Can you imagine finding a man, who lived 5300 years ago? Two tourists from Germany who were crossing the Ötztal Alps on the Italian-Austrian border found just that. They were very surprised when this happened in 1991. The mummy was named Ötzi after the Alps where he was found. A few years ago, I also read that a Slovenian woman Magdalena Jarc also found him before the German tourists. A few metres away, they also found a knife, some arrows, shoes and clothes, made from animals, he even had a backpack. Who even was the iceman? With the new modern technology, they managed to find out what he ate, where he came from and how he died.
The body was in good condition due to low temperature and the glacier, where he was killed with an arrow. After seeing a documentary about iceman, I had to see it myself. I drove to Bolzano in the north of Italy where you will find the museum, dedicated to Ötzi and a special chamber where they keep the mummy at -6 degrees Celsius. Objects, which were found near the body, are also exhibited here. Because of the age and the material of the objects, you are not allowed to take photos. The iceman was 1,65 cm tall, weighed about 50 kg and was between 45 and 50 years old. They first believed that he had blue eyes, but later found out that he had brown eyes and brown hair.
The experts also discovered what kind of food he ate, as they found food in his stomach and they also discovered, that he had his last meal about an hour before his death. They found meat and cereal in his stomach and predicted his look by his DNA. They even discovered his blood type. He had Lyme disease. In 2001 they fund an arrow in his arm, which is still in today. They also made a wax figure in the museum for the visitor to see how he looked like. The museum is visited by 800 people per day. In 2017 they also presented a movie about Ötzi, titled The Iceman. In case of fire or other accident in the museum, they even have a special chamber to move the mummy in the Bolzano hospital. The documentary will tell you everything you need to know about the iceman, and I’m sure that you will want to see the iceman in person.
The best way to get to the museum is by walking and leaving the car outside of the city centre to avoid paying a parking toll. You can also drive there with a bus (Line 3) and get out on the station Sparkassenstraße/Via Cassa di Risparmio. If you’re coming from Gries area, you can get off the bus at Rosministraße/Via Rosmini.
Museum is a 10-minute walk away from the bus station. The iceman is not the only attraction in the city. Stop at Walther Square and have a cup of coffee or tea, visit the Bolzano cathedral and feel the beat of Bolzano city.
In the city centre, there is a new Hostel Bolzano, which is only a three-minute walk away from the train station and five minutes from the iceman. Hostel Bolzano has 28 beds and is a great choice for an accommodation in the city centre. It’s a perfect starting point to explore the capital of the region and for trips around South Tyrol.
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