by the narrow cobblestone streets, Austrian-style churches and pervasive bilingual signage give it the unique flavor of a city at crossroads between Italian and Germanic cultures. This, and its natural and cultural attractions make it a renowned tourist destination. Among the major monuments and sights are: * Walther von der Vogelweide Platz, with a statue of the minstrel with the same name (Minnesänger in German), * The Archeological Museum, which hosts the Ötzi mummy, * The Gothic Cathedral, started in 1184, probably on the foundations of a Roman villa and rebuilt in the 14th Century by architects Martin and Peter Schiche (completed 1382), * various castles, including Schloss Maretsch, Schloss Runkelstein and Sigmundskron, * the First World War Victory Monument, a controversial monument built by Mussolini in 1928. For more (historical & geographical) information, see South Tyrol.

Communications

Highway A22-E45 to Trento and Verona and to Innsbruck and Munich. Railway (main connection between Italy and Germany).