Pizzeria Ca' de Bezzi (Batzenhäusl)

The Batzenhäusl, known in Italian as Ca' de Bezzi, is reputed to be the oldest inn in Bolzano (Bozen), the bilingual South Tyrolean capital, with a history stretching back centuries in the heart of the old town. Today it operates as a lively brewery tavern, brewing its own beer on the premises and pairing it with hearty South Tyrolean and Tyrolean cooking in a warren of atmospheric wood-panelled rooms and stuben spread across several floors. The combination of house-brewed beer and traditional Alpine food makes it a distinctive and convivial spot, popular with locals and visitors alike. The menu runs to the regional classics — canederli (knödel) served with gulasch, schlutzkrapfen, grilled and braised meats, and Tyrolean platters of speck and cheese — all suited to the tavern atmosphere and the house beers, which range across styles brewed in-house. The historic upstairs stuben are the most characterful places to sit, layered with the patina of centuries of innkeeping. The tavern is open daily for lunch and dinner, and a reservation is recommended at weekends and during the Christmas market season when the old town is busy. Prices are moderate, around €20–€38 per person, in keeping with its role as a genuine, characterful local institution. The central location, a short walk from Piazza Walther and the cathedral, makes it convenient during a day in Bolzano. The Batzenhäusl suits travellers who want hearty, traditional South Tyrolean food paired with house-brewed beer in one of the city's oldest and most atmospheric settings, in a lively, convivial tavern environment.