This modern museum in the heart of Bolzano is the final resting place of Ötzi the Iceman. Found in 1991 on a nearby mountain, Ötzi is named after the Ötztal Alps where he lay buried under ice for 5000 years. As the oldest "wet mummy" ever found, Ötzi has been studied extensively so that we can learn more about life in the Copper Age.
This museum was built especially for Ötzi, and he is on display in a freezer with a window, where he is periodically misted with water to keep him wet. All of the items that were found with him, including clothes, boots, arrows, and an axe, are displayed in carefully controlled conditions and have detailed explanatory panels. The museum is fully trilingual, with all the text in German, Italian, and English. I went through it twice because it was so interesting and would love to visit again!
Address: Via Museo/Museumstraße 43, 39100 Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
Services: Gift shop, toilets, wheelchair accessible, audio guides available
