Bolzano/Bozen - Alpine town of the year 2009
The city of Bolzano is often called “The Gate to the Dolomites”. The history of this town of about 100,000 inhabitants dates back to over 2,000 years ago.
The newcomer to Bolzano will probably understand straight away why the city is known as “The Gate to the Dolomites”. The “Rosengarten” – one of the most well-known mountains in the Dolomites – can be seen really well from the old town centre.
The first records of the history of Bolzano date back to the 1st century BC when the Romans founded a garrison in this place on their way north.
The town of Bolzano was founded more then 800 years ago. Throughout the centuries it has been an important place for trade between the countries south and north of the Alps. Bolzano has always been a meeting point for different cultures. In mediaeval times businessmen traded their products under the archades, the so-called “Lauben”, in today’s historical part of town which nowadays are home to many shops and boutiques.
The buildings in the old town centre are characterized by a Gothic architecture. The cathedral and the many surrounding castles underline the important role of the city during that time.
Until 1918 Bolzano was part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Since then it has been part of Italy. For this reason many buildings in the newer parts of Bolzano are characterized by the rationalistic architecture of the fascist period.
Today Bolzano is a prospering city with a strong economy based on service and tourism.