Bolzano

Bolzano (Bozen in German) is the capital of South Tyrol, the German-speaking autonomous province in the northern Italian Alps that was Austrian until 1919 and has maintained a dual identity ever since. It is a city where German and Italian cultures genuinely coexist — the architecture is Austrian Tyrolean, the food blends Viennese coffee house culture with Italian pasta, and the street signs are always in both languages. The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, in the old town, holds Ötzi the Iceman — the 5,300-year-old mummified glacier man discovered in the Alps in 1991, the best-preserved Neolithic human ever found. Standing before Ötzi in his refrigerated display case is one of the most extraordinary experiences in any European museum. The Cathedral (Dom) is a fine Gothic structure. The Walther Square (Waltherplatz) with its Gothic column is the central meeting point. The medieval Runkelstein Castle above the city (with secular frescoes) is an excellent excursion. Bolzano is surrounded by wine — South Tyrol produces the finest Gewürztraminer in the world (the grape originates from the village of Tramin nearby), excellent Pinot Grigio, Lagrein and Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir). The wine road south through the Adige Valley is beautiful. Skiing at Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi (the largest high-altitude plateau in Europe) and the Dolomites (UNESCO) is world-class from October to April. The Bolzano Christmas market is one of the most atmospheric in the Alps.