Five theatre stages in Bolzano as well as numerous theatre events enrich the cultural life along the South Tyrolean Wine Road
Those who want to spend an entertaining theatre evening during their stay on the beautiful Wine Road, will find a varied offer in the main town of Bolzano. Five stages present a wide range of theatre performances in German and Italian language. Besides the widely known Bolzano Town Theatre there are also four smaller theatres - the Theatre in the Courtyard, the Carambolage Variety Theatre with its successful mix of cabaret and music highlights, the Cristallo Theatre in the district of Europa-Novacella and the Gries Town Theatre.
The most important theatre event along the Wine Road, however, is the annual open air theatre festival in German language called “Freilichtspiele Südtiroler Unterland”. It can look back on a decades-long history. The Freilichtspiele Südtiroler Unterland (FSU) - literally: Bassa Atesina Open Air Theatre - was founded in 1968 in Egna as South Tyrol’s first open air theatre. Initially, it presented productions of classical Tyrolean writers such as Kranewitter, then the big international names including Nestroy followed. In 1978, the theatre company “Theater an der Etsch” (Theatre on the Adige river) was founded - closely linked to the open air theatre - which sees itself as a platform for high-quality theatre work also outside the open air season.
The cultural offer is completed by the small theatre companies in the single villages, which present a troll story or a traditional theatre piece once and again - especially in winter, when life is quieter on the Wine Road. Furthermore there are some locations where the place itself and the performance are equally impressive. One of them is the old “Klösterle” hospice in Laghetti near Egna, a former accommodation for pilgrims on their long way to Rome. Today, however, it serves as a beautiful backdrop for concerts and theatre performances…
