Bolzano is close enough to the border with Germany that its German name appears on maps beside the Italian one, so Bolzano Bozen. It’s capital of the South Tyrol, and surrounded by the Dolomites, and the ski regions that run round them in winter, and the walking and biking trails that run all over them come summer. Many people pass through Bolzano on their way up into the mountains, but as ever, we need to point out that Bolzano has a lot more to offer than being the gateway to the Dolomites (though they do provide one of the most spectacular backgrounds of any city anywhere). You might think our Gurus have gone off piste with their picks for the best places to stay in Bolzano, but they maintain their picks are for visitors to Bolzano itself, and have chosen an elegant boutique hotel in the historic heart of town, and a castle surrounded by its own vineyard estate on the outskirts of town.

Bolzano’s position has been a crossroads for hundreds of years. It was an important point on early alpine trade routes, and you can see the impact of its varied influences on the architecture, and on the cuisine. The architecture in the centre of town is a mash-up of Gothic and Romanesque styles, and all the street signs are bi- or trilingual. The beautiful shopping streets in the centre of Bolzano offer the best of many nationalities, and so do the bakeries, bars and restaurants. Bolzano gets one particularly memorable thing from its German connections: a reputation for being the Italian ’Capital of Christmas’! It has a wonderful alpine Christmas market, and beautiful markets for the rest of the year as well. Winter is a surprisingly quiet time for visitors — they’re mainly just passing through to the ski resorts — so the best places to stay in Bolzano are great value at Christmas too.

Bolzano's got lots of sights to see too including Ötzi the Iceman, a chalcolithic ice mummy, discovered in the glacier in 1991, and now on show at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology; the Messner Mountain Museum, full of mountaineering treasures, and the exploits of Reinhold Messner; three really impressive castles, and some less impressive ones; and the Victory Monument, built by Mussolini.

Our pick of the best places to stay in Bolzano are both great bases for exploring the town and surrounding countryside.

The Best Places to Stay in Bolzano

For A Central Location

• The 33 room Hotel Greif is an elegant boutique hotel, housed in a beautiful old building in Bolzano’s historic heart. The Greif’s renovation is fairly recent, and care has been taken to design each room to suit its original features, but with a range of simple, stylish choices for the colour and decoration. The result is unfussy and full of light. Our Gurus especially like the bar, which is popular with non-guests too. There’s no restaurant onsite, but guests are invited to the restaurant and spa at the hotel’s sister property, which is just around the corner.

For Romantics

• The Schloss Hotel Korb is a simple, yet magical castle, with incredible views over its own vineyard estate and the lush valley beyond. Inside it’s even more impressive, with some of its 44 rooms and suites featuring canopied beds or four-posters, hand-painted murals and art, plenty of velvet, and views to transfix. As usual our favourite rooms are those with private balconies and the best views. Downstairs is an enormous wine cellar (35,000 bottles strong), top-of-the-range spa, and a gourmet restaurant plus a terrace with panoramic views.

For a private apartment or chalet

• If you’d prefer to stay in an apartment or chalet we recommend you visit our online partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Bolzano and the Southern Tyrol are within a square of international airports: Milan Bergamo Airport, Verona Villafranca Airport, Venice’s Marco Polo Airport, and Innsbruck Airport. Innsbruck is an hour and a half away by road, and about two and a half hours by bus; Verona is also about an hour and a half away by car, and about the same by public transport; Venice is about two and a half hours by car, or three and a half by bus; and Milan is also about two and a half hours away by road, or three and a quarter hours by bus. There are also numerous rail hubs in the neighbourhood.
• If you’re thinking about hiring a car we recommend checking what our online partners, Rentalcars have to offer.
• Bolzano is a bit of a gateway to the ski resorts of the South Tyrol and the Dolomites, and there are numerous ski resorts under two hours drive away, but it’s actually fairly un-touristy in winter. Bolzano’s valley has its own microclimate which makes it milder, so there’s rarely snow in winter, and it’s easy to find great accommodation here during the ski season. During the summer months it’s a different story, with lots of interest in Bolzano’s historic centre, and a lively atmosphere come the evening. During the summer Bolzano is a hub for Dolomites exploration. Late summer is uncharacteristically — for Italy — rainy, so our Gurus prefer April through June. If you’re here for the wine harvest plan your visit for September or October. And then there’s obviously Christmas.

Still not sure where to stay?

• Expand your search to include all the best places to stay in the South Tyrol region
• Or consider accommodation in neighbouring Corvara, Castelrotto or Ortisei
• Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly gurus for personalised advice.