Most things to do in Bolzano are within walking distance in the old town: Piazza Walther, the cathedral, the arcaded Via dei Portici, the Piazza delle Erbe market and the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, home of Ötzi the Iceman. One day covers the centre and the museum.
Give it a second day and you can get up into the mountains without a car. The Renon cable car leaves near the railway station and reaches Soprabolzano in 12 minutes; from there the Renon railway and footpaths take you to the earth pyramids. Just outside town are Runkelstein Castle and its frescoes and the Messner Mountain Museum Firmian. In Advent the Christmas market fills Piazza Walther, and in winter Bolzano makes a practical base for the Dolomites and skiing.
We checked the opening hours and prices below on the official websites in October 2026. They change by season, so check again before you go.
Below are Viator experiences in and around Bolzano, such as Dolomites day tours, old town food walks, paragliding and Christmas market trips, each with its price and reviews. Viator shows availability and the final price when you book.
Piazza Walther is the town's main square. It was laid out in 1808 at the wish of King Maximilian of Bavaria, and in the middle stands a white marble monument to the medieval poet Walther von der Vogelweide, carved in 1889.
Next to it is the cathedral of Maria Assunta, the most important Gothic church in the region, a hall church with three naves of equal height and a 65-metre bell tower finished in 1519. A short walk away, the Dominican church has a cycle of 14th-century frescoes from the school of Giotto in the chapel of St John.
The arcades of Via dei Portici were the heart of the medieval merchant town: one continuous row of shops under the arches, with oriel windows, stucco and pastel facades. At the end is Piazza delle Erbe, where a fruit and vegetable market runs every day around the Neptune fountain of 1745.
Ötzi was found in 1991 and is around 5,300 years old. The museum at Via Museo 43 gives him its permanent exhibition, The Iceman and his Finds.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5.30pm. It is closed on Mondays unless the Monday is a public holiday, but in July and August it opens every day. It is also closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December, and closes at 3pm on 24 and 31 December. A full ticket is €13, reduced €10 and a family ticket €26 (two adults with children under 16); children under six go in without a ticket.
The museum recommends booking online to skip the queue.
The Renon cable car leaves from Via Renon 12, close to the railway station, and climbs 850 metres in 12 minutes to Soprabolzano. According to South Tyrol's tourist board, in October 2026 a single costs €8 and a return €13; a combined cable car and railway ticket is €12 single or €20 return.
The Renon railway has run since 1907 and stops at Maria Assunta, Soprabolzano, Stella and Collalbo, at 1,220 metres. From Soprabolzano you can walk to the Longomoso earth pyramids, clay pillars capped with boulders.
Two more cable cars leave town for Colle and San Genesio, good for a short walk with views over the valley.
Runkelstein (Castel Roncolo) was built as a fortress in 1237 and turned into a residence by the Vintler brothers in 1385. The castle says it holds the largest cycle of secular medieval frescoes in Europe, with scenes of courtly love and the legend of Tristan and Isolde. It opens Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 6pm from 15 March to 2 November and 10am to 5pm from 3 November to 7 January. Tickets are €10, reduced €7 and €20 for a family; children up to 14 go in without a ticket.
The Messner Mountain Museum Firmian is set in Sigmundskron Castle and explores the relationship between people and mountains. It opens from the third Sunday in March to the second Sunday in November (8 November in 2026), 10am to 6pm, closed on Thursdays, and admission is €15. Take bus 132 via Girlan from Bolzano station to the Sigmundskron stop.
Bolzano is one of the gateways to the Dolomites, and plenty of organised trips start here. Day tours on offer include trips to the Alpe di Siusi, the Funes valley, Seceda and Ortisei, and to Lake Braies and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
For something more active, there are e-bike rides through vineyards and past lakes, tandem paragliding on Kronplatz and a zipline in Val Gardena. In town you can join food walks and guided tours of the old town, including one on the history of Bolzano's Jewish community.
Maretsch Castle (Castel Mareccio), from the 13th century, stands among Lagrein vineyards and makes an easy add-on to a walk around town.
The Christmas market takes over Piazza Walther from 27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Stalls open daily from 10am to 7pm; on 24 December from 10am to 4pm, on 31 December from 10am to 6pm and on 1 January from 11am to 7pm. It is closed on 25 December. Food stalls usually stay open later.
If you want to see several markets in one day, there are guided trips that take in Bressanone, Vipiteno and Innsbruck.
In winter you can stay in Bolzano and head up to the slopes each day. Dolomites ski areas you can pair with the city include the Alpe di Siusi, Carezza, Selva in Val Gardena and Kronplatz.
With the cable cars and public transport you can also swap a ski day for a city day, saving the Ötzi museum for bad weather. The links below cover the slopes, webcams and places to stay at each resort.
Yes, especially if you are heading to the Dolomites. It combines a walkable old town, Ötzi the Iceman and cable cars that reach mountain plateaus in minutes.
A full ticket at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology is €13, reduced €10 and a family ticket €26. Children under six do not need a ticket. Booking online saves queuing.
Usually not: Monday is the closing day unless it is a public holiday. In July and August, though, the museum opens every day.
Take the Renon cable car from Bolzano to Soprabolzano (12 minutes) and walk from there to the Longomoso earth pyramids. The Renon railway links Soprabolzano with Collalbo.
From 27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 on Piazza Walther, daily from 10am to 7pm. It is closed on 25 December.
The archaeology museum with Ötzi, Runkelstein Castle and its frescoes, and the Messner Mountain Museum Firmian, which opens from March to November and closes on Thursdays.
Yes. You can stay in town and ski in the Dolomites, for example on the Alpe di Siusi, at Carezza, in Val Gardena or on Kronplatz. The links below lead to each resort.