When a couple of German hikers accidentally stumbled upon this Copper Age iceman on the Tisenjoch ridge in 1991, it was an international archaeological sensation. After all, Ötzi had lain hidden in the Schnalstaler Gletscher glacier in the Ötztal Alps for over five millennia. He was particularly well preserved as a result. Today, you can visit the "Iceman" in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in the city centre of Bolzano/Bozen. In a playful way, the museum showcases numerous important findings, a life-size reconstruction of Ötzi, exciting research results and curious facts about the iceman.
From the Iceman Ötzi Peak viewing platform at 3,251 m above sea level, which is accessible via the glacier cable car, Ötzi's life becomes even more tangible as you have a direct view of the site where he was found on the Similaun mountain. The archeoParc open-air and activity museum in the Schnalstal valley is another great place to learn more. The museum, located just below the Ötzi discovery site and just an hour's drive northwest of Bolzano, is especially popular with families. Perhaps you'll even feel a bit like Ötzi in the midst of the walk-in Stone Age houses, at the archery stand or at the workshops dealing with prehistoric handicrafts.
