A varied holiday experience in Merano and its environs

Nowhere is the essence of South Tyrol so clear as in the holiday region of Meran and its environs. Because nowhere else is it so hard to draw the line between the Alpine and the Mediterranean. Does it even exist? Here the best of two cultures; landscapes, languages, cuisines and lifestyles all harmoniously blend into a new whole.

You stroll through the elegant spa town, along promenades with blossoming flowerbeds – and suddenly you are in the mountains. It is hardly any distance up to the nearest Alpine pasture. While light Mediterranean cuisine is the order of the day down in the valleys, higher up it is dumplings with dessert, strudel or pancakes that are required – a decent walk needs a decent reward. Endless miles of paths are waiting to be explored at the foot of the Texel mountains. Whether for hiking or biking, in Meran and its environs there is plenty to discover, in either the vertical or the horizontal direction. The views from the Meran high mountain trail or the Tappeiner path are also breathtaking, making a camera essential. And, on the subject of active experiences, where peaks rise so high up into the sky, there will always be a snow line. While the Meran 2000 ski area is the ideal place for skis, snow shoes or toboggans, the stands of the Christmas market in the town are perfect for enjoying the first of the mulled wine. Meran and its environs are best visited at each season of the year.

Culture is a constant companion, with castles all around, whether in the middle of sunny vineyard slopes or on rocky cliff edges. Castle Tyrol or Trauttmansdorff Castle tell of what was always here in the region and lives on today – wine, sun, health cures and nobility – and of what no longer is. Trauttmansdorff Castle is also renowned for its botanical gardens as well as the “Touriseum”, an outstanding local museum of tourism.

Old imperial architecture on one side of the River Passer, contemporary South Tyrolean design on the other. Meran cannot be discovered in just one day: its attractions, such as the arcades or the promenades, will draw you into its spell. The beating heart of the locality is reflected in the region as a whole, from the unspoilt Ulten Valley to the village of Tirol, dozing on a sunny hillside; from the green of the Passeier Valley to the Schnals Valley and its glaciers – the variety of Meran and its environs can scarcely be described in just a few words. Orchards and vineyards, the subtropical vegetation, promenades and paths along ancient irrigation channels, mountain streams and trails – plus flowers, colours, castles, mountains and paths.