Bolzano (Bozen in German) sits at the confluence of the Talvera and Isarco rivers, in a broad valley surrounded by the Dolomites. The city has a distinctly Austrian character — German is co-official with Italian, the architecture is central European, and the food leans toward dumplings and apple strudel rather than pasta. It is the capital of the South Tyrol, a region that only became part of Italy after the First World War.
The old town centres on Piazza Walther, named for the medieval German poet Walther von der Vogelweide. The Gothic Duomo is nearby, and the medieval arcades of Via dei Portici lead north to the fruit market square. The city's undisputed star attraction is Ötzi the Iceman at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology — a 5,300-year-old mummified man discovered in 1991 in the glacial ice of the Alps, displayed remarkably well preserved.
The surrounding mountains are the main draw for outdoor enthusiasts. The Kohlerer Bahn — the world's first passenger cable car, still running — connects the city to the forested hills above, while a modern cable car reaches the Renon plateau with its panoramic views. The Rosengarten and Schlern massifs of the Dolomites are accessible as day trips. The mountain huts (rifugi) are generally open from late June through September.