Bolzano's Laubengasse (Via dei Portici) & the Old Town
Bolzano's old town is threaded by the Laubengasse — a long, arcaded medieval street whose Gothic vaulted porticoes have sheltered merchants, farmers, and gossiping locals for seven centuries. It is the spine of the city's daily life and the single most atmospheric street walk in the Dolomites.
Walking the Arcades
The Laubengasse (Via dei Portici in Italian) runs from Piazza Walther to the old market square (Obstmarkt / Piazza delle Erbe), its low stone arches sheltering a mix of independent bookshops, delicatessens, watchmakers, and old-school pharmacies that have barely changed since the 1950s.
Look up at the painted facades above the arches — faded frescoes, wrought-iron signs, and carved stone details speak of a merchant city that was once one of the most important trading posts between Venice and the German lands.
Piazza delle Erbe: The Fruit Square
At the northern end of the Laubengasse, Piazza delle Erbe (Obstmarkt) hosts a daily outdoor market where farmers from the surrounding valleys sell seasonal produce: white asparagus in May, wild mushrooms in October, and blood-red Lagrein grapes in September.
The square's Neptune Fountain, a Baroque bronze dating to 1745, stands at the centre looking mildly bewildered by the surrounding vegetable stalls — it's one of those wonderfully incongruous Italian urban moments.
Side Streets Worth Exploring
Turn off the Laubengasse into the narrow Bindergasse (Via dei Bottai) and you'll find a cluster of wine bars and small restaurants that cater almost entirely to office workers and market vendors — prices drop noticeably and the food is better for it.
The Dominican Church (Chiesa dei Domenicani) on nearby Piazza Domenicani contains 14th-century frescoes of startling quality, including a Giotto-school Coronation of the Virgin that most visitors to Bolzano never even know exists.
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