The Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige is dedicated to Ötzi the Iceman, one of the world’s oldest mummies. His frozen corpse, discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991, is over 5,000 years old. Study exhibits related to the find, including clothing and weapons that were buried with him, spread across three floors of the museum.
Start your visit on the ground floor where displays cover how the media first reported the discovery of Ötzi. Then go up to the first floor to see his belongings. These include a pair of goat hide leggings, a bearskin cap, grass and deerskin shoes, a leather loincloth, a dagger, arrow shafts and a hatchet made of copper. The artifacts provide us with insights into what Copper Age life was like.
Thrill to the highlight of this floor and the museum itself, coming face-to-face with Ötzi. Look through the window of the refrigeration chamber where the ancient human is stored at a constant temperature of 21 F (-6 C) and a high relative humidity. These conditions mirror those of the glacier where he was found. Ötzi is a natural mummy, unchanged by artificial processes such as those used to preserve Egyptian pharaohs.
On the second floor, find displays that cover more than 25 years of research into the mummy. These displays focus on how he lived, the diseases he suffered from and ideas about what could have caused his death. Complete your museum trip on the top floor, which hosts exciting temporary archaeological exhibitions.
The museum is located in the center of Bolzano, about a 15-minute walk from the railway station. Most buses from the station stop close to the building. Alternatively, drive and pay to park in facilities near the railway station.
The Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige or South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology is closed on Mondays, except holidays. During July, August and December, visit the museum any day. Get discounts on admission for senior citizens, disabled people, children and students. Children under the age of 6 get in free.
