Holidays in Brixen/Bressanone and environs

The first fountain in Brixen with running water was located by the White Tower. That is why the Fischbänke, the fish market where the fish brought into the city was sold, were located there as well. On occasion of the city’s 1,050th anniversary celebrations in the autumn of 1951, Albuingasse alley was redesigned and a new fountain was erected at the White Tower and inaugurated on 28 October 1951. The bronze figure depicts the patron saint of the Brixen parish church, St. Michael, slaying the dragon. The statue was created by the sculptor Hans Plangger, whose father Armin was the commander of the Brixen security guard before World War I.

The second campus of the Free University of Bozen - Bolzano is in the charming town of Brixen - Bressanone.
The Faculty of Education together with the annexed University Library is housed in the new university complex in Regensburger Allee 16.

The fountain in Altenmarktgasse alley is mentioned in the 1604 city law book as one of the ten public draw wells in Brixen. It was probably originally built for the market town located outside the city walls. While the market was soon moved into the city, probably for security reasons, causing the name “forum vetus” (“old market”) to turn up as early as in 1223, the market town kept on developing and the fountain was most welcome, also seeing as the cattle market was held there once again from 1820 to 1867. The historic picture was taken in 1907. The fountain is still the same today.

The patrons of the Saubach parish church are St. Ingenuin and St. Albuin. The church was first mentioned in 1398. However, the choice of patrons concludes that the church is much older. Today this olt, gothic church is an attraction for many art lovers. It was built during the 15th Century. The consecration of the altars took place in 1502. When you go inside of the church on the porphyry portal with its pointed arch, you will immediately be impressed by the delicate rips of the net-like vault, the four custom-made windows and the three wing altars. In 1925, a fire did substantial damage the church, but with the help of donations from all around the country, the helmet-like tower and the roof could be renewed. Information about opening times at the Barbiano Tourist Information Office, +39 0471 654411, info@barbian.it
The keys are available in the Tschörlerhof, (+39 0471 654032, in the morning) and in the Gasthof Saubacherhof (+39 0471 654344, in the afternoon,) or by telephone arrangement.

One of the first public fountains in Brixen was located on the small square in Hartwiggasse alley, formerly called “im Winkel” – “tucked in the corner”. It was already mentioned in the city law book of 1604. Today’s fountain is a good reconstruction done in the typical octagonal Brixen style.

E-bike charging station. You can use the station for free by using any contactless card (credit card, bancomat, etc.). You have to bring your own charger cable.

Wlectric charging station ion the parking at Marktplatz. Prepaid cards for 40 kWh or 80 kWh are on sale at the tourist office next door.

The parish church of the same name, which was first mentioned in 1177, is located in the rapidly growing capital St. Andrä. Its late gothic reconstruction in the period around 1485 with a presbytery and tower which is still characteristic today.  In the 18th century a striking baroque style was introduced. Georg Tangl, director of the Brixen seminary and  priest of St. Andrä, provided for a rich decoration with stucco (Franz Singer) around 1770. Around 1736 the ceiling frescoes by Jakob Jennewein depicting the martyrdom of St. Andrew were painted. In 1930 the altarpiece was painted by Johann Baptist Oberkofler.

The Maria Hilf Chapel in the cemetery is a compact octagonal building dating from 1696, and the octagon, a work by the Bolzano master builder Delai, is considered an important model of Baroque central building. The altars of Mary, Anthony and Notburga are also works of art from the late 17th century.

All kinds of bicycles can be rented from us for all route needs. We are present with our own rental points on all bicycle routes (shown on the website) where you can pick up or return bicycles. In this way everyone can independently and conveniently manage the time of use of a bicycle. And if the bike is not returned there where it was taken, simply return it to any other Papin point, paying a surcharge of only 6€.

Three small churches, the church of Saint Gertraud, Saint Nikolaus and Saint Magdalena, built in the 12th and 15th century in an incredibly beautiful location with a fantastic view over the Isarco Valley. Visitors will be surprised by the level of artistic skill of the late-Gothic frescoes. This location can only be reached on foot over beautiful paths. Ask for the key from the nearby Messner restaurant. Guided tours are available on request, please call +39 0471 650 059. Holy Mass: July and August Sunday at 10:30 clock (german). Open from March to Mid Novembre, winter closed.

In the year 1348, a lay brotherhood founded the Heilig-Geist-Spital hospital in Brixen. It was converted into a nursing home and renamed “Hartmannsheim” in 1914 after the new hospital was built. Thanks to many donations, the Heilig-Geist-Spital hospital became agriculturally self-sufficient. The old fountain basin in the inner courtyard, carved from one single piece of stone, still bears testament to the former agriculture.

The church of Barbian was built in the 13th century consecrated to the apostle and patron Saint Jacob. Today the only remaining of the old church is he bell tower. The church was constructed in a Romanesque style and in the year 1472 it obtained Gothic elements. In 1874 – 1877 the Neo-Romanesque nave was added to the Gothic main body (today’s sacristy). The inclination of the campanile is attributed to the different grounding on which the tower was built. The half on the downhill side lies on the unstable soil of the Central Uplands and the other half on solid quartz-phillite-rocks. Ing. Fulvio Pisetta carried out a mechanical intervention in 1985 – 1988 to assure the stability of the church tower. Height: 37,00 metres Inclination: 1,56 metres

Dear Woman Church The building was established by Giacomo Delai between 1652 and 1658. On the inside on can admire the cover paintings of the baroque painter Stefan Kessler, magnificent stucco works of Francesco Carlone and Simon Delai.
This church is open to visiti from july to septembre every tuesday, friday and saturday from 2 to 5 pm. In octobre to mid of novembre is open only on friday and saturday from 2 to 5 pm.

Even though there are numerous historic fountains in Brixen, new fountains are being built all the time. One example is the fountain erected approximately 1973 in a private inner courtyard in Bäckergasse alley

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.

According to the city law book of 1604, one of the city’s ten public draw wells was located right outside the former Anreiterische Trinkstube tavern under the Große Lauben arcades. The Anreiterische Trinkstube became Café Pircher in 1822. In 1913, the new Hotel Tirol was built in that place, which nowadays houses a branch office of the Volksbank bank. The fountain is still in the same place, however, and while it has been restored, its traditional shape has been preserved.

Even the city law book of 1604 referred to a public fountain “by the mill stream in Stufels”. It was relocated several times due to the flood of 1882, the construction of the new bank reinforcements, and the construction of a new road, Elvaser Straße. It has, however, always remained in the same general area.

Adlerbrückengasse alley in Brixen was redesigned in 2001. In the process, the project engineer, the architect Stanislao Fierro, also designed a modern fountain located in the corner between the ramp leading up to the bridge and the stairs under the Nepomukbogen archway, reminding people of the times when the laundresses would pass underneath the archway to descend the stairs to the Eisack river.

The sport zone from Kollmann is located  in the centre of the village

Another important attraction was not created by builders but by nature: the Barbian waterfalls. The Ganderbach (stream), which is near Kollmann and flows into the Eisack river, which has a length of almost 6 kilometres. At the point of 1,510 metres above sea level, the stream falls over several rock cliffs down into the valley. The lower part of the waterfall with his 85 metres is the highest of the waterfalls at Barbian. From here, you can reach the upper part of the waterfall on a marked, wild and romantic path.

150 years ago, in the summer of 1867, the new Brennerbahn train line from Innsbruck to Bolzano was opened. Of course, a fountain was set up in front of the new Brixen train station – designed by the famous architect Wilhelm von Flattich – to provide refreshment to the travellers.

The group Dekadenz was born out of the desire to challenge the South Tyrolean audience with home-grown cabaret.
It was the year 1980. In the small bishop's town of Bressanone, a few critical spirits around actor Georg Kaser decided that South Tyrol could definitely do with more culture than chewing cows and tinkling church bells. They founded the group Dekadenz and caused quite a stir with their first self-penned cabarets - after all, cabaret was hitherto an unknown quantity in the country. The Brixen innkeeper Burkhard Stremitzer provided a cellar in the Stufels district (and still does, free of charge!), which the group gradually turned into a cabaret cellar.
With guest appearances by cabaret artists, initially from Austria and Bavaria, as well as jazz concerts, the program expanded. The Anreiterkeller became a year-round performance venue, where cabaret and cabaret from the entire German-speaking region could be seen for the first time in South Tyrol.

When Postpark was redesigned, a fountain was erected some decades ago which resembled the classic polygonal Brixen city fountains in shape and material but was much larger and marked a central spot in the park.

After the great flood of 1882, the Eisack and Rienz rivers in Brixen were obstructed and the confluence relocated approximately 300 metres downriver. The embellishment association, which was founded in 1885, created a green space in the newly won area between the two rivers and named it “Rappanlagen” in honour of the then governor, Franz von Rapp. The new space also received a fountain.

The Holy Grave chapel is situated just below the road, which connects Waidbruck to Barbian, just near the Wohlaufhof (farmhouse). The chapel has a very simple baroque altar. This little chapel was probably built during the 17th century in connection with a crusade. This impression is strengthened by three road crosses, which can be found in the surrounding area. In 1701, the chapel underwent a renovation paid for by Mr. Leiter, the post master of Kollmann and was cleaned up again in 1983. Ask for the key from the nearby „Wohlaufhof“, tel. 0471 654 024

Lions have commonly been used as fountain decorations since ancient times. The motif was particularly popular during the Baroque period. The marble fountain by the former city wall (on the corner of Regensburger Allee and Kassianstraße) with its lion’s head water outlet and water basin in the shape of a seashell also dates back to that period.

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.

Sabiona is the spiritual cradle of the entire Tyrol region and one of its oldest monuments.

Today, the fortress is the site of the enclosed convent of the Benedictine nuns. Some parts of the monument can be visited every day from 8 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.

Instead, the church of Our Lady is open from the middle of April to the end of octobre every Tuesday  from 2 to 5 p.m. Guidet tours on request. 
Groups of 15 or more persons can reserve a guided tour even outside normal hours. Information in the Tourist Office Klausen, Tel. 0472 847 424

Holy Mass: Sunday at 8:30 clock and Monday – Saturday at 7:15 clock (German)

According to the city law book of 1604, one of the two fountains in Brixen with running water back then was located “by the Erhardskirche church”. In all likelihood, that fountain was located in the same spot where today there is still an old fountain with a beautiful basin carved from a single piece of stone and sculpted in the typical polygonal shape.

The Acquarena sauna world, with its size of over 1200 square meters, is completely dedicated to relaxation and health. Enjoy the fantastic atmosphere in the 7 different saunas, the various quiet rooms, the whirlpool and relaxation pool.

The Holy Trinity Church in Kollmann was previously called the customs chapel and was connected to the customs office by a wooden walkway. The church itself was built around 1588 and nearly destroyed by a fire in 1938. In the meantime, it has been renovated. It is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Holy Mass: Sunday at 8:30 clock or 10:00 clock (german)