Sehenswürdigkeiten in Brixen

The building is situated in a key position on the edge of town. It forms a gateway  between the historical series of façades and the newer neighboring buildings. It is a clear and contemporary structure that asserts itself within its environment, plays with the proportions of the surrounding buildings, and generates excitement through its cubic nesting. The reinforced concrete construction, coated with special weather-resistant plaster, allows for large projections and recesses in the three-story building structure. As a result, open spaces are created in front of the hotel rooms, some of which are illuminated above like little yards, and thus feel very protected and intimate. Another roof opening also allows daylight into the interior of the building. The planted roof terrace offers a beautiful view over the rooftops of the city and onto the mountains around Bressanone's valley basin.

The Capuchin church and convent are located not far south of the Cathedral Square in Brixen/Bressanone. This is a simple and unadorned religious building with a small facade tower in the style of the mendicant churches. Inside, the nave is covered by a barrel vault. The strongly indented choir room just closes off. On the left side of the nave there is a round-arched side chapel which houses the organ. The interior has no wall paintings or stucco work.

To the south of the cloister is the chapel of St. John with its unobtrusive exterior, originally probably the house chapel of the bishop, later the baptistery. It has two floors and is decorated with precious frescoes from the romanesque (1250), early (around 1320) and high gothic (1st century of the 15th century). According to tradition, the Synod of Bishops met here in 1048, which Emperor Henry IV had convened in the course of the investiture conflict in order to have Pope Gregory VII deposed and elevate Clement III to the position of antipope

Stufels is a hidden jewel of Brixen: Inhabited in the neolithic and roman periods, it is considered one of the most charming quarters of the episcopal city. Located between the rivers Eisack and Rienz, Stufels has a picturesque building stock. With its  guardian angel church, attractive shops and artistic highlights, Stufels invites you to stroll around as well as take a relaxing stroll along the riverbank. Whoever visits Stufels approaches Brixen's actual core: quality of life in its most beautiful form.

Situated in the park of the Baroque seminary, Cusanus Academy emerged as a widely acclaimed South Tyrolean pioneer project in postwar architecture. The three-story building closes the courtyard, urbanistically speaking, behind the historical seminary building with the church. It interpreted a theme of Bressanone’s Old Town in a contemporary way: arcades and bays run down the whole length of the eastern facade. The materials, exposed concrete and hard-burnt brick, consistently shape both the outer shell and the interiors with a quality that, even half a century later, shows no structural damage. In the center of the building is a large hall from which all the spaces on the upper floors are accessed via galleries. Because it has good acoustics the hall is often used as a large lecture room. It is vaulted and has a structurally interesting exposed concrete ceiling, the arches of which give the space good illumination.

On the  "Europa-Besinnungsweg" you reach the little church St. Cyrill, which was first mentioned in a document in 1238. In the 17th century it became  a baroque church, but some medieval frescos are still preserved. These include representations of St. Christopher, St. Oswald, St. Mary MagdaleneMary with the child, St. Lawrence and St. Cyril of Thessaloniki.

It was probably originally the Palatine Chapel and was enlarged several times. Later, a collegiate chapter was established there (1214), in addition to the cathedral chapter, and after its dissolution it served as a church for the pastoral care of students. The altarpieces were painted by Theophilos Pollak (around 1638). Today it is the church of popular piety, with Mary Help of Christians, Pilgrim Madonna, Madonna of the Ear of Corn, Lourdes Mother of God, St. Joseph, Rochus and Sebastian, Rita of Cascia.

The small church in St. Jakob got its actual shape in the 15th century. The Christophours – painting on the outer wall as well as several paintings of saints on the inside were made by an unknown master of Brixen of the 15th century. The altars are new Gothic.The church is locked for safety reasons, the keys are available at the nearby farm.

The seminary of Brixen has a very interesting history. The current seminary building was built in the years 1764-1771 under Prince-Bishop Leopold of Spaur on the site of the old pilgrims' hospice and was consecrated on 28 June 1767. Today the seminary is the seat of the Theological-Philosophical Seminary.

At the eastern side of Brixen, beyond the confluence of the Rienz river and the Eisack river, in the village of Milland a new parish church was built between 1984-1985, and it is consecrated to the Saint Father Josef Freinademetz. The church is a curiosity, a work of modern architecture, a sacred place full of light.In the basement, there is an exhibition about the life and the work of the church patron, the Saint Father Josef Freinademetz, the Tyrolian China- missionary.
Guided tours possible after request.

The University of Bolzano’s Faculty of Education was built in Bressanone/Brixen. At first glance, the rigid modern architecture may be jarring opposite the Bishop's Palace, but its urban development and architectural qualities evolve upon closer examination. The square building corresponds approximately to the dimensions of the Bishop's Palace, and Bressanone’s Lauben arcade motif recurs on the ground floor, underneath the three glazed upper floors of offices. For its structure, the inner courtyard takes up the alleyways and atriums of the Bressanone Old Town. The materials used for the exterior and interior are consistently reduced to glass and concrete. The cool impression of the interior spaces fits in with the intentionally quiet, almost monastic educational system.

The cathedral of Brixen/Bressanone is one of the most important sacred buildings along the Alpine area. Its origins go back to the year 980 AD. Due to a major fire in the 12th century, it was redesigned in romanesque style with a three-aisled nave and two façade towers. In the 18th century the baroque reconstruction took place, to which the cathedral owes its present appearance. Inside, the baroque idea of triumph was brought to perfection with wonderful ceiling paintings (f.ex. in Paul Troger's Adoration of the Lamb). The cathedral has a valuable interior with 33 different types of marble. The high altar, which was completed by Tehodor Benedetti, is one of the most important baroque altars in Tyrol. In addition, this church was equipped with a magnificent organ.

Of demotic power is the church of St. Leonhard. Leonhard, the patron saint of cattle and prisoners, is commemorated by the heavy chain that winds one and a half times around the entire church. Consecrated in 1194, the church was redesigned around 1430 and baroque in the 18th century. The rich ceiling stucco from Franz Singer's workshop (around 1770) is a reminder of the Baroque and the creative joy of master builder Tangl. More recent history is evoked by the frescoes by Toni Kirchmair (around 11920), which interpret St. Leonhard as the patron saint of prisoners and fallen soldiers of the First World War.

Monastery of Novacella was founded by the blessed bishop Hartmann in 1142 as an Augustinian monastery. Thanks to its monastery school it became one of the most important centre of education and art. In 1742 the monastery was the largest in Tyrol, the Romanesque abbey church of Abbazia di Novacella was redesigned in Baroque style. Unique at  the monastery of Novacella is the round building of Castello dell'Angelo, former hostel and defence facility. The Gothic cloister benefits from valuable frescoes, while the well in the courtyard depicts the wonders of the world. The 8th wonder is said to be Novacella. The Rococo library of the monastery  of Novacella is uniquely beautiful, the Pinacoteca houses medieval paintings by outstanding masters Michael and Friedrich Pacher and Marx Reichlich. The Turkish wall dates back to turbulent times. The mill, water buildings and wine cellar point to the economic importance of the monastery. The area around the monastery is the northernmost winegrowing region of Italy with the well-known white wines Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner.

Other information about the monastery of Novacella

Visit without guide from Monday to Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm

The historical garden: The historical garden is situated at the entrance to the monastery complex. It reopened in summer 2004 following extensive restoration work. The monastery garden can be visited indipendently from Thuersday to Saturday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm

The monastery of Novacella is closed on Sundays and Catholic Holidays. 

With its 65,000 square metres of space, Franzensfeste is the largest historical complex in South Tyrol. Begun in 1833 under Emperor Franz Josef, this masterpiece of Austrian fortress architecture was opened by Emperor Ferdinand in 1838 after a construction period of only five years. By this time, however, it had already lost its strategic importance and justification. The enormous effort and the horrendous costs - for nothing. From then on, the huge fortress was only of use as a depot and was frozen in the Sleeping Beauty sleep of a strictly guarded military installation for over a century and a half. Since the military left the fortress in 2003, Franzensfeste has been open to the public and was extensively renovated in the course of two major exhibitions in 2008 and 2009. As a South Tyrolean Provincial Museum, Franzensfeste Fortress is now a magnet for tourists and locals alike and a popular venue for a wide variety of exhibitions and events.

January and february: winter break

Already in the Bronze Age, there existed a settlement at Abeins/Albes, mentioned in a document for the first time around 960, under the name of Allpines, later Albines. The actual church was built around 1320, at the end of the 15th century it was rebuilt and finally, in 1784, it was changed into Baroque style. It is consecrated to the Saints Hermagoras and Fortunat (painting on the high altar). The side statues date from the first part of the 18th century and represent the St. Albuin and the St. Ingenuin, while the wall- painting on the front and the ceiling fresco on the inside date from the period around 1700. The oldest church of the village is the Margarethen- Church. It has been arched in the late Gothic period, changed into Baroque in the 17th century with remnants of Gothic and Baroque frescoes. Precious Mary- statue of Master Leonhard von Brixen.

The little church of St. Nikolaus in the hamlet of Klerant (850m) dates from the early 15th century and impresses with its rich late gothic frescoes. Besides the depiction of the legends of St. Nicholas, the cycle of the Passion of Christ has been well preserved. The careful decoration of the Salvation Mirror comes from the Brixen school of painting of Master Leonhard (around 1470).

The Roman Catholic Church of the Congregatio Jesu in Brixen is consecrated to St. Joseph. The classicist building was owned by the Order of the English Misses until it was taken over by the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol in 2011.

The classicist façade is simple and is divided by four pilasters. These are crowned by a triangular gable. Above the rectangular portal there is a round-arched window.

In addition to stucco work by Franz Singer, there is a high altarpiece inside the church depicting the death of St. Joseph. It was probably painted around 1770 by Josef Anton Zoller for the parish church in Schmirn. To the left and right of it are the figures of St. Joachim and St. Anna.  On the left side altar is the painting of St. Philomena by Gebhard Flatz (1870), on the right side altar the communion of St. Antonius by Jakob Fink (1846) is shown. In the choir there is a ceiling painting with the representation of Jesus in the temple by Josef Mühlmann (1854). The other paintings and the neo-baroque decorative painting are by Johann Matthias Peskoller (1904).

The space in front of the Augustinian Monastery was used as a car park for a long time. Surrounded by buildings of historical value, the potential of the space was finally filled in with a new design. The complex is made of three parts: the entrance from outside, the square and the entrance to the abbey gate. The square was lowered by 1.5 meters in order to recreate the original proportions of the facades of the surrounding buildings. A steel plate for a fountain was installed in the middle of the space. Wooden steps arranged above the water cascade, surround the square, which can be used as seats for open-air events. In bad weather a large tarpaulin with steel supports and rope guy lines can be set up. All new aspects such as paving, parapets, steps etc. were made from granite to stay in keeping with the buildings of the abbey.

The historical garden is situated at the entrance to the monastery complex. It reopened in summer 2004 following extensive restoration work. The sequoia tree towers imposingly over the rear part of the garden, with the impressive centuries-old ginkgo trees directly opposite. The pretty baroque garden with its myriad flowers and herbs and beautiful fountain is laid out between them.

Tils with a late gothic church has been recently elevated to a parish. It is consecrated to St. Vitus, the old saint of the farmers, whose painful martyrdom is represented in the nave.

This fortress, which is the largest in the Alps, was completed in 1838 but was never actually used for the purpose of war. It served as a munition storage place until it was taken over by South Tyrol to be used for cultural purposes. So far the lower and middle fortress have been rebuilt to house exhibitions. Cellar corridors were extended underground and connected by a vertical shaft to the uppermost, destroyed, powder magazine. A staircase was installed here, free standing like a sculpture, so that the view of the exterior was not impaired. A new building made of concrete extends the ruins which are covered with a steel roof. The rest of the additional buildings were built in patinated black steel, whose open galleries seems to sway over the surface of the reservoir.

The cloister of the cathedral of Brixen/Bressanone is one of the most important art monuments in South Tyrol. Its origins date back to pre-Romanesque times. The complex was rebuild in the romanesque (12th century) and gothic (14th century) phases.  In this last major reconstruction phase of the 14th century the sacred building was vaulted with a gothic groined vault. The well-preserved gothic frescoes, which depict themes of  the religious and  medieval life, are particularly breathtaking. Some of the most extraordinary frescoes of the cloister  are the presentation of  an elephant (3rd arcade) and the adoration of the Kings (13th arcade).

The Town Hall of Brixen is situated between the “Portici Maggiori” Street and Cathedral Square.

The present building has a Renaissance façade and a late-Medieval crenellated roof.

A sports ground with an outdoor and indoor pool, the Aquarena, was built north of the Bressanone Old Town. It is the result of a competition provided for the extension, which was to include a music school, underground parking and an indoor climbing gym; the latter has now been built. The climbing gym had to be of a certain height: a cube that is highly visible amongst the surrounding buildings thus emerged, which can also be viewed as a landmark. It not only affords good views of the city, but also allows one to see into the hall, and meets ecological considerations. The reinforced concrete structure, which has a steel-and-glass façade, also has a second façade level of corrugated gold-colored perforated plate elements that give the interior soft light without harsh shadows. The hall is accessed along a monumental staircase, which is also planned to serve as the entrance to the music school that will be built next door.

There has always been a fountain on the cathedral square, even more so because the square also was the location of the local cattle markets until 1820. Originally, a fountain was located in front of the Trapp house, which houses the public library today. When the police ordered for two large flowerbeds bounded by wire fences to be laid out on the cathedral square in 1952 to prevent larger groups of people from gathering, a waterspout fountain was erected in the northern flowerbed (pictured). On occasion of the redesign of the cathedral square in 1989, artist Martin Rainer (1923–2012) created the Lebensbrunnen fountain. The bronze pyramid in the marble basin represents the different stages of human life and the circle of life as a spiral which springs from the hand of God and returns to it in the end.

The Church of Saints Gotthard and Erardo was built in the 13th century by the Voitsperg next to the ancient preposition and restored in the 14th century. Rebuilt in baroque form by auxiliary bishop Wilhelm von Vintler and consecrated in 1695. Since 1971 it has been used as an evangelical worship.

The pilgrimage church Maria am Sand, with its picture of the Virgin Mary possessing miraculous powers who gives the Christ baby a pear, is the old parish church of Milland and goes back to the 14th century. Around the middle of the 15th century, the church was extended with a vault in the nave, a tower as well as a pointed arch-portal and it was changed into Baroque style in the 18th century.

The pharmacy museum housed in the Apotheke Peer is housed in one of the oldest private residences in Bressanone/Brixen. The display windows and the entrances with their dark metal outlines and steel plates were very carefully inserted into the plastered front of the ground floor. A passageway leads to the museum, where elegant display cabinets with dark metal frames are to be found under the gothic arches. The historical structure with its staircases leading to the upper floors was worked upon, and simple modern details were added, which are instantly recognizable. This has also occurred in the partly historically paneled exhibition rooms, in which 400 years of pharmaceutical history is presented in modern, carefully detailed glass display cases.