Centro-Piani di Bolzano-Rencio, Oltrisarco-Aslago, Europa-Novacella, Don Bosco and Gries-San Quirino are the five districts which make up the town of Bolzano. All have their own character. So Gries, today the most populated district, and Rencio (Rentsch, in German) are formerly independent villages, which were integrated into the municipality in 1925 and 1911 and have kept their rural character in some places. The best example is the historical area of Dodiciville with its wine growing areas such as Santa Maddalena. The city centre, on the other hand, is home to the historic palaces, old townhouses, the Free University and most museums, shops and restaurants.

It dates back to the foundation of the Arcades at the end of the 12th century. The unique flair between Mediterranean and Nordic influences is unique here. Europa-Novacella (Europa-Neustift, in German) and Don Bosco have only been established as urban districts in recent decades, as a result of Italy’s immigration policy up to the middle of the 20th century and as a consequence of the growth of the town after the achievement of South Tyrol’s autonomy.

They are located in the western part of the town, whereas Europa-Novacella, which owes its name to the Monastery of Novacella (Neustift, in German) near Bressanone, which had estates here, represents the demographically oldest part of the town and is most densely populated. Don Bosco, on the other hand, is home to the first large ClimateHouse settlement in Italy. Finally, Oltrisarco-Aslago (Oberau-Haslach) is located on the other side of the Adige River, in the south of the town, and was a swampy floodplain landscape until the Middle Ages. Today, with the village of Colle, it offers a popular local recreation area with hiking and cycling paths.