Unique sights in Merano

The spa town shows off its most stunning side

There are so many sights in Merano/Meran that we at the ImperialArt Boutique & Design Hotel have put together the most beautiful day trip destinations in Merano/Meran and surroundings together for you here. As besides the numerous castles and museums, Terme Merano/Therme Meran and the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle there are countless highlights that you simply have to have seen.

In Merano

A walk through the narrow lanes of Merano/Meran old town, a stroll through the romantic Laubengasse – there is plenty to discover in the Medieval old town of Merano/Meran. Set off on a voyage of discovery and find your personal favourite place in the old town.

At 83 m high, the Merano/Meran parish church’s tower is one of the highest in South Tyrol and at the same time the city’s landmark. This parish church originates from the 13th century and was built in Gothic style – the ogival arches, rosettes and beautiful glass windows are a highlight among the sights in Merano/Meran and for culture lovers.

The Art Nouveau Wandelhalle was built on the winter promenade in the 1860s. It was originally supposed to offer spa guests tranquillity and relaxation. The Stone Bridge just behind the Wandelhalle connects the winter promenade to the summer promenade and leads over the Passirio/Passer river.

Right opposite the Wandelhalle, on the summer promenade, is the Sissi Park, which as the name already says, is dedicated to Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Her monument is one of the sights in Merano/Meran and it still watches over the park today in stoical silence.

The Stadttheater, which was opened in 1900 and built in Art Nouveau style, majestically resides between Freiheitsstraße and Theaterbrücke. The grand interior still makes any concert and theatre performance today a very special experience for both guests and locals – visit one of the most beautiful sights in Merano/Meran, it’s worth it.

Horse racing has been wowing young and old guests on the Merano/Meran race course since 1935 – for example at the Grand Prix of Merano Forst or at the traditional Haflinger horse race on Easter Monday. The Merano/Meran’s race course is also the largest in the whole of Europe.

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are nestled into a twelve-hectare amphitheatre with an altitude differential of 100 meters. Trauttmansdorff offers spectacular views of exotic gardens and breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains and the spa resort town of Merano.

Colorful plants from all around the world thrive and bloom in Trauttmansdorff’s more than eighty garden landscapes. Ideal for both children and adults as well as for botany experts and laymen alike, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle is a unique blend of botanical garden and recreational attraction. Multifaceted Experience Stations, spectacular themed gardens, Artist Pavilions and intriguing animals turn the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle – within easy walking distance from Merano – into a colorful world where visitors enjoy a variety of different experiences.

The Touriseum, South Tyrol’s Province Museum of Tourism, covers 200 years of tourism history in Tyrol and Merano in a very engaging way.

The Gardens are open 229 days, from 1st April 15th October.

Surroundings

Anyone who wants to enjoy a captivating view over Merano/Meran should hike from Gasthof Grüner Baum in Verano/Vöran (trail 12a) to the viewing platform at 1,465 m. There are roughly 40 “cinema chairs” there made of steel and chestnut wood: take a seat and enjoy the view as if you’re at the cinema!

Watch the elegant flight of hawks, vultures, eagles, buzzards, black kites and owls on the castle mount of Castel Tirolo/Schloss Tirol in the Tirolo/Dorf Tirol, which hosts the Tirolo/Dorf Tirol birds of prey centre from March to November. A great experience for both young and old animal lovers.

Meran 2000 is the nearest place to relax your soul. A lot of different hike trails from easy to heavy enjoy a big variety of nature.