Bolzano's four-storey contemporary art space is housed in a huge multifaceted glass cube, a brave architectural surprise that beautifully vignettes the old-town rooftops and surrounding mountains from within. There's an impressive permanent collection of Italian and international artwork; temporary shows are a testament to the local art scene's vibrancy, or often highlight an ongoing dialogue with artists and institutions from around the world. The river-facing cafe has a terrace perfect for a post-viewing spritz.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bolzano (Bozen) attractions

1. Chiesa e Convento dei Domenicani

0.14 MILES

The chapel (Cappella di San Giovanni) and adjacent cloisters here feature touching, vibrant 14th-century frescoes by school-of-Giotto artists.

2. Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige

0.17 MILES

The star of the Museo Archeologico dell’Alto Adige is Ötzi, the Iceman, with almost the entire museum being given over to the Copper Age mummy. Kept in a…

3. Duomo Maria Assunta

0.24 MILES

This splendid Gothic cathedral is Bolzano's most emblematic building, its imposing spires and polychrome tiled roof backed by the equally Gothic peaks of…

4. BZ '18-'45

0.27 MILES

This dense but visually seductive museum explores Bolzano's turbulent interwar years via the history of the fascist Monument to Victory, where it is sited…

5. Chiesa e Convento dei Francescani

0.33 MILES

The 14th-century Chiesa di Francescani features beautiful cloisters and a magnificent Gothic altarpiece, carved in 1500 by Hans Klocker.

6. Castel Roncolo

1.46 MILES

This stunningly located castle was built in 1237 but is renowned for its vivid 14th-century frescoes. These are particularly rare, with themes that are…

7. Messner Mountain Museum Firmiano

2.39 MILES

The imposing Castel Firmiano, dating back to AD 945, is the centrepiece of mountaineer Reinhold Messner's six museums. Based around humankind's…

8. Kalterer See

9.13 MILES

The Weinstrasse's little Lake Kaltern may look rather small compared to Northern Italy's splendid collection of lakes, but up close it's a stunningly…