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Bolzano is a city of medieval origin which is today the most important city and the capital of South Tyrol (Alto Adige in Italian). The city is located in the Isarco valley near where this river flows in the Adige river.
At the northern end of the historic center is located the Mareccio Castle, a fortified stricture of medieval origin, two other impressive castles dominate from above Bolzano these are the Castel Flavon and Castel Firmiano.
Among the religious buildings are the Cathedral – dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and that is located in the central Piazza Walther -, the church of the Dominicans and the Franciscan church.
BOLZANO CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Dates of the Christmas Market:
Usually end of November – December
The capital of South Tyrol in the period of Christmas dresses up and comes in its best form, the center of the city is decorated with lights and Christmas garlands and the Christmas market fills the central Piazza Walther with its wooden houses, which exhibiting the products of artisans and merchants.
Bolzano is situated along the Isarco valley, at the point where the river Talvera flows into the river Isarco. The historic center of the town is of medieval origin and displays the beautiful Via dei Portici on which are various houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The Christmas market in Bolzano offers crafts and traditional Christmas decorations, but you will also find many original ideas for your gifts. In the stalls of gastronomy are offered the typical products of the city including the knödel or canederli (bread dumplings), the minestra di farina scotta (soup of flour burns), the speck, the maiale alla birra (pork with beer), and apple strudel.
1) Bolzano Christmas Market (Mercatino di Natale/Christkindlmarkt). The Christmas market in Bolzano is one of the most popular in South Tyrol, its stalls fill the central Piazza Walther and the town hall square (Piazza del Municipio), in this square is also a craft market, where artisans offer items ceramics, candles and carved wood.
In the market you will find local products and Christmas decorations: On weekends are organized events for children, parade singers, pipers and minstrels, while in the downtown streets resound the classic carols.
2) Christmas Market (Rassegna Mercato Artistico). This Christmas market is the oldest in Italy, it was in fact founded by Father Giovanni Barbieri back in 1970. The market is held in the Town Hall Square (Piazza del Municipio) and attended by only artists who produce personally the works they exhibited.
The oldest Christmas Market in Italy! This event was founded in 1970 thanks to a nice idea of Father Giovanni Barbieri: he picked up a small group of street artists exhibiting products created by them during the year. The story continues from then and now are more than 60 featured artists from the South Tyrol and Trentino, as well as many other Italian regions, to meet in this particular market of Bolzano. An object of art is a unique item! The works on sale are the result of intense manual labor. Buy a handmade object corresponds to a specific choice of life, means to prefer to a cheap product, a special and unique gift in the world, with its own history and its artistic soul.
The market is open during the pre Easter (ten days between March and April) and pre Christmas (three weeks from early December until Christmas Eve) periods, every day, from 10am to 7pm, in the splendid setting of the Old Town in town Hall Square (Piazza del Municipio), which overlooks the beautiful arcades of Bolzano. In the stalls of “Rassegna Mercato Artistico”, you will definitely find the right item to give as gifts, or treat yourself, conceived and built with love by his artist.