Brixen Old Town & Cathedral
Brixen / Bressanone
South Tyrol's oldest prince-bishopric seat, with a Baroque cathedral, Gothic cloister frescoes and the bishop's palace framing the cathedral square.
Brixen (Bressanone in Italian) served as the seat of a prince-bishopric for a thousand years. On the cathedral square, the twin towers of the Baroque cathedral rise high. The neighboring Gothic cloister is covered with 14th–16th-century frescoes, including an amusing painting of an “elephant” (the artist had never seen one). The bishop's palace now houses a diocesan museum with a rich collection of nativity scene figures. The arcaded streets of the old town are ideal for strolling. Trains from Bolzano take about 30–40 minutes.
Opening hours
Open all day (cathedral approx. 06:00–18:00)
Nearby sights
- Neustift Abbey
- Säben Abbey & Klausen
- Earth Pyramids of Ritten
- Renon Plateau (Ritten Cable Car & Rittner Bahn)
- Runkelstein Castle
- Oswald Promenade
- Kohlern Cableway
- Franciscan Friary