Knights’ castles, a child-friendly museum offer and many green areas with playgrounds make Bolzano a family-friendly town
Image gallery: Bolzano for families
The valley basin of Bolzano (Bozen, in German) is surrounded by hills and mountains which protect it and guarantee short access routes to enjoy nature. Two cable cars start in the town and take you on the Renon high plateau with its Museum of Beekeeping and the Earth Pillars and to the local mountain of Bolzano called Colle.
Who is looking for adventure right in the urban area, might choose between several knights' castles such as Castel Roncolo where knights were immortalised on the walls centuries ago, and Castel Firmiano in the nearby village of Frangarto which houses the MMM Firmian. Such as most of the museums, also this one is family-friendly. In Bolzano, there are the South Tyrol Museum of Nature with its large fish tank and the living anthill, which offers even children's birthday parties and a night at the museum, Ötzi's replica in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology or the Bolzano School Museum with a really interesting journey back in (school) time.
Generous green spaces with playgrounds, however, invite to relax. Everything is comfortably reachable by public transport or by bike. Bolzano with its network of cycle paths which lead through the town to Merano and even towards Lake Garda, is Italy's most bicycle-friendly town.
Parks in the town centre:
- Talvera Meadows (Talvera Bridge)
- Lungo Isarco Park (Via Trento road)
- Goethe Park (Via Vintler road)
- Madonna Park (Via Vintler road)
- Premstaller Park (Via Pfannenstiel, Via Esperanto roads)
- Rosegger Park (Via Marconi, Via Carducci, Via Dante roads)
The offers is completed by the Elkis (parents and children centres) and by the different events for families. The bike festival "Bolzano in Bici", the Sports Festival on the Talvera Meadows or the "Kinderfestival" - all of them take place in autumn - attract many families every year.
The San Genesio Cable Car finally stopped operating on November 22nd 2020, a new construction of the facility with a tailor-made mobility concept is being planned.
