Discover Burggrafenamt: Merano between culture, nature and relaxation

Merano combines historic urban spaces in Burggrafenamt with gardens, promenades and cultural experiences. The Princely Castle is located in the centre of Merano and can be reached via Via Galilei or the arcades. These consist of an approximately 400-metre-long double row of buildings with low arcades, extending from Piazza Duomo to Piazza del Grano. The Princely Castle was restored in the 19th century to recreate a historic late Gothic atmosphere and was opened to the public in 1880.

Gardens, museums and architecture

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle in Merano extend across 12 hectares of grounds with an elevation difference of 100 metres. The castle is also home to the Touriseum. It can only be reached through the botanical gardens and uses a variety of original exhibitions and multimedia presentations to convey 200 years of tourism history in Merano and the rest of South Tyrol. This allows a garden visit to be combined with a cultural and historical theme, without the two areas presenting the same content.

The Puccini Theatre complements the historic city centre with a building that was constructed in 14 months in 1900 and is characterised by Art Nouveau elements and ornaments. The interiors are also designed in the Art Nouveau style and provide a setting for concerts, theatre performances and other events. Merano’s synagogue stands on Via Schiller and continues to be used as an active place of worship.

The permanent exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Merano covers the arrival and everyday life of Jewish families, their cultural achievements and contributions, their disenfranchisement and persecution under National Socialism, the destruction of the community and its difficult reconstruction after the war. The tour of the Palais Mamming Museum ranges from prehistory to contemporary art and covers social as well as artistic areas. This gives you access to a broad range of museums that brings together the city’s history, social developments and art.

Festivals, markets and regional everyday culture

Merano also reveals its public side through recurring events. Since 2007, Asfaltart has transformed the city of Merano into a large open-air stage every year. The Festa dell'Uva di Merano has been celebrated since 1886 as a festival of thanksgiving for the autumn harvest and includes traditional parades, culinary specialities and wine tastings. The Gran Premio Merano has been held since 1935 and traditionally takes place on the last Sunday in September.

The Mercato Meranese brings together agriculture, crafts, tourism and urban life. The market offers exclusively food and handicraft products grown or produced in South Tyrol. Anyone wishing to discover regional products and the everyday life of a place will find a clearly defined thematic introduction to the surrounding area here, while the Festa dell'Uva focuses more strongly on the harvest, parades and wine.

Promenades, cycle path and relaxation

The Tappeiner Promenade is one of the longest and most scenic elevated paths in Europe. Its vegetation is characterised primarily by Mediterranean cypresses and pines. The combination of an elevated path and Mediterranean planting gives a walk in Merano its own distinctive landscape character. Along the way, you can discover a type of path that stands out not only for its length but also for its plant life.

For a cycling tour, the Val Passiria cycle path begins in the centre of Merano and follows the river, gradually ascending to San Leonardo. Most of the route is unpaved. These two characteristics are relevant to personal planning: the route has a clearly described starting point and course, while the predominantly unpaved surface should be taken into account when choosing your bicycle and planning your day.

Merano Thermal Baths have 25 pools, a sauna area and a large outdoor park in the heart of the spa town of Merano. The main pool and the salt pool are outdoors and can be used year-round. The main pool covers 472 m² and is heated to 34 °C; the salt pool is 35 °C. The thermal baths therefore offer an independent focus for travellers who want to combine their stay with warm water, outdoor areas and sauna facilities.

Other places in Burggrafenamt:Marling, St. Leonhard in Passeier, Naturno, St. Pankraz, Burgstall, Moos in Passeier, Unsere Liebe Frau im Walde-St. Felix, Lana on the Adige, Algund, St. Martin in Passeier, Partschins, Hafling, Merano, Dorf Tirol, Tisens, Tscherms, Vöran, Ulten, Plaus, Riffian, Nals, Gargazon, Schenna.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bolzano.