The important city of Bolzano mixes the old and new effortlessly. Visitors can stroll the winding streets and gaze at the impressive examples of Gothic and Romanesque architecture or visit the modern university, where classes are taught in Italian, German and English. The Austrian influence on Bolzano is visible everywhere, from the multilingual street signs to the languages that the citizens speak.
While Italian is the first language for most, German is the mother tongue of about thirty percent of the city's population. Some even start off speaking Ladin, a language closely related to Swiss Romansh and the Friulian dialect. Visiting Bolzano is a wonderful way to expose oneself to varying cultural influences.
