Botanical Gardens at the Trautmansdorff Castle and the Touriseum
Recognized as "The Most-Beautiful Garden of Italy in 2005," it is more than a kaleidoscope of the botanical world. Experience a day full of surprises in the Plant Kingdom at the sunny castle hill of Trauttmansdorff in Meran/Merano.
The South Tyrol Tourism Museum – called the "Touriseum" – is located in Trauttmansdorff Castle, itself. Here, you can experience the history of tourism in a different fashion: It's funny, critical, surprising, and – above all else – original. Treat yourself and your family to entertainment full of astounding effects on a very modern level.
In Merano, Italy's most beautiful gardens cast their spell
With views of exotic Mediterranean landscapes, the surrounding mountains and the sun-spoiled resort town of Merano, The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle gather together more than 80 garden worlds within a natural amphitheatre. After a seven-year construction period, this unified work of art was unveiled in all its splendour - in 2005, the 12-hectare enclosure was recognised as Italy's Most Beautiful Garden, and in 2006 it was voted Europe's #6 Garden.
Art meets nature
The plant world shaped into a paradise for all the senses. Eleven Artist Pavillons interpret the processes of nature playfully and instructively. The exiting journey of discovery through the Gardens reveals numerous interactive Stations: star architect Matteo Thun's spectacular viewing platform, an aviary with colourful parrots, the Grotto (with its multimedia show), the Geological Mosaic, the Dragonfly Clock, the Forbidden Garden, and many others.
Gardens in motion
From the floral splendour of thousands of Tulips to the evocative colours of autumn, South Tyrol's most popular destination inspires with its unique events: a sublime Breakfast at Siss's, exotic Cocktail Evenings or fiery Garden Nights with world music at its finest. The "All About Palms!" exhibit is another must-see!
The whole world in a single garden
The forests of the world
A scent of exotic broadleaf and conifer woods from North America and East Asia streams out from these miniature forests. With its rushing brook, ferns and "living fossils", they represent nature in its original form. The path leads upward, past spendorous ornamental cherry and rhododendron blossoms to the decorative rice and tea terraces and onward to the Flowering Clay Wall, a uniquely reinforced 90-degree cliff.
The sun gardens
In the sunny amphitheatre beneath the Castle, Italy's northernmost grove of olive trees thrives. Cypresses, pines and bright sunflowers complete the picture of Mediterranean bliss, complemented by beguiling scents of lavender, rosemary, thyme, and the largest collection of sages in Italy. Nearby, towering cacti and other succulents grow on a desert hill.
The water and terraced gardens
Various European garden styles are brought together here, exemplifying man's artistic shaping of nature. Terraces, steps and waterfalls lead downward to the water Lily Pond, where the mystical lotus flower of legend unfolds its petals. Colourful camellias abound in a densely planted grove of exotic palms that borders on the pond.
The Landscapes of South Tyrol
A reflection of South Tyrol's magical variety: A natural downy oak wood extends over the slope, while a fen brings to mind the former marshy landscapes of the Adige. Orchard and a vineyard preserve native fruit varieties, and the theme of wine has also provided the Gardens with two unique attractions: a golden replica of a 7000 year old grape seed (a gift from the nation of Georgia) and the patronage of "Versoaln", the world's largest and probably oldest grapevine.
Tourism history at Trauttmansdorff Castle
In the Garden's centre stands the Castle, which Count Trauttmansdorff had rebuilt from a medieval ruin in 1850. Today it houses the Touriseum, a museum entertainingly recounting 200 years of Alpine tourism history, and the world's largest tourism pinball machine invites visitors on an exciting and engaging tour of South Tyrol. The Austrian Empress Elisabeth, or "Sissi", twice made Trauttmansdorff Castle her winter residence, and an exhibition in her honour has recently been added to the 2006 European Museum Award nominated institution.
