oberbozen
the birthplace of the sommerfrische
As early as the 17th century, the bourgeoisie and aristocrats of Bozen made the voyage up to the many villages of Ritten during the summer months to escape the hot valley temperatures. With the early 20th century’s construction of the rack railway from Bozen to Oberbozen and the narrow-gauge railway from Oberbozen to Klobenstein, Ritten finally came into its own as the region’s Sommerfrische (German for ‘summer retreat’) destination. At 1,221 metres asl, Oberbozen is situated at the hub of these traditional summer retreat destinations and impresses visitors with its green village centre and endless options for day excursions departing from the heart of the village.