Bolzano is not a typical Italian vacation destination. It is far north in the foothills of the Dolomites and was part of Austria only until the mid-twentieth century. But even though you don’t hear much about it, Bolzano (or “Bozen” in German) is fascinating: it is a bicultural city — the population is equally split between Italian-speaking and German-speaking. In many ways, we felt like we’d left Italy for Austria or even Germany with the green rolling hills and the cooler temps.
Emily Paine Smith 