Meran Things to Do

4 more images

There are many water channel pathways (in German calles "Waalwege" or "Walwege") in and around the area of Meran. I put some photos of the Marlengo water channel pathway:

Total distance: 13 km / total walking time: approx. 3 – 3 ½ hrs
Like the others, the Marlengo water channel pathway can be joined in various places. It begins at Tel, where the water is diverted from the Adige river, and extends across the slopes of the Marlengo hill just above the villages, Foresta, Marlengo, Cermes, past Schloss Lebenberg castle as far as Raffeingraben near Lana where the water runs into the Falschauer river. Benches are located all along the route at points where the view is finest and you can stop off a numerous inns. The pathway was laid during the first half of the 18th century. You can take a public bus back to Partschins

Meran became a prominent climatic health resort in the 19th century. This is the reason for the special flair of the town. The area around the Passer is dominated of great Art Nouveau villas and hotels and various installations of a luxurious fin de siecle Habsburg empire health resort. The best are the promenades along the Passer river. The nice climate plus the humidity in the quite narrow small canyon of this river are favourable conditions for lots of exotic plants which are at the Gilf promenade along the right (Western) banks of the river. At some places are maps indicating the location of the most interesting plants.

The most important living creator of the Alpine cultural landscape is the cow, inhibiting other plants than the nice green grass to grow at the pastures and permanently fertilizing them and providing without any doubt by far the best milk of all Italy.

Here it is interesting to see under which difficult conditions - steep slopes, remote area, hard, almost sub-Arctic climate - farming is done. Nowadays it can only survive with subsidies of the European Union in order to maintain this millennia old cultural landscape.

The valley is from its end where the Oetztaler Ache meets the Inn until to the Timmelsjoch about 65 km long and most pleasant close to the beginning and from Zwieselstein onwards to the top. It is an excellent road all the way, The pic shows the Schalfkogel about 3500 m) and in the foreground one of the highest trees (at about 2200 m) fighting for survival in these extreme surroundings (Zirbe, pinus cembra).

Meran is a joy to be - take the promenade along the river .
To be continued...

in construction

This river runs through the Passeier valley and enters the area of Meran in an attractive small canyon before passing through the city and meeting the Etsch river south of the city.