2023-12-22 10:46:14
It’s not that easy to get several desired objects in front of your cell phone lens at the same time in the old town of Meran. A young couple is currently trying to fit themselves, but also the tall palm trees around them, some of the old town backdrop and – now it’s a little more difficult – the snow-covered mountains in the background into one picture.
Different angles are tried out, the man’s arm is at its maximum extension at some point, and then it seems to be done: the essence that makes South Tyrol’s second largest city so special has been captured – southern flair and high Alpine mountain landscape.
In fact, in Meran you can easily combine dolce vita – i.e. a city holiday with mostly mild temperatures down in the valley – and skiing up in the mountains on the same day. Because everything is close together. If you go on a winter holiday here, you don’t have to ski or snowboard all the time; you can also shop, stroll or relax in the spacious thermal baths. Hardly any other destination in the Alps offers this attractive mix of almost Mediterranean climate, city vacation, winter sports and wellness.
Source: Infographic WELT
Merano is located in a sunny, south-facing location at 325 meters above sea level at the end of the Adige Valley. It rarely snows, which is why there are palm trees here. The valley station of the gondola lift can be reached in a few minutes from the city center by car, taxi or bus. The path there leads past classicist villas and pretty new buildings, in whose gardens flowers bloom almost all year round. Meran is doing well, as has always been the case in its history, even if the glorious times as the Tyrolean state capital date back several centuries.
In the past, an event marked an important turning point in development: in 1913, the Obermais–St. Kathrein built; The ascent aid made the first mountains in the area accessible to those who did not belong to the mountaineers’ guild. But it would take a good half a century before the Tschögglberg high plateau was connected by a cable car in 1968, which then changed everything for skiers in winter and high alpine hikers in summer.
Meran’s magnificent town houses are rarely covered in snow in winter, unlike the surrounding mountains
Quelle: Italy stock images/Alamy Stock Photo
The cable car engineer Hans Troyer, who was entrusted with the project, was also a marketing genius – he came up with the catchy name “Meran 2000”, which refers to the altitude of the plateau and which sounds timelessly good. There is even a small monument to Troyer at the Naif valley station.
The ski area stands out from others in South Tyrol
From here it’s a quick 15-minute climb up to the mountain station, and even the first panoramic view is impressive. The peaks of the Texel and Ortler groups line up all around. The ski area includes 40 kilometers of alpine slopes and three kilometers of natural toboggan runs, as well as a well-developed snow park and 25 kilometers of winter hiking routes that connect the numerous and often rustic huts.
The view from the Meran 2000 ski plateau stretches far across to the peaks of the Dolomites
Source: Jörn Lauterbach
Winter sports enthusiasts should not let Meran’s mild climate influence their choice of clothing; up here, in contrast to the sheltered valley, ice-cold north winds can blow through. You’ll notice this at the latest when you take a ride on the rather outdated two-seater chairlift that climbs up to the highest mountain, Großer Mittager (2300 meters).
Despite the cold, this tour is a must because you can view the splendor of the Dolomites’ peaks more impressively than anywhere else in the area. From here there is only one piste that leads down to the Kirchsteigerhütte, and it is pretty black, at least in the upper section, so it is perfect for demanding skiers.
For the people of Merano, their geographical location, which combines the best of the northern and southern Alps, is their insurance for the future. If climate change makes stable winter operations increasingly unlikely in other ski areas, especially in South Tyrol, things will likely continue up here for a very long time.
The new middle station in the Meran 2000 ski area is equipped with a panoramic terrace
Source: Jörn Lauterbach
That’s why we continue to invest. In spring 2023, after eight months of construction – and many years of preparation and approval procedures – the Naifjoch cable car was inaugurated, creating even faster connections on the plateau. The new middle station is an eye-catcher: clad in brown Corten steel that picks up the colors of the surroundings and equipped with a 360-degree panoramic terrace, the building is a masterpiece of Alpine modernism.
Meran is a spa town – and not a typical ski resort
However, one thing is not possible in Merano and that is to ski or snowboard directly into the town. The only way back to the city from the high-altitude ski area is via the gondola. But with every meter less altitude, the air becomes warmer – and the idea of what Meran stands for returns. So helmet off and jacket on.
Down in the historic arcades of the main streets you can find boutiques by Italian designers as well as traditional shops for loden fashion or underwear – a mix that is also unique for South Tyrol. According to counts, almost exactly half of the people of Meran have German as their mother tongue, the other half Italian. Almost everyone knows both idioms, and so things get mixed up.
The historic arcades with traditional shops as well as designer shops invite you to stroll
Source: Jörn Lauterbach
Merano, already mentioned in documents in 857, has a rich, centuries-old history. The city doesn’t look like a classic ski resort; you rarely see skiers carrying their sports equipment over their shoulders or even clacking through the narrow streets in ski boots.
Meran has been a spa town since the 19th century. The Sisi monument on the southern bank of the Passer River is symbolic of this. It is reminiscent of the visits of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth, who wanted to cure her lung disease here.
A monument opposite the old town commemorates the stays of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth
Source: Jörn Lauterbach
As word spread that her health had actually improved, crowds flocked to the health resort. Early wellness tourism caused a boom, the architectural highlight of which is the palatial Kurhaus with its dome – one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau buildings in the entire Alpine region.
The Merano thermal baths made a leap into modern times
A section of the beautifully designed panoramic promenade along the river is reminiscent of the times of the Merano grape cure, when guests stuffed themselves with grapes from the surrounding area and strolled along. Things are a little more conscious today – the water in the area, especially that from Vigiljoch, contains many minerals and also a trace of radon. This results in various therapeutic treatment options, for example for the treatment of nerve problems, respiratory diseases or high blood pressure.
More about holidays in Northern Italy:
Fortunately, the leap into modern times was successful: in 2005, the modern Meran Thermal Baths, designed by star architect Matteo Thun, opened, a huge glass cube with a wide range of offerings that combine leisure activities and health treatments. Like cure, only better.
Flowing transition: the outside and inside areas of the Meran thermal baths are directly connected, and the view of the mountains is included
Source: South Tyrol Marketing
There is also one of the most modern sauna areas in the entire Alps, which pleasantly gets visitors fit for the next day of skiing – and not just on the sweat benches, but also in the outdoor pools. Bathe in the warm water and look through palm fronds at the snowy slopes on the horizon: that is the true Merano feeling.
Tips and information:
Getting there: Meran can be reached by train from Bolzano in under an hour (suedtirolmobil.info/de/). To Bolzano there are direct EC trains from Munich (bahn.de). If you want, you can also fly. The South Tyrolean airline Skyalps connects Bolzano with Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf several times a week, flying with propeller planes (skyalps.com). Drivers from Germany drive over the Brenner Pass and via Innsbruck, Brixen and Bozen to Merano.
Accommodation: Merano is a climatic health resort with a variety of hotels of all kinds. Beautifully located in the city center, close to the arcades and the thermal baths, is the Hotel “Imperial Art” with only twelve rooms, all tastefully and modernly furnished, many with balconies and views of the mountains , double room from 210 euros, imperialart.it.
Near the valley station of the Merano 2000 gondola is the “Hotel Kiendl”, a family-run chalet-style house with a mountain panorama, modern rooms, saunas and two pools, double rooms with half board for four days and two guests from 880 euros, hotel-kiendl.com.
Ski ticket prices: The price for a day ticket for the Meran 2000 ski area is 54 euros for adults; five days cost 223 to 248 euros, depending on the booking period; Day tickets for tobogganers cost 46 euros. For seniors and young people there are reduced prices, online ordering and information at meran2000.com.
Further information: Merano: merano-suedtirol.it/de; Therme Merano: termemerano.it; South-Tirol: suedtirol.info
Participation in the trip was supported by the Meran Thermal Baths, the Meran 2000 ski area and the Meran spa administration. Our standards of transparency and journalistic independence can be found at axelspringer.com/de/werte/downloads.
Here you will find content from third parties
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
Here you will find content from third parties
In order to display embedded content, your revocable consent to the transmission and processing of personal data is necessary, as the providers of the embedded content require this consent as third party providers [In diesem Zusammenhang können auch Nutzungsprofile (u.a. auf Basis von Cookie-IDs) gebildet und angereichert werden, auch außerhalb des EWR]. By setting the switch to “on”, you agree to this (revocable at any time). This also includes your consent to the transfer of certain personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. You can find more information about this. You can revoke your consent at any time using the switch and privacy at the bottom of the page.
#Meran #South #Tyrol #Dolce #Vita #city #skiing #mountains