Merano packs a surprising amount into its compact Alpine valley. You can tour a castle garden rated among Italy’s finest in the morning, ride a cable car to 2,000 metres for lunch with Dolomite views, soak in thermal pools by afternoon, and stroll a palm-lined riverside promenade at sunset. The town’s unique mix of Alpine and Mediterranean culture (South Tyrol was part of Austria until 1919) means you’ll find strudel and gelato, schnitzel and risotto, all within a few blocks. Here are the best things to do in Merano, organised by category.
Things to Do in Merano: Gardens and Castles
Trauttmansdorff Castle Gardens
The Trauttmansdorff Castle Gardens (Via San Valentino 51a) are Merano’s unmissable attraction: 12 hectares of themed gardens cascading down a natural amphitheatre with over 80 garden landscapes from around the world. The Sun Gardens display Mediterranean species, the Water and Terraced Gardens feature lotus ponds and rice terraces, and the Forests of the World bring together North American sequoias and Japanese cherry trees. The castle itself houses the Touriseum, a well-executed museum of South Tyrolean tourism history. Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria stayed here during her health retreats in the 1870s and 1880s, and there’s a dedicated Sissi path through the gardens. Open late March to mid-November, daily 9:00 to 19:00 (until 21:00 June to August, until 17:00 in November). Tickets: EUR 15 for adults, EUR 12 for seniors, free for under-18s. The evening “Gardens by Night” events on summer Thursdays (mid-June to late August, 18:00 to 22:00) are EUR 10 and include live music.
Tappeiner Promenade (Tappeinerweg)
The Tappeiner Promenade is a 4-kilometre pedestrian walkway carved into the mountainside above Merano’s old town, offering panoramic views of the valley, the Passirio River, and the surrounding peaks. Built in the 1890s and lined with Mediterranean plants including cacti, agaves, and palm trees, it’s the quintessential Merano experience: Alpine scenery with subtropical flora. The path is wide, mostly level, and accessible year-round. Benches are placed every 100 metres or so. Start from the Powder Tower (Pulverturm) near the old town, walk east towards the Gilf Gorge, and you’ll pass the Sissi statue and the entrance to the Trauttmansdorff gardens. Allow 45 minutes one way at a gentle pace. Free, open 24/7, lit until midnight in summer.
Terme Merano Thermal Baths
The Terme Merano (Piazza Terme 9) is a modern thermal complex opened in 2005, designed by architect Matteo Thun. It features 25 indoor and outdoor pools fed by natural thermal water at 34°C (93°F), including a 52-metre outdoor sports pool, a saline flotation pool (salt content similar to the Dead Sea), and a panoramic rooftop pool with Dolomite views. The 2,200-square-metre sauna area includes Finnish saunas, steam baths, a hay bath (a South Tyrolean speciality), and relaxation rooms with waterbed loungers. The baths are connected by underground tunnel to the Hotel Therme Meran but are open to day visitors. Open daily 9:00 to 22:00 (pools), sauna from 10:00. Pool-only ticket: EUR 19 for 3 hours, EUR 23 for a day pass. Pool plus sauna: EUR 29 for 3 hours, EUR 35 for a day pass. Towel rental EUR 5, robe EUR 7. Book the 3-hour slot online to guarantee entry during peak periods.
Things to Do in Merano: Outdoor and Mountain Activities
Merano 2000 Cable Car and Ski Area
The Merano 2000 cable car (Via Val di Nova 12) whisks you from the valley floor at 325 metres to the mountain station at 1,920 metres in just 7 minutes. In winter (early December to early April), it serves a family-friendly ski area with 40km of pistes, mostly blue and red runs, plus a 3km toboggan run, snowshoe trails, and several mountain huts (rifugi) for lunch. In summer (mid-May to early November), it’s the launch point for hiking trails across the Ivigna plateau, including the popular 2-hour circuit around the Kuhleiten hut at 2,000 metres. The mountain station has a panoramic terrace restaurant (Gasthof Meraner Hutte) with views stretching to the Ortler Alps. Round-trip cable car: EUR 22 in summer, EUR 25 in winter. Day ski pass: EUR 48 for adults, EUR 30 for children. Free parking at the valley station.
Gilf Gorge (Gilfschlucht)
The Gilf Gorge is a narrow canyon carved by the Passirio River through the heart of Merano, with walkways and bridges suspended above the rushing water. The entrance is just behind the old town at Via delle Corse, and the walkway runs for about 500 metres through polished rock walls up to 15 metres high. It’s a dramatic, free attraction that takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk through, and the roar of the water and the cool microclimate inside the gorge make it a refreshing break on hot summer days. The path connects directly to the Tappeiner Promenade at its upper end. Open year-round during daylight hours, free entry. Not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers due to narrow sections and stairs.
Merano High Mountain Trail (Meraner Hohenweg)
The Meraner Hohenweg is one of South Tyrol’s classic multi-day hikes, a 100-kilometre circuit around the Texel Group mountains with views over Merano and the Etsch Valley. Most hikers tackle it in 4 to 6 days, staying at mountain huts along the way. The trail stays between 1,400 and 2,800 metres and is fully marked with red-and-white CAI trail markers. Day-hike sections accessible from Merano include the segment from the Merano 2000 mountain station to the Kuhleiten hut (2 hours, easy) and the climb to the Spronser Lakes (7 small Alpine lakes at 2,100 to 2,500 metres, a full day hike with 1,000 metres of ascent from the Falzeben cable car). The trail is open late June through mid-September. Mountain hut beds cost EUR 25 to 40 per night with half-board, and advance booking is essential in July and August. For a complete hiking itinerary and more trail recommendations, see our best time to visit Merano guide.
Things to Do in Merano: Culture and History
Kurhaus Merano
The Kurhaus (Corso della Liberta 33) is Merano’s grand Art Nouveau convention centre and cultural hub, opened in 1914. The main Kursaal is a jaw-dropping space with a 1,000-square-metre ceiling fresco, massive chandeliers, and arched windows flooding the room with natural light. It hosts classical concerts (the Merano Music Festival runs May through September), conferences, and the Merano WineFestival. The building itself is worth a look even without an event ticket: the facade facing the Passirio River is one of the town’s most photographed sights. The adjacent Pavillon des Fleurs is a Liberty-style glass pavilion from 1875 that hosts rotating art exhibitions (EUR 5 entry). The Kurhaus cafe on the ground floor serves coffee and strudel with river views, open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00.
Merano Old Town (Meraner Altstadt)
Merano’s old town centres on the Laubengasse (Via Portici), a 400-metre arcaded street dating to the 13th century with shops, cafes, and wrought-iron signs tucked under stone vaults. The street is car-free and lined with pastel-coloured townhouses. Key stops: the St. Nicholas Church (Pfarrkirche St. Nikolaus) at the eastern end, a Gothic church with a 83-metre bell tower and a rare 15th-century stained-glass window; the Princely Castle (Landesfurstliche Burg) at Via Galileo Galilei 2, a 15th-century residence with painted wooden ceilings (EUR 6, open April to October, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00); and the Steinach Square (Piazza della Rena) with its 17th-century fountain. The old town is compact, walkable in 1 to 2 hours, and best explored in the morning before tour groups arrive.
Sissi’s Path (Sissiweg)
The Sissi Path traces Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s favourite walks during her winter stays in Merano (she spent the winters of 1870-71 and 1889-90 here for her health). The signed path starts at the Trauttmansdorff Castle and winds through the gardens and down into the valley, passing several marble benches where Sissi reportedly rested. Information panels along the 3-kilometre route tell the story of her time in Merano, her strict beauty regimen, and her tragic assassination in Geneva in 1898. The path connects to the Tappeiner Promenade and the Gilf Gorge, making it easy to combine several sights into one walk. Free, accessible year-round.
For more on Merano’s seasonal events (including the Christmas Market, Grape Festival, and Merano WineFestival), see our events and festivals calendar. The best areas to base yourself are covered in our neighbourhoods guide.
