Sights and tourist attractions in Meran and surroundings

Majestic and beautiful: the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle

Let Italy's most beautiful garden enchant you:

Welcome to the blooming Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, where plants from every corner of the globe are nestled into a dramatic twelve-hectare amphitheatre. With Trauttmansdorff Castle towering above, the sunny resort of Merano below, and spectacular views of mountains everywhere you turn, the Gardens will sweep you into an exotic Mediterranean world.

Trauttmansdorff Castle sits majestically in the centre of the Gardens. Even after a long and turbulent history, the castle has retained its historical significance as Austrian Empress Elizabeth’s beloved retreat. In 2003, the castle was lovingly restored and transformed into the Touriseum: a regional museum belonging to the province of South Tyrol that recounts two hundred years of tourism history. The Touriseum was nominated for a European Museum Award in 2006.

Museums and castles in South Tyrol

The museums of Meran and its surroundings invite you for a trip through the history of the region. It is up to the visitor to discover the aspects he wishes to explore: you can visit the stone age in the Archeoparc Schnals Valley, or the Napoleonic era in the Andreas Hofer Museum Passeier. There is the history of tourism in the so called Touriseum, or the mountain worlds in the Mountain Museum created by the famous alpinist Reinhold Messner. The choice of eras and topics that can be visited is broad and diverse.