Bolzano, Italy: The Ötzi Museum & Pistachio Croissants

After leaving Lake Garda, Italy, we had a long travel day back to Munich, Germany, where we planned to stay for the night before catching an early morning flight back to the States. I know we should have planned a few extra days to explore Munich, but since Kyle goes to Germany for work pretty often, I figured I’d get another chance in the future.

This is the last blog post from my Europe trip I took last fall! I’ve definitely stretched it out, but now I really need to start planning my next adventure because this travel itch is taking over. 

Help me decide where to go next! I’m leaning toward England—spending a few weeks exploring gardens, stopping into cute tea shops, and hopefully bringing my son along this time. Doesn’t that sound like a dream? Long walks, fresh scones, and all the cozy vibes. Or maybe I’ll visit southern Italy this time? I don’t know! Someone convince me to just book the trip already!We left Lake Garda super early—around 6:30 AM—because we had plans to drive about an hour and a half north to Bolzano for breakfast, a little walk through the gorgeous town, and a visit to the Ötzi Museum. Kyle and I read about Ötzi a while ago, and when we found out that the museum (and his actual remains!) were in Bolzano, we knew we had to go.

We gave ourselves about three hours to walk around Bolzano, have breakfast, go to the museum, an then head up North to Germany.

I want to go back to Bolzano during Christmas since I’ve heard it’s the best spot in Italy for a Christmas village—and I can definitely see why. It’s an absolute gem and a must for a day trip. Gosh, it’s so pretty! It’s a mix of Italian and Austrian design that blends together, creating the cutest and most charming town. The streets are lined with colorful alpine-style buildings, cobblestone paths, and the most gorgeous backdrop of the Dolomite Mountains.

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It’s quaint and small enough to easily stroll through Piazza Walther, the town’s lively main square, which is lined with countless flower stalls and cafés—all in just one day trip. And the bakeries? Everywhere! Each one is filled with the most gorgeous desserts I’ve ever seen. I have to say, the dessert game in Bolzano is unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

There’s also so much history packed into this beautiful town. One thing I wish we had time for was a walk along the Talvera River or a ride up the Renon cable car for stunning panoramic views of the mountains. The whole town has that perfect storybook European charm.

More Europe Travel Blogs You May Like:
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A Day Trip to Verona, Italy | Best Spots to Eat & Explore!
Füssen, Germany Travel: Visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle!
Asolo, Italy: The City of 100 Horizons – Ultimate Travel Guide
A Day Trip to Malcesine & a Lake Garda Vintage Sailboat Tour
Traveling to Limone, Italy: The Ultimate Lake Garda Guide

I had to film the entire firefighting show they were putting on in the square. I knew my son would have loved it! It was a busy Saturday morning in Bolzano, so we grabbed a table at Stadt Hotel Città, where we had a great view of the Dolomite Mountains and the charming town square.
We ordered omelets, fruit and granola, and cappuccinos. It was so bittersweet knowing this was my last Italian cappuccino for a while! Funny enough, this trip totally convinced us to ditch our lame Keurig and invest in a fancy café-style machine for home—we were completely spoiled in Italy.

The food at Stadt Hotel Città was phenomenal, and the service was just as wonderful!

The kids’ shops and clothing boutiques in Europe were insane! I don’t know how I got so lucky, but someone actually let me bring my way overweight luggage on the plane, and I ended up being able to bring back so many fun things for my son—and some super cute stuff too!
If you’re a travel shopper, Balzano had everything!

South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology – Ötzi the Iceman

One of the spots we looked forward to the most was visiting the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to see Ötzi the Iceman. If you’ve never heard of Ötzi’s story, it’s incredible! He’s one of the most famous mummies in the world. He was discovered in 1991, still frozen in the Alps on the border between Austria and Italy. He’s believed to have lived around 5,300 years ago, making him one of the oldest naturally preserved humans ever found. His discovery provided amazing insight into life during the Copper Age, and it was so interesting to read about him, the theories surrounding his life, see all the items that were found with him, and learn how he made them. The theories about how he might have died were fascinating too. It was just one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. His body is still preserved in a room that you can view through a small hole, and it was so unbelievable. Definitely read up on the story of Ötzi! I think you’ll find it as interesting as I did.

I know this blog is basically just a big collection of photos from Bolzano since we were only there for a few hours, but I couldn’t stop soaking in the beauty of the place and just had to share as much of it with you as I could. There’s something about the town that makes you want to capture every little moment!

Brioche croissants at Opium Bar in Bolzano, Italy, are a must-try

After spending an hour at the museum, we grabbed a pistachio croissant for one last Italian treat and headed back to drive up to Germany. Oh, and that drive was stunning! If you’ve ever thought about driving through the Swiss Alps, do it. Oh my gosh, I’ve never been so in awe of something! I want to learn how to make this brioche pistachio croissant ASAP. It was so heavenly…

Herøgstubn Restaurant in Erding, Germany

We checked into our hotel by the airport and drove to a little town called Erding. It was adorable!

We were both so hungry since we hadn’t eaten since early that morning, so we found a fun little spot to sit outside with beautiful weather. The food was phenomenal at Herøgstubn! It was hard to choose from their menu since there were so many comforting food options. Kyle was good and ordered a yummy chicken salad, and I went for the most delicious double burger with Havarti cheese, French fries, mayo, and a herbed bun! I’m nice, so I shared. But also, Kyle’s salad was so good. The meal was 10/10! We ended up sitting there for about an hour, just enjoying the vibe and the cute little town.

Spaghetti ice Cream at Gelat OK in Erding, Germany

We ended our evening with the viral spaghetti ice cream! This spot looked so much fun, and I only planned on having a few bites because strawberry flavored anything is not my thing, but Kyle and I almost ate that entire thing! IT WAS SO SO SO SO GOOD!!!

The “pasta” was made with fresh vanilla gelato, topped with strawberry sauce, and white chocolate for cheese. I’m telling you…this was so tasty. It was so weird that it resembled spaghetti so much.

Where should I travel to next?