Image collection »Bolzano/ Bozen«
The municipality of Bozen, capital of the province of the same name, is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of South Tyrol. Bozen, famous for its arcades and fruit market, underwent a great deal of expansion in the inter-war years due to deliberate Italianisation which is reflected in the agglomeration of settlements on the western valley side of the Talfer and in the south in the extensive industrial area. The creation, development and importance of the town is the result of a number of favourable factors: on the one hand geographically-speaking its location from a transit point of view at the confluence of the Sarntal and the Eisacktal into the Etschtal through which the important north-south routes over the Reschenpass and the Brenner lead and meet, on the other hand, the excellent climatic conditions which are the result of its protected basin location. Characteristic for Bozen are the numerous little vineyards and wine cellars in the middle of the urban area. The majority of the population are Italian-speaking. Bozen's economy is dominated by industry. Contrary to Innsbruck, the capital of North Tyrol, Bozen has no shopping centres whatsoever. The town is also famous for its many museums, for example, the Südtiroler Archaeologiemuseum where Ötzi, the glacier mummy, is on exhibition. Numerous lifts go up onto the many surrounding plateaux, among them the lifts onto the Ritten and to Jenesien.