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Comune in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy
Photo: Franz Ley, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Brixen (Italian: Bressanone) is a town in South Tyrol. Brixen is especially known for its skiing, with a major ski resort, the Plose, and those of Valles and Maranza. In addition to ski tourism, during the winter season Brixen is also known for sledging, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing that can be done in its municipal territory. It is probably best known for its Christmas market, which brings many tourists to visit the city every year. During the warm season, however, the areas around the city offer valid alternatives for trekking and hiking.
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Piazza Duomo
Also known as the Brixen Cathedral. Imposing Baroque style church; it dates back to the thirteenth century and underwent successive restorations due to a number of fires. It is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, contains sculpture of the saint by Hans Leinberger from 1520. The ceiling of the nave has a large fresco by Paul Troger portraying the Adoration of the Lamb. The cloister on the south side of the Cathedral is quite famous for its Gothic frescoes.
Hofburg
Ancient residence of the Bishop from the time of the bishopric. The building has three floors, and its external facades are pale yellow, with purple ornamentation. The building has mixture of the Renaissance and Baroque architectural styles. Today, it serves as a museum. The palace also houses a permanent exhibition of nativity scenes, which is one of the most important collections of its nature in Europe.
Pfarrkirche St. Michael
A modest but beautiful gothic church next to the cathedral. The Gothic choir and the bell tower are from the 15th century while the nave is from the 16th.
Bakers from the area display their wares in town late September / early October
If you are in Brixen in December, don't miss the Christmas market on the square in front of the cathedral.
Part of the Dolomiti Superski Area offers decent slopes during winter and is great for easy hikes in the summer. Connected to the city centre by bus and subsequently cable car from San Andreas. Ski Passes are around €50 per day.
About 180km long hiking path through 6 mountain groups, takes around 12 days.
Restaurant and coffee shop. Closed on Wednesdays.
30 minutes by train from Bolzano, an hour and a half from Innsbruck. There is a daily RailJet train connection from Vienna to Bolzano, stopping in Brixen.
Read in the guideThe Citybus public transport service has four lines that reach into surrounding villages that are part of the Brixen municipal area.
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Bolzano (BZ) · Regional · BZO
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