Eppan an der Weinstraße (Austrian German:; Italian: Appiano sulla Strada del Vino), often abbreviated to Eppan or Appiano, is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about 8 kilometres (5 mi) southwest of the city of Bolzano.
History
Geography
As of 31 May 2026, it had a population of 15 096 and an area of 59.7 square kilometres (23.1 mi2).
Eppan borders the following municipalities: Andrian, Bolzano, Kaltern, Nals, Terlan, Unsere Liebe Frau im Walde-St. Felix, Vadena, Cavareno, Fondo, Malosco, Sarnonico, and Ronzone.
Frazioni
The municipality of Eppan contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Frangart (Frangarto), Girlan (Cornaiano), Missian (Missiano), Montiggl (Monticolo), Perdonig (Predonico), St. Michael (San Michele), St. Pauls (San Paolo), Unterrain (Riva di Sotto).
Climate
| Climate data for Eppan an der Weinstraße (Appiano sulla Strada del Vino) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) |
10.1 (50.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
28.4 (83.1) |
30.2 (86.4) |
29.5 (85.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
18.5 (65.3) |
11.8 (53.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
18.9 (66.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
13.9 (57.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
18.7 (65.7) |
13.4 (56.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.9 (37.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
3.8 (38.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
11.9 (53.4) |
15.8 (60.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
12.9 (55.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
7.9 (46.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 16.0 (0.63) |
15.0 (0.59) |
28.0 (1.10) |
42.0 (1.65) |
58.0 (2.28) |
67.0 (2.64) |
61.0 (2.40) |
59.0 (2.32) |
47.0 (1.85) |
48.0 (1.89) |
50.0 (1.97) |
24.0 (0.94) |
515.0 (20.28) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 125.0 | 152.0 | 198.0 | 215.0 | 258.0 | 282.0 | 310.0 | 288.0 | 230.0 | 185.0 | 128.0 | 111.0 | 2,482 |
| Source: Landeswetterdienst Südtirol | |||||||||||||
Economy
Eppan an der Weinstraße is an affluent municipality in South Tyrol, Italy, known for its one highest standard of living, historic castles, and vast vineyards. It is not a gated celebrity enclave, but rather a wealthy residential and wine-making region where many upscale manors and estates are located.
Viticulture
Eppan is the center of South Tyrol's largest wine-growing region and is also a fertile fruit-growing area. More than 100,000 hectoliters of wine are produced here annually on around 1,050 hectares of cultivated land. Over a dozen of the local varieties are classified among South Tyrol's top-quality wines.
Politics
Mayors
| Mayor | Term |
|---|---|
| Friedrich Dellago | 1952–1977 |
| Erwin Walcher | 1977–1990 |
| Franz Lintner | 1990–2010 |
| Wilfried Trettl | 2010–2025 |
| Lorenz Ebner | since 2025 |
Parliamentary elections
In elections to the Italian Parliament, Eppan belongs to the Chamber of Deputies constituency of Bozen (a Chamber constituency named Eppan constituency existed from 1993 to 2005) and to the Senate constituency of Bozen.
Sights
The Überetsch is the region with the highest density of castles in Europe. In the area around Eppan, there are over 200 historically significant architectural structures, including castles, palaces, Ansitzes (manor houses), churches, and chapels. About 20 of these are major castles and palaces. The village centers also consist of numerous historic buildings.
Castles and Manors
- Hocheppan Castle with the Hocheppan Castle Chapel
- Ansitz Moos-Schulthaus (Museum of Medieval Housing Culture)
- Boymont Castle (ruins)
- Schloss Englar (guesthouse)
- Schloss Korb (luxury hotel)
- Warth Castle (holiday apartments)
- Freudenstein Castle (congress center)
- Sigmundskron Castle (Messner Mountain Museum, belongs to the municipality of Bozen)
Churches
- Parish Church of the Conversion of St. Paul in St. Pauls (also called "Cathedral in the Countryside")
- Dominican Church of St. Joseph in St. Michael
- St. Justina in the hamlet of Berg
- Parish Church of St. Vigilius and Ulrich in Perdonig
- Pilgrimage Church of the Fourteen Holy Helpers in Gaid
- Three Holy Kings in Montiggl
- Gleif Church (Holy Cross Church)
- St. Nicholas in Unterrain
- St. Apollonia in Missian
- Parish Church of St. Martin in Girlan
- Parish Church of St. Joseph in Frangart
- St. Lucy with cemetery in St. Pauls
- Cistercian Mariengarten Abbey
Nature
- Large and Small Montiggler See
- The Frühlingstal (Spring Valley) near Montiggl
- The Eppan Ice Holes
Notable sights
Society
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2024 census, 84.17% of the population speak German, 15.36% Italian, and 0.47% Ladin as first language.
Demographic evolution
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1860 | ? | — |
| 1870 | ? | — |
| 1880 | 4,720 | — |
| 1900 | ? | — |
| 1910 | 6,078 | — |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 6,332 | +4.2% |
| 1931 | 6,890 | +8.8% |
| 1936 | 7,061 | +2.5% |
| 1951 | 7,454 | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 7,912 | +6.1% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 9,071 | +14.6% |
| 1981 | 10,112 | +11.5% |
| 1991 | 10,914 | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 12,657 | +16.0% |
Infrastructure and transport
The municipality is located along the South Tyrolean Wine Road, a signposted tourist route that promotes the natural, cultural, and environmental heritage of the area, featuring vineyards and estate wineries open to the public. The territory is also crossed by the Überetsch cycle path.
Education
Within the municipality of Eppan, there are five German-language primary schools located in St. Michael, St. Pauls, Missian, Frangart, and Girlan, as well as one middle school in St. Michael. The first three primary schools form a joint school district, while the latter two and the middle school together form a second school district. Additionally, the private middle school "Mariengarten" is located in St. Pauls.
The Italian-language educational offerings are limited to one primary school and one middle school in St. Michael, which are administered by the Europa 1 school district based in Bolzano.
Sport
Among the most important Eppan sports clubs are the football clubs A.F.C. Eppan and A.F.C. St. Pauls, which play in the fifth-highest Italian league (Oberliga/Eccellenza), the ice hockey club HC Eppan Pirates, which uses the Eisstadion Eppan for its home games in the Italian IHL, as well as the SSV Eppan (Elite League handball and skiing).
Additionally, there are several football pitches. One of them, located in the Rungg sports zone, served as a training ground for the German national football team prior to the 1990 World Cup, 2010 World Cup, and 2018 World Cup. The official headquarters of FC Südtirol is also located there.
Notable people
- Egno von Eppan (died 1273), nobleman, prince-bishop of Brixen and Trent
- Johann Georg Platzer (1704–1761), Rococo painter and draughtsman
- Leonhard von Call (1767–1815), composer and virtuoso on the mandolin and guitar
- Sepp Kerschbaumer (1913–1964) South Tyrolean freedom fighter/terrorist, born in Frangart (Frangarto)
- George McAnthony (1966–2011), country singer and songwriter
- Sabina Panzanini (born 1972), former Alpine skier, competed at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics
