Merano: the city of the Passer river
South Tyrol’s second-largest city is a spa town and a magnet for visitors year-round.
Merano’s mild climate made it a favourite spa destination for European nobility in the 19th century. Since then, its appeal has only grown. The charming old town, lush green spaces, exceptional wellness and dining options, and a year-round calendar of cultural and recreational activities will leave you enchanted!
Three out of four city gates and parts of the city wall are still preserved in Merano. The most beautiful parts of the centre are the Laubengasse and the Steinachviertel, the oldest part of the city. The 800-year-old arcades are the longest in Tyrol and consist of two parallel rows of houses with a narrow passage in the middle. The house facades with their bay windows and arches are stunning! Today, the arcades are the main shopping street of Merano.
The Botanical Gardens of Castel Trauttmansdorff are among the most beautiful garden landscapes in Europe. Spanning over 12 hectares, you’ll find not only four garden worlds (forest gardens, sun gardens, water and terrace gardens, and South Tyrol landscapes) but also highlights such as viewpoints, the Botanical Underworld, various animals, garden art, and interactive stations. The adjoining castle, where Empress Sisi spent two of her spa stays, houses the South Tyrol Tourism Museum. The gardens are also the venue for many evening events during the summer.
The Therme Merano offers peace-seekers a large and varied bathing landscape year-round, including thermal, saline, and Kneipp pools, as well as a large park with a natural pool in the summer. Particularly exclusive experiences await you in the sauna area and the MySpa, the wellness temple of the thermal baths, where you will be pampered with tailor-made treatments using high-quality South Tyrolean products.
In Merano, you'll find many picturesque walking paths in greenery, including the Passer Promenade, which passes by the famous Art Nouveau Kurhaus, the Gilf Promenade with its colonnade, and the 3-kilometre-long Tappeinerweg, the high promenade that runs from the old town to Quarazze. Along the Tappeinerweg, you’ll find not only cosy places to stop but also information boards, the "Pulverturm", and the public herb garden.
The Merano racecourse opened in 1935. From above, the 40-hectare area can be seen from a distance. As one of Europe’s most important equestrian sports venues, it hosts numerous major races each year from May to October, including the Gran Premio di Merano and the traditional Haflinger horse race on Easter Monday.
