BOLZANO & THE RENON PLATEAU

BOLZANO, Bozen in German, is the cosmopolitan capital of Alto Adige (or South Tyrol), a vibrant town that became Italian only a century ago. Set in a strategic location in a sunny, almost Mediterranean valley dotted with vineyards, surrounded by scenic mountains, Bolzano is often described as the ‘Gateway to the Dolomites’, traditionally playing an important commercial role between Italy and Central Europe, and working as a pivot for international tourism, all year round. It can be very hot in summer, spectacular at Xmas with its market!

The experience of visiting Bolzano with a local guide will be of great interest, on one hand exploring the well-preserved Medieval city center, with its splendid palaces and churches, and with the welcoming ambiance of its arcades and squares, full of very attractive artisan shops, food stores, and intriguing boutiques. Bolzano dolce-vita-like lifestyle, around Piazza Walther and along Via dei Portici will enchant you. Piazza Erbe with all its food stalls will invite you to shop for speck, sausages, cheese, cookies, local wines and breads.

On the other hand, your expert guide will also point out the contemporary aspects of Bolzano, with its pioneering architecture, set in a spotless green context, with its trilingual university, sparkling cultural scene and very high ranking in quality of life (in 2025 only Trento did better)

You might also want to pay a visit to world famous Otzi, the frozen, perfectly preserved mummy, 5,300 years old, that was found in the Similaun glacier in 1991. Otzi is the superstar at the Archaeological Museum, where you can learn a lot about our ancestors. We’ll need to pre-buy your tickets.

If you happen to be around during the period going from mid-November to January 6th, you’ll enjoy the merry atmosphere and shopping opportunities of the local Christmas market, which takes place in Piazza Walther, heart of Bolzano – with its fancy cafes and bars, and a magnificent Cathedral. The city center will be full of lights and music for the entire period.

Considering now Bolzano’s gastronomic scene, we can simply say that the blend of Italian and Austrian cuisines, the variety of products the fertile and sunny valleys of Alto Adige provide, result in a mouth-watering offer, that you can pair with the excellent choice of local wines, both red and white. You have a bent for sweets… the local patisserie has much to offer.

THE RENON PLATEAU, called Ritten in German, can be reached in just 12 minutes from downtown Bolzano thanks to an 800 meters high panoramic cable-car ascent that will probably be the highlight of your day. Soaring like a bird on top of orchards and vineyards you’ll soon be mesmerized by the magnificent mountain groups of Catinaccio and Sciliar.

Once we arrive at Soprabolzano we’ll continue to explore on a fairytale train that takes you for a 20-minute ride along the verdant plateau, dotted with the villas of wealthy people from Bolzano. Even Sigmund Freud was captured by the beauty and quiet of this place. At the end of the train journey, we’ll be in Collalbo, where the not to be missed attractions are the world-famous Earth Pyramids, unusual geological formations framed into a jaw-dropping mountain landscape. After a ‘cake and coffee break’ at Collalbo, we descend at sunset into the Bolzano valley.