The charming little spa town of Merano offers visitors many contrasts with its southern European flair, narrow Medieval alleyways, ancient town gates and fortified walls, elegant public buildings, various places of worship, beautiful parks and gardens and exotic vegetation all set against a background of snow-capped mountain peaks over 3,000 metres.

Fascinating Merano

Merano is known for its shady central Arcades with their tempting shops and boutiques, cool, quiet walks along the river Passirio/Passer and its numerous historic sights. The town also hosts an interesting calendar of entertainment and events to suit all tastes.

A stroll around Merano

The Winter and Summer Promenades, the Gilf Walk and the famous Tappeiner Promenade are the most attractive and well-known of the town’s paths. You might choose to stroll along following in the footsteps of Austrian Empress Sissi past exotic tropical trees and colourful flower beds and, summer or winter, there is always a comfortable wooden park bench in the sun somewhere for you to sit on and relax for a while as you admire the splendid panorama. The whole Merano basin is criss-crossed by numerous Waalwege, shady, flat, narrow paths which meander along the farmers’ irrigation channels and which are so popular with visitors and locals alike.

Merano by night

Take a look at what Merano has to offer night owls! As the sun goes down leaving the surrounding mountain peaks tinged with a warm pink, the atmosphere really does begin to heat! The floodlights of the cathedral and the decorative Liberty-style Kurhaus, emblem of the town and one of the finest examples of this style to be seen anywhere, help create a special romantic atmosphere in town.

The Botanical Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle host a myriad of plants from all over the world as well as more traditional, South Tyrol scenes. Well-laid out paths wind their way from one setting to the next – from water gardens to hanging gardens, from perfumed gardens to a typical Japanese-style setting, from an area dedicated to cactus to Mediterranean groves planted with olive trees and grape vines.

The gardens, which cover a 12 hectar sight towards the east of the town, rank as the top visitors´ attraction not only in Merano itself but in South Tyrol as a whole. With over 80 different landscaped areas to choose from, the exotic, Mediterranean-style gardens are a truly unique experience. They extend over a natural amphitheatre surrounded by terraces up to 100 metres in height and give splendid, unforgettable views of Merano, the surrounding countryside and the nearby mighty mountain peaks.

Trauttmansdorff Castle, a stately home with over 700 years of history, stands just above the Botanical Gardens of the same name. It was one of the favourite residence of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her family when they came to Merano for spa treatments and has, since 2003, housed South Tyrol’s Regional Museum of Tourism. The renovated castle

opened to visitors in 2008 and now houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Empress and her many visits to Trauttmansdorff. The view over the gardens changes according to the season, with springtime tulips followed by magnificent rhododendrons, peonies and perfumed roses. Summer days are filled with the scent of lavender, lotus flower and water lilies while autumn sees the gardens bathed in the special warmth of seasonal colours. Events – romantic evenings accompanied by World Music events or breakfast with Sissi, exotic flower-inspired cocktails and … much more!

We also assist our guests with their bookings in case they wish to visit sights in the region or even further afield. Martin Reisen, our affiliated travel agency, organises day-trips to the most beautiful and famous destinations, events in South Tyrol and to the rest of Northern Italy several times a week. We’d also be delighted to assist you with your local and regional travel plans.