Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle

The Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle include are located at the eastern city border of Merano and include an area of 12 hectares: a jourey across the flora of our planet.

Undoubtedly the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are one of the highlights of the city of Merano. Visiting these magnificient flower gardens is like travelling across the botanic world. The gardens enchant its visitors thanks to their extraordinary diversity as well as their harmonic ensemble: more than 80 garden landscapes can be visited on a total surface of 12 hectares. The vegetation in the garden benefits from the mild climate of the sun-spoilt city of Merano. The variety of plants ranges from exotic plants through decorative plants of the Mediterranean area to plants of the Alpine area, in other words, a colourful potpourri.

There are four garden worlds in the Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle:
In the Forest of the World there are indigenous conifer forests from North America and East Asia, ferns, “living fossils” and also rice and tea terraces. This section also includes some aviaries with colourful birds and parrots as well as a particularly panoramic platform.
The Sun Gardens, that’s how the area extending beneath the castle is called. This sunny slope is characterised by a rather Mediterranean flair and citrus fruits, cypresses and beguiling odours of lavander, salvia and rosemary. On the so-called succulent hill, more than head-high cacti, agaves and aloes thrive and flourish.
The area Landscapes of South Tyrol reflects the varied fauna of South Tyrol. An indigenous downy oak forest, alluvial forests and chestnut forests characterise the landscape. This is also where the golden replica of a 7,000 year old grape pipe hides, a present of Georgia.
Finally there is the area the Water and Terraced Gardens with their huge water lily pond, in which the legendary lotos flowers flourish. Renaissance gardens, an English cottage or a labyrinth also enchant the visitors of this garden world.

Moreover there are eleven arts pavillions spread in the gardens. These pavillions explain botanic phenomenes in a artistic-aesthetic manner. What you absolutely don’t have to miss is the view from the so-called “Matteo Thun’scher Gucker”, an almost translucent platform in the form of a binocle, high above the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, offering an astonishingly beautiful view on the Valle dell’Adige, Merano and the surrounding mountains.

By the way, since 2002 in the Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle there is also the “Touriseum”, museum of tourism. And another detail: in 2005 the Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle were awared with the title of the “most beautiful botanic garden of Italy”.

Opening hours 2012:
> 1 April - 31 October: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
> 1 - 15 November: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
> Fridays from June ’til August: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

Further information:
Botanic Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle
Via S. Valentino 51/A - Merano
Tel.: +39 0473 235730
botanica@provinz.bz.it