Merano is situated at the outflow of the River Passirio into the broad valley of the Adige which emerges from the Val Venosta.
General information
Merano in the Alto Adige is the largest health resort on the south side of the Eastern Alps, with its main season in spring and autumn for the grape cure and with radioactive thermal springs.
History
Merano came into the hands of the counts of Tirol in 1233, and in 1310, together with the Passirio and Ultimo valleys, was formed into a separate burgraviate. From 1317 to 1420 it was capital of Tirol.
3.5km/2mi north of Maia Alta, above the village of Scena, at the mouth of the Passirio valley, the Castello di Scena (Schloss Schenna, 14th-16th century; 596m/1,967ft) commands magnificent views. The castle contains a collection of arms and armor, Renaissance furniture, portraits of members of princely families and Andreas Hofer's cradle).
Behind the Town Hall in Merano stands the Castello Principesco (1480), still with its original furnishings and a collection of musical instruments.
Address: Castello Principesco, Via Galilei, I-39012 Merano, Italy
Hours:
April 1 to October 31: 10am-5pm; Sun:10am-1pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Epiphany (3 Kings' Day ) - Christian (January 6), New Year's Day (January 1), Liberation Day - Italy (April 25), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Festival of the Tricolor - Italy (May 12), Feast of St John the Baptist - Christian (June 24), Assumption Day - Christian (August 15), Victory Day / National Unity Day - Italy (November 4), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian, Easter Monday - Christian
West of Castel Tirolo (30 minutes) is Castello Torre (Schloss Thurnstein (551m/1,818ft; with a beautiful view). Lower down is Castello Fontana (Brunnenburg; restored in 1904).
2km/1.25mi south of Lana di Sopra by way of Lana di Mezzo (Mitterlana) is Lana di Sotto (Niederlana), the parish church of which has a richly gilded Gothic altar of carved wood, the largest in Tirol, by the Merano sculptor Hans Schnatterpeck (1503-11). The Romanesque church of Santa Margherita is also of interest.
From the Santo Spirito church Via Cavour climbs east to the select villa suburb of Maia Alta (Obermais), in which are many old aristocratic residences such as Castello di Nova (Trautmannsdorf), Castello Rametz (vine-growing estate), Castello Labers (hotel), Castello Rundegg (hotel), Castello Planta (pension) and Castello Gaiano (Schloss Goyen).
The road from Merano runs west from Maia Bassa past the sports ground, crosses the Adige and continues south along the west side of the broad Adige valley. On the hillside to the right is the prettily situated village of Marlengo (Marling, 370m/1,221ft), from which a footpath, the "Waalweg", following the line of an irrigation canal half-way up the slope, runs north to Tel (Töll) or south below Castello Monteleone to Lana di Sopra.
A little way northwest of the castle, at Via Galilei 5, is the rich Municipal Museum, with prehistoric material, local history, medieval sculpture and modern pictures.
Address: Merano Municipal Museum, Roter Adler, Rennweg 42 a, I-39012 Merano, Italy
Hours:
March 1 to January 1: 10am-5pm; Sun:10am-1pm; Closed: Mon
Along the broad embankment on the right bank of the Passirio runs the Passeggiata Lungo Passirio, in the center of which is the Kursaal (1907). Farther west is the Protestant Church of Christ (1885). The Passeggiata Lungo Passirio is continued eastward by the sheltered Passeggiata d'Inverno.
From the Ponte Nazionale the Passeggiata d'Estate follows the left bank of the Passirio and is linked by a bridge with the Passeggiata d'Inverno on the right bank. The two promenades run upstream to the Ponte Romano (1616), from which the Passeggiata Gilf continues along the right bank to the gorge under Castello San Zeno.
At the southwest corner of the old town, near the right bank of the Passirio, is the Piazza del Teatro, Merano's busiest square, with the Municipal Theatre (by Martin Dülfer, 1899-1900). From here the Corso della Libertà runs west to the station and east, past the Kursaal, to the Piazza della Rena. The busy Via delle Corso, which bounds the old town on the west, runs north from the Piazza del Teatro to the Piazza del Grano and beyond this to the Porto Venosta.
On the left bank of the Passirio the district of Maia Bassa (Untermais) is reached from the Piazza della Rena by way of the Ponte Nazionale. Immediately beyond the bridge is the Late Gothic church of the Santo Spirito (15th century). A little way west are the Salvar Baths (1971), with an indoor bath (radioactive water, 30-35 °C/86-91 °C), an outdoor pool, sauna facilities, a treatment center, a restaurant and a Congress Center.
At the east end of the Via dei Portici in Merano is the Piazza del Duomo, with the Gothic parish church of San Nicolò (14th-15th centuries), whose characteristic campanile dominates the town. From here the old Porta Bolzano leads into the Piazza della Rena.
At the village of Scena (587m/1,937ft) are the castle-like parish church (1914-31; adjoining it the old Gothic church) and next to it the small Neo-Gothic parish church of St John (1869), with the tomb of Archduke John of Austria (1782-1859) and his wife Anna. The building is known as one of the best examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in Alto Adige.
From the Piazza del Grano the old-world Via dei Portici (Laubengasse), a busy shopping street, runs east through the old town, lined with arcades (the Portici di sinistra or Berglauben to the left and the Portici di destra or Wasserlauben to the right). Half-way along the Portici di sinistra is the Town Hall (1928-32).
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