Restaurants in Meran

Regarded as one of the most beautiful garden ensembles in Europe, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are a vibrant celebration of botanical diversity. This twelve-hectare green stage, just minutes from Merano’s historic center, invites visitors to discover exotic plant life from across the globe. Sun-kissed slopes, delicate blossoms, Mediterranean olive groves and elegantly designed lily ponds combine to tell stories of nature, culture, and a passion for beauty. But Trauttmansdorff is far more than a botanical garden. It is a landscape thoughtfully composed, where nature becomes performance – with four themed areas and over 80 garden scenes unfolding like carefully choreographed acts. Here, terraced Mediterranean gardens meet dense North American woodland; surreal desert landscapes flow into tranquil water worlds – all framed by breathtaking views of Merano and the Texel mountain range. At the heart of it all stands the majestic Trauttmansdorff Castle. Once a refuge for Empress Elisabeth of Austria – better known as Sisi – who found healing and serenity here during her extended stays, the castle today is home to the Touriseum, South Tyrol’s one-of-a-kind Museum of Tourism.

Good to know:
- Awarded “Botanical Garden of the Year” in 2005, the gardens enchant with highlights such as a walk-in aviary, an underground grotto theatre, and a sound garden that makes the voices of plants come alive.
- Nature becomes a sensory experience along the “Garden of the Senses”: touch, smell, listen – here, walking becomes wonder.
- Each summer, the gardens transform into a concert venue, attracting international artists to perform on the open-air stage nestled in lush greenery.

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle inspire visitors of all ages: adventurers who journey through millions of years on the “Geological Mosaic”; romantics who linger among roses and waterfalls; curious minds who explore how plants shape our world through interactive displays.

And perhaps most magical of all: the gardens are always changing. With every season comes a new palette – the soft glow of magnolias and tulips in spring, a riot of fragrance and color in summer, and the golden brilliance of Japanese maples in autumn.
This is not a simple stroll through flowerbeds – it is a journey around the world, an immersive adventure, and a dialogue between nature and culture.

Authentic traditional costumes, smart dirndls, loden and lederhosen and elegant outfits

On top of Windspitz peak the gaze wanders over the mighty Ifinger/Mount Ivigna, whose silhouette seems tangible here.

From Mittager/Mount Cantino you get an awe-inspiring panoramic view which reach as far as the most dramatic summits in the Dolomites as well as the Ortler/Ortles and Texelgruppe/Tessa Group.

The hike requires a good physical condition.

Startbase Merano provides you with offices, workstations, and infrastructures such as fast internet, printers, scanners, beamers, or a meeting room daily or monthly.

Startbase Meran currently operates three coworking spaces.

In Rennstallweg we have two offices, one meeting room, one café-kitchen and nine workstations divided into eight Fix Desk, one Flex Desk on approx. 120 square metres. In Kuperionstraße, we have three offices and eight Fix Desk on 130 square metres.  In addition, our coworkers can use our coworking lido in the Schenna swimming pool during the summer.
So please make an appointment and visit us.   Booking and information: https://startbase.it/it/coworking-merano/

Discover the city's biodiversity and green spaces personally and individually at your own pace.

Along the 17 stations of the audio trail, you will come to inspiring places to linger, places of power and marvellous vantage points and learn interesting facts about urban nature. A treasure that has made the city famous as a garden city.

Click here to access the audio guides!

Click here to access the audio guides, with subtitles for deaf viewers.  


We suggest opting for comfortable footwear and bringing along a reusable water bottle, easily refillable at the fountains conveniently placed along the route. Water flows in the drinking fountains from spring to autumn. Depending on the weather and temperatures, the fountains are in operation from the beginning/middle of April to the middle/end of October.

Year-round mountain coaster fun on rails: The 1.1 km white-knuckle ride starts at Pivigna, the mountain station of both the ropeway and the Falzeben gondola lift. From there, the whole family is sent whizzing down the hillside in just a few minutes – at times up to twelve metres above the ground. Guaranteed thrills for all ages! After their speedy descent, the brave lugers are gently pulled back up to the starting point in their toboggans.

 

Upon request, all bold and courageous bobsledders can pick up a souvenir photo at the starting point of the track.

SCHEDULE SUMMER
Daily: 10.00-16.30
High season: 10.00-17.15

SCHEDULE WINTER
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 11.00-16.30 (Mon-Thu closed)
High season: 10.00-16.30

ATTENTION: any reservation needed - except for groups.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Merano Municipal Library, the library and the South Tyrolean Artists' Association came up with a special gift for Merano. Ten authors have created an unforgettable monument to Merano and the people of Merano. The texts - written primarily for this literary walk - offer a new way to explore Merano's historic centre. The stories tell of underdogs as well as the glittering world of the Kurhaus, the Tappeinerweg and Powder Tower, and Merano's past.

This tour is available only in German or Italian language.

Click here to start the tour:https://direct.hearonymus.com/guide/1323

Subtitles are not available for this audio guide.

We suggest opting for comfortable footwear and bringing along a reusable water bottle, easily refillable at the fountains conveniently placed along the route. Water flows in the drinking fountains from spring to autumn. Depending on the weather and temperatures, the fountains are in operation from the beginning/middle of April to the middle/end of October.

Bags · Belts · Gloves · Accessories        

It runs along the opposite side of the Passer River compared to the Winter Promenade and provides a refreshing escape, thanks to the many shade-giving trees that line the path – including Lebanese cedars, sequoias, poplars, and various species of pine. The promenade begins in Elisabeth Park, a 7,100-square-metre green space that not only offers tranquillity and relaxation but also features a unique monument: an elegant statue of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth, affectionately known as Sisi. Created in 1903 by the sculptor Hermann Klotz from Imst, using white Laas marble, the statue shows the empress seated in a quiet, contemplative, almost solitary moment on a grassy patch, lending the sculpture an understated dignity.

Merano has a long tradition of urban planning, which dates back to 1850, when the town’s development as a spa destination began. The city made clever use of the Passer’s embankment walls, creating extensive recreational areas in the second half of the 19th century, including the summer park that is now Elisabeth Park. The aim was to blend nature with the urban landscape by integrating green spaces and botanical highlights, thus giving the growing spa town the character of a garden city. Merano’s favourable climate played a crucial role in this: warm air flows in from the south through the broad Adige Valley, while the towering Texel mountain range to the north protects the town from cold winds. This mild, sub-Mediterranean climate allows a rich variety of plants from the Mediterranean, Asia, and North America to thrive here – a true paradise for nature lovers.

The Summer Promenade owes its name to the many trees that grow along its path, providing shade and a welcome sense of refreshment to those out for a walk. Strolling here, one can experience the history of Merano in all its richness – from its imperial past to its years as a renowned spa destination – while being surrounded by a natural environment that is far more than just a place to unwind: it is a haven of inspiration, peace, and beauty.

Along the Summer Promenade, there are also some artworks from the cultural project Art & Nature, which took place in 2015 and 2016 as part of the Merano Spring festival. The aim of the project was to set natural sites in Meran’s urban setting and artworks in relation to each other.

Startbase Merano provides you with offices, workstations, and infrastructures such as fast internet, printers, scanners, beamers, or a meeting room daily or monthly.

Startbase Meran currently operates three coworking spaces.

In Rennstallweg we have two offices, one meeting room, one café-kitchen and nine workstations divided into eight Fix Desk, one Flex Desk on approx. 120 square metres. In Kuperionstraße, we have three offices and eight Fix Desk on 130 square metres.  In addition, our coworkers can use our coworking lido in the Schenna swimming pool during the summer.
So please make an appointment and visit us.   Booking and information: https://startbase.it/it/coworking-merano/

An old villa, a lush park, and stories waiting beneath the surface – Villa Freischütz in Merano is more than just a museum. It’s a place of memory, a lens into a time often overlooked in South Tyrol: the interwar years. Built in 1909 as a summer residence, the villa bore witness to Merano’s golden age as a spa destination. But what makes its collection truly unique is its authenticity: the legacy of the von Franz Fromm family, who lived in the house for nearly a century. Here, history isn’t pieced together from textbooks. It lives in the furniture, the photographs, the clothing, the handwritten notes. It tells of a world in transition – of monarchy fading, Italian rule emerging, and a society caught between tradition and change.
Exciting Insights:
• The collection features more than 10,000 original objects – many of them carefully arranged throughout the house to evoke the feel of a lived-in home.
• The villa offers intimate “living room tours”: guests can wander freely through parlors, studies, and bedrooms, guided by the personal stories behind the objects.
• A highlight: the expansive park with towering old trees and hidden sculptures – perfect for reflecting after a journey through time.
For culture lovers, Villa Freischütz offers a different perspective on Merano. Not just as a refined spa town, but as a mirror of social and political transformation. The museum’s concept is intentionally personal: there are no long-winded wall texts or physical barriers. Instead, letters, accessories, and household items speak for themselves – sometimes quietly, sometimes disarmingly direct. Among jazz records and Art Nouveau vases, patriotic postcards and delicate diary entries, a rich mosaic unfolds – layered, complex, and deeply human.
This is no conventional museum. It’s a home that invites exploration, reflection, and conversation. And that’s precisely what makes Villa Freischütz one of the most fascinating places for those who don’t just want to study history – but truly feel it.

Shoes have been our passion for over 130 years, and personal expert advice is our top priority. We have high-quality shoes for every occasion for style icons, trendsetters, adventurers, sports enthusiasts and also for children.

Quality italian food specialties.         

The Merano Thermal Baths are located in the heart of the city. Nowhere else in South Tyrol is there such a centrally located natural oasis. The five-hectare thermal park stretches around the building. 
With 25 indoor and outdoor pools, a 2,200 square metre sauna area and the modern MySpa, Terme Merano is a place of well-being and health.
The offer is complemented by a fitness centre, various gastronomic offerings and cultural and musical events on the Thermenplatz.

The lift base station is located on Galileistrasse in Meran’s city centre. The chair lift reaches Segenbühel/ Dorf Tirol and an impressive panoramic view at an altitude of 510 meters. From the higher station with the bus 222 you may get to the town centre of Dorf Tirol and hence the cable car that takes to the Mutspitz, the peak that dominates Meran.

Prices:

• 1 ride € 6,00
• 1 ride with Guestcard € 5,50
• Round trip € 7,50
• Round trip with Guestcard € 6,50
• 10 rides € 24,00
• Children single ride € 3,50
• Children round trip € 4,50
• Combined ticket chairlift + Hochmuth cable car € 15,00

This scenic route, known as the Sentiero di Sissi in Italian and the Sissiweg in German, leads to the areas of town most beloved by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sissi. The charming Habsburg sovereign stayed in Merano several times in the second half of the nineteenth century, and was enchanted by its charm. This path dedicated to her connects the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle with the city centre; it passes through eleven stages along the way, each with a story to tell. From the castle that majestically dominates the botanical gardens, Sissi’s Path winds its way past Pienzenau and Rubein Castles, the Reichenbach Residence, Piazza Fontana (Brunnenplatz), Rottenstein Castle, and the Bavaria Hotel; it then continues down to the river, crosses the Roman Bridge, skirts the Wandelhalle and finally pays homage to the empress in the park dedicated to her. The park is on the edge of the Summer Promenade and there is a statue erected in Sissi’s honour. Obviously, the trail can be followed in either direction.

Shoes · Bags · Belts            

Since its opening in 2008, the Rockarena climbing hall in Merano completes the offer of Meranarena. Located to the north of the ice rink, this bouldering facility offers another sports location dedicated to one of the most popular sports of recent years. Indeed, climbing and bouldering are now popular activities, not only in South Tyrol. This is because they are fun, but they are also an excellent workout for physical coordination. And furthermore, they can be practised without any particular experience by people of all ages.

Further information, bookings and price list: www.rockarena.it

Named after the torrent that flows through the city, this promenade winds along the right bank of the Passer River, in the centre of Merano/Meran. There are two stretches, one between the Ponte della Posta and Ponte Teatro, the other that hence takes to the Ponte di Ferro.

In the first part there are many artistic flower-beds, palms, ice-cream shops and cafes. Here you can admire the liberty architecture of the Kurhaus, whereas on the lower part of the promenade, surrounded by various historical buildings, you’ll find the artworks of the Human Figures project.

The promenade is easily walkable with pushchairs, too.

Breath-taking vistas and the city at your feet: Whether you're longing for culinary delights at lofty heights or simply the soothing effect of endless golden rays of sunshine – Merano 2000 is the ideal destination, whatever your preferences: from relaxed hiking to blissful skiing or paragliding to get your pulse racing.

Franz Tappeiner, a doctor and medical researcher from Val Venosta who was a passionate proponent of tourism in Merano, created the promenade and donated it to the city. The four-kilometre-long path splits off from the Gilf Promenade and follows the curve of Monte Benedetto until it reaches Quarazze. In addition to typical local vegetation, cork oak, eucalyptus, lotus, pine, various species of palms including Chinese palms, bamboo, cactus, agave, magnolias and olive trees are planted along the path.

There are numerous access points from the town centre:
• the steps leading up from behind the Duomo (main cathedral) along the road that leads to Dorf Tyrol
• from Via Galilei near the chairlift to Dorf Tyrol
• near the Silvana hill on Via Verdi - CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• from the Gilf-Promenade past the Gunppowder Tower
• on the orographic right side of the Ponte Romano

Various inns and restaurants along the path. 

Please note that the Tappeinerweg is exclusively a pedestrian zone. Riding bicycles or other vehicles is prohibited.

OVS is the main Italian brand for men, women and children. Italian style at the best possible price.

Electric and super-practical: from now on you can rent cool e-bikes from Emoby directly at piazza Terme and explore the city with them. With zero emissions and lots of fun. And the best thing is: if you park your car in the garage of Terme Merano, you get a 25% discount on the e-bike rental.

Simply download the "Merano on Bike" app, register and add your credit card. Click on "Rent a bike", scan the QR code and push the e-bike out of the charging station.

Price for e-bikes:
0.07 € per minute; 4.20 € per hour; maximum 26 € per day.

Good to know:
In addition to the e-bikes on piazza Terme, electric mobility scooters can also be rented on floor A of the garage of Terme Merano.

This trail runs along both banks from the Gilf Gorge down to the point where the river enters the city. On the right bank, it connects directly with the path that leads to the Powder Tower and the Tappeiner Promenade; on the left, it joins with the Summer Promenade. Gilf Promenade is particularly intriguing for its subtropical vegetation. Its Walk of Poets also makes it the most romantic of Merano’s promenades: modern and contemporary love poetry is engraved onto a series of benches here.

Very sunny and well sheltered from the wind, the Winter Promenade runs along the river; it is the natural continuation of the Passer Promenade. Its most distinctive landmark is the Wandelhalle covered passageway, which provides shelter from inclement weather. The Wandelhalle also houses a gallery of paintings depicting landscapes of South Tyrol and busts of significant figures in the city’s history.

Named after the torrent that flows through the city, this promenade winds along the right bank of the Passer River, in the centre of Merano/Meran. There are two stretches, one between the Ponte della Posta and Ponte Teatro, the other that hence takes to the Ponte di Ferro.

In the first part there are many artistic flower-beds, palms, ice-cream shops and cafes. Here you can admire the liberty architecture of the Kurhaus, whereas on the lower part of the promenade, surrounded by various historical buildings, you’ll find the artworks of the Human Figures project.

The promenade is easily walkable with pushchairs, too.

At Amadeus Tracht you find smart young alpine lifestyle clothing, leather trousers and Dirndl both for man and woman, along with a wide selection of traditional clothes for kids.

Meats and sausages of our own production and other selected specialties.

The Runggaldier Manufaktur boutique is respectful of trends but firmly anchored to a tradition unaltered over time, a prestigious and new-concept space where exclusivity and tradition blend with authentic taste. The boutique located in the heart of Meran, at number 67, is a celebration of finesse and elegance, providing an exclusive assortment of outerwear and clothing for men and women with a note of countryside-style.

An extensive collection of art objects and antique pieces in the heart of town.