Italiaoutdoors Travel Guide to Italy

Bressanone |  Bolzano Province

Communita di Bressanone

TOWN OF BRESSANONE | TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE

Bressanone, Italy

 

Bressanone - Brixen, Province of Bolzano, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy. Brixen am Eisack (in German) is a very old town (founded in 901 AD) and the third largest town of South Tyrol. Located at the junction of the Rienzea river and the Isarco river, it is an ancient, town with monuments from the medieval to the Baroque period. It is today a popular winter sports resort, thanks to the skiing facilities et Plancios-Plose. The majority of the population speaks German.

Art, culture and history have made Bressanone (Brixen) an important place and a must stop if you are traveling along the main north south valley of the Adige.  Located in the South Tyrol, Bressanone is more than 1,000 years old; it is the oldest in South Tyrol and was often a stopover for emperors on their travel and became a lavish bishop’s seat. The square in front of the cathedral, the protected historic centre from the Middle Ages, the porticos and lanes decorated with merlons, museum treasures, craft tradition and archaeological exhibits gives you plenty to discover.  Bressanone is a great city to stop over during your Bike Tour in Italy or Hiking-Walking Tour.

GETTING TO BRESSANONE

When you arrive in Bressanone (Brixen), you are in the centre of the South Tyrol. Bressanone can be reached easily on the Brenner highway and the Brenner railway line. Bressonane is close to everything: the Italian Dolomites, Val Gardena, the Seiser Alm, Meran, Bozen, the Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Obereggen-Latemar, North Tyrol, Trentino.

TOURING THE CITY OF BRESSANONE

Every tour begins in the Domplatz, redeveloped in 1998, with the imposing façades of the cathedral and St Michaels parish church on the east side, the town hall on the north side and public buildings on the west side. Towards the southwest the square opens out on to the east side, the town hall on the north side and public buildings on the west side. Towards the southwest the square opens out on to the Hofburg, where the Diocesan Museum can be found. The interior of the om (cathedral), reworked in the Baroque style between 1745-1758, is a monumental experience. Its broad vaulted nave is richly decorated with marble and stucco, the high altar by Teodoro Benedetti includes an expressive altar print by Michelangelo Unterberger. The high point of the artistic work is the ceiling fresco, the "Adoration of the Lamb" by Paul Troger. Immediately to the south of the cathedral is the Kreuzgang (cloister), which represents the stylistic richness of form in the late Gothic style as found in the Tyrol. Excellent artists from the Brixen and Bruneck art schools painted 15 of the 20 archways in the ambulatory between about 1370 and 1510. The (usually closed) Johanneskapelle at the southwest of the cloister is a showpiece of early Romanesque painting.
 
From the cloister it is only a short distance to the Seminarplatz. The priests' seminary, reworked in the Baroque style circa 1750, today serves as the Theology College. Immediately to the south of this is the Cusanus-Akademie, a busy college. Behind the seminary is spread the panorama of the Brixen hinterland with the low mountain range St. AndrÉ, and the villages of St. Leonhard, St. AndrÉ, Mellaun and Klerant. Above the low mountain range stands the Plose (approx. 2500 m), Brixen's Hausberg. Just a short distance away in a northerly direction from the seminary, past the back of the cathedral and the parish church, is the Michaelstor. Turn right here and the roads will take you via AdlerbrÄckengasse and the AdlerbrÄcke to the attractive district of Stufels. If you go left the road goes via the Pfarrplatz with its prestigious "Pfaundlerhaus" directly to the shopping centre, Gro¤e and Kleine Lauben. The Lauben came into being at the beginning of the 1400s; the sheltered alleyways protected passers-by and inhabitants from the rain and the sun.
 
Moving in a southerly direction from here, the Kleine Lauben leads towards the "Hofburg", the residence and administrative headquarters of the bishop until 1964 and, since 1974, the Diocesan Museum. Surrounded by a moat, the Hofburg is simultaneously an architectural jewel and a treasure chamber: the inner courtyard with Renaissance archways directs you to the display rooms in the house. They contain sacred works of art from the Romanesque period to the modern era and the Kaisertrakt offers a glimpse of the sophisticated Rococo culture.
Need Help Planning Your Italy Vacation

Italy is one of the most diverse places in the world to visit but there is more to the country then Venice, Florence, Roma, Cinque Terre and a couple of other top attractions.  If you plan you days well and understand how to move around within the country you can a great cost effective vacation full of activity, history, culture, and great food and wine.  Contact us to get the insights to travel in Italy.  We offer:

  • Travel Consultant- book time online for a web chat to answer your questions about traveling in Italy.
  • Travel Planning - need help outlining and planning your adventure in Italy.
  • Scheduled Tours - each month we lead a scheduled tour for those looking to join a small group to explore.
  • Travel support:  Bike Touring - routes, bike rental, bag transfers.  Walking/Hiking Tours - routes, bag transfers.
  • Booking assistance and suggested contacts.
For More Travel Planning Assistance

follow us

EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS

Guide to Outdoor Recreation

TRAVEL ITALY

Travel Guide to Italy