Chienes: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Chienes
The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.
For example: Via Mühlenweg 1, Chienes.
Chienes, the Puster valley between Brunico and Rio di Pusteria
Chienes, Kiens in German, is a municipality in the Puster valley (Val Pusteria), on the stretch between Rio di Pusteria and Brunico. The village sits on the valley floor at around 780 metres, beside the Rienza river, and the municipality takes in hamlets and farmsteads on the slopes on either side, among meadows, fields and conifer forest. German is the main language.
Transport links are good for residents: the Puster valley railway stops in the village, with trains towards Brunico and towards Fortezza and Bressanone, and buses serve the hamlets. Brunico, a few kilometres away, has the hospital, secondary schools and jobs. As everywhere in South Tyrol, the market is tight and provincial rules apply to homes reserved for residents, so clarify the restrictions on any property before negotiating.
The village has grown: 3,037 residents in 2023, up 12.7% on 2011. The population is young, with a mean age of 42.7 against 43.4 for the province and over-65s at 17.9%. Foreign residents are 7.0%. Declared incomes are above the South Tyrol average.
All 116 municipalities in the province of Bolzano are in seismic zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, and the expected ground acceleration here is 0.050 g. In climate zone F, the coldest, insulation, the heating system and snow load on the roof matter most. Along the Rienza and on the slopes, the report checks the official hazard maps for the address.
Chienes also uses the land register system (tavolare): property is entered in the Grundbuch and the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps. The report points this out and works from the address with the other sources available.
Key points
- Puster valley, a few kilometres from Brunico.
- Puster valley railway stop in the village.
- 3,037 residents, up 12.7% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 4; land register, no Revenue Agency maps.
Overview
Chienes is a municipality in the province of Bolzano/Bozen, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the end of 2023 it had 3,037 residents, ranked 51 of 116 municipalities in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Chienes is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 116 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 12.7%. The estimated average age is 43 years, in line with the province. 18% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 22%). Foreign residents make up 7.0% of the population. On average, a household has 2.3 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Chienes declared an average taxable income of 30,996 euros, above the provincial average (28,222 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Chienes is in climate zone F, with 3,741 heating degree days, with no limits on when heating may be used. The same table puts the town hall at 784 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Health lists, Chienes has 1 pharmacy. The Overture Maps data also lists 2 grocery shops and supermarkets, 1 healthcare facility and 1 green area.
The data shows no schools within the municipality, against a provincial average of 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Public transport
Within the municipality there are 29 public transport stops, served by 9 bus lines, 1 train line. That is about 9.5 stops per 1,000 residents.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 4.6% of the land in Chienes, compared with 2.7% in the province and 2.9% in the region. In 2024 built-up land shrank by 0.7 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Chienes is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano in 2026. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Official databases list no open contaminated sites in Chienes; 2 have been cleaned up or closed.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Chienes: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.
House prices
The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.
Land registry
For Chienes the Revenue Agency does not publish cadastral maps: the land registry here uses the tavolare (land book) system. The report cannot give a parcel reference, but it still checks risks, services and transport at the address and states this clearly.
Liveability area by area
The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 49 inhabited census areas in Chienes. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 67 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 29.4%
- good 70.6%
Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out
Data sources
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Public transport timetables (GTFS): STA Alto Adige, STA - Strutture Trasporto Alto Adige, Open Data Hub Alto Adige (GTFS). Licence CC0 1.0, version 20261111.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Provincia autonoma di Bolzano, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2026.
- Contaminated sites, ISPRA, MOSAICO - Banca dati nazionale dei siti oggetto di procedimento di bonifica. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 12 November 2026.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 021021. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.