Merano (Italian) or Meran (German) is a town and comune in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy, just a few miles south of the Austrian border. Generally best known for its spa resorts. Nestling in a sheltered basin, where Val Passiria meets with Val Venosta and Val d’Adige, is beautiful Merano, the second largest town of South Tyrol.
Known as a climatic health resort since the 19th century already, Merano boasts a very special flair - and oh-so healthy goat milk and vinotherapy cures! Only recently the new thermal baths of Merano opened their doors with state-of-the-art facilities such as 25 pools, saunas and steam baths and much more.! Stroll up and down the oh-so lovely promenade along the Passiria river and join the traditional Merano Grape Festival in October!!
An outstanding variety and countless events characterise the renowned spa town of Merano, ranging from culture to film, theatre, music and exhibitions and this throughout the entire year. But also the surroundings, picturesque villages such as Lagundo and Tirolo, have a lot to offer.
Numerous sport and free time opportunities are waiting for you in summer and winter alike. Enjoy yourselves and visit the historic horse racecourse of Merano, the Meranarena inside and outdoor pools or the ski area of Merano 2000 and the Val Senales Glaciers.
You will experience exclusive shopping opportunities beneath romantic medieval arcades.
On Christmas time the old town centre of Meran comes to life and the streets and alleyways, shops and town houses glitter with beautiful, traditional-style festive decorations. The shop windows look particularly inviting and that special Christmas atmosphere can be felt everywhere. Visit Merano Christmas Market.
Horses called Avelignese in Italian (and Haflinger in German), all come originally from the surroundings of Merano, actually from the quaint little village of Avelengo. (Source: suedtirolerland.it)
According to the 2001 census, 51.50% of the resident population speaks German as mother language, 48.01% Italian, and 0.49% Ladin.
The charming old town that is a vestige of Merano's noble past clusters around the Piazza del Duomo , where the namesake 14th-century cathedral has a crenellated facade and heavy buttresses that make it look almost like a castle. Nearby, just to the west on Via Galilei, is a dollhouse-size castle: Castello Principesco or Landesfürstliche Burg , built by the counts of Tirol in 1470 and still filled with the austere furnishings they installed, along with a collection of armor and musical instruments.
Merano's picturesque main shopping street, Via Portici (leading west from Piazza del Duomo) is lined with Tirolean-style houses whose porticoes extend over the sidewalk. The preferred places to stroll in Merano, though, are along any number of scenic promenades. Two follow the banks of the River Passer: the Passeggiata d'Inverno (Winter Walk, which faces south) and Passeggiata d'Estate (Summer Walk, which faces north).
The top of the Passeggiata is just below Castel Tirolo, which you can also reach by car or by walking along Via Monte San Zeno for 5km (3 miles) from Merano. Here, amid stony splendor, you can see the throne room from which the Counts of Tirol ruled much of present-day Austria and northern Italy, and a beautifully frescoed Romanesque chapel with a 1330 carved wood crucifix (and enjoy a magnificent view that hasn't changed much since then. To get here without too much hoofing, you can take a half-hourly bus from Merano's train station or center to the village of Tirol, then finish the beautiful 15-minute walk along a trail amid grapevines and apple groves.
Visit the Rablà Train World: South Tyrol en miniature, that’s what you are going to see at the Train World of Rablà, a perfect spot for families.
Take a look to the Kurhaus, symbol of Merano and art nouveau masterpiece. Hosts international events and seminars.
Why a Spa Town? With its mild climate and mineral-rich springs bubbling up from beneath the town, Merano has long enjoyed a reputation as a spa town. To this day, one of Merano's most popular pastimes is taking the cure. You can take a complete treatment (mud bath, mineral wrap, hydrotherapy) at the Terme di Merano, in the center of town but across the river, or just take a dip in the pool of mineral-rich; A poor man's version of an elaborate spa regimen but one you can follow only when grapes from the vineyards surrounding the town ripen in late September and early October is Merano's famous cura delle uva (grape cure). One drastic form of the grape cure, which is allegedly beneficial for digestive disorders, requires eating 2 pounds of grapes a day. A more palatable approach calls for drinking several glasses a day of the delicious fresh spremuta di uva fresca/traubensaft (grape juice) that's available in cafes in the early fall. (Source: away.com).
The gentle mild climate of the spa town of Merano and its surroundings are known far beyond the regional borders.
Submediterranean - this is how experts refer to those areas boasting a gentle mild climate even in late autumn and spring. And submediterranean indeed is the climate of Merano and its surroundings. The sun is shining almost all the time and this is for instance the reason why the town is also refered to as “the sunny city”. Even in winter, Merano boasts a nice and gentle climate. And those who prefer rather coldish temperatures, may spend relaxing holidays in Val Passiria or Val Senales, where the climate allows for skiing even in summer.
This is the average temperature in Merano & surroundings:
January, February 5.5 - 12°C
March, April 12 - 25°C
May, June 21 - 28°C
July, August 26 - 30°C
September, October 18 - 27°C
November, December 8 - 15°C
(Source: burggrafenamt.com)