I love traveling, the sea, and especially active holidays. In today’s not-so-easy times for this passion, I was looking for a place where I could fully enjoy it all. The choice fell on the South Tyrolean area on the Italian side — Merano. It’s a paradise on Earth, as even Princess Sissi realized — she visited the town four times in the second half of the 19th century.

Even the journey from Brenner was adventurous, as we chose the route off the highway via Passo Giovo. I haven’t seen that many motorbikes and sports cars in one place in a long time. Lovers of hairpin turns and stunning views adore this route. The road climbs up to 2094 m and then descends into the Val Venosta valley. It’s lined with vineyards, orchards, and passes through beautiful small towns.

Our journey ended in the spa town of Merano at Villa Tivoli, a hotel just under twenty minutes’ walk from the main promenade. The hotel has an interesting history, dating back to 1880.

Our main goal was hiking, and the Merano area is truly a delight for all lovers of active holidays. In the town itself, you’ll find many promenades of various lengths and difficulty levels, and in the surrounding area, countless hiking trails including ridge walks. On the first day, after an absolutely amazing breakfast, we set off on the Tappeiner promenade, which started near our hotel and led above the town with stunning views, lined with pines, cypresses, and restaurants offering great local wine. The promenades connect, so we continued along the Winter Promenade by the Passirio River, which is popular among rafters. Again, we were enchanted by the scenery and cozy cafés with real Italian gelato. We walked around 12 kilometers, so we relaxed by the pool before dinner.

The following day we had our longest hike planned, from S. Leonardo along the Passirio River. The trail has quite a bit of elevation and features spectacular metal bridges and walkways. We met a few fellow hikers at the beginning, but for the most part we walked alone in amazing nature where the river truly worked its magic. From the planned twelve kilometers it ended up being twenty, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. After a delicious lunch, we explored a former military bunker from 1940 and, after a slight detour, continued to the car. I won’t forget a minor “incident” with local farmers when we “sampled” the fragrance of the countryside — the path went through freshly fertilized meadows and my shoes kept the scent long after we returned from our August vacation. Back in Merano, we enjoyed a well-deserved dinner and rest.

They say the third day is the critical one, so we planned a road trip. We explored the surroundings, visited a few hotels and wineries. The nearby towns have an incredible atmosphere; I was particularly captivated by Avelengo Hafling, nestled in the mountains surrounded by meadows, pastures, and near ski lifts. You can even ski in Merano in winter. It’s not for demanding skiers, but ideal for families with kids. On the way back, we visited Cantina winery in Marlengo, where we had a great tasting and ended up with several boxes of fine wine in our trunk. We spent the evening peacefully at the hotel restaurant with a good glass of wine. We needed to recharge, because the next day we planned a ridge hike starting from the top station of Merano 2000, and in the evening we had a reservation at the renowned Michelin restaurant Andrea Fenoglio.

After breakfast, we headed by car toward Avelengo. The weather forecast wasn’t great, but we stuck to our plans. The parking lot at the cable car was full, which reassured us it wouldn’t rain. We took the cable car and chose the trail to Kesserlberg at 2,300 m. The hike was wonderful, accompanied by a lovely concert of bells from the grazing cows — each bell had a different tone, and it was truly music. The entire ascent was a feast for the eyes: beautiful meadows full of horses, cows, and goats, waterfalls and streams — all admired by many fellow hikers, though we later parted ways. After a hearty lunch, we headed to the car as the weather started to turn. I won’t lie — I haven’t seen a thunderstorm like that in years. The descent was tough and really challenging. My partner was better equipped for the weather, so I ended up soaked — but it didn’t ruin my mood. I wasn’t the only one soaked, and the evening promised a culinary Michelin-level experience. The Andrea Fenoglio restaurant isn’t large but is very cozy. Chef Andrea greets every guest and helps with meal choices. I won’t tease your taste buds, but he definitely deserves his star, and I must return to please my palate once again. We finished the evening with a lovely walk to the hotel, soaking up the beautiful warm night atmosphere.

On the penultimate day, we visited the botanical gardens at Trauttmansdorff Castle, where the mentioned Sissi once stayed. The garden is full of surprises — from aviaries and rope bridges to a pond filled with water lilies and huge koi carp. We didn’t expect to spend the whole morning there, but it was totally worth it. After a good lunch, we had to stock up on fresh apples from this year’s harvest and other Italian delicacies. On the way back to the hotel, we passed by the Merano racecourse. Were there races? There were! So our afternoon program was set. Entry is only 5 EUR and it was quite packed. A friend of ours is a horse racing expert and highly recommended the visit. The track is huge and featured both flat and steeplechase races. I was surprised by the number of Czech horses and jockeys on the start line. I just regret that we didn’t place any bets — we had a surprisingly good instinct for winners. In the third race, jockey Faltejsek won on the magnificent horse Northerly Wind. The atmosphere was electric — cheering, gasps of awe… the passionate southerners lived it with all their hearts.

Unfortunately, a day is too short for so many experiences, and it was time to pack. We took one last walk along the promenade and said goodbye to Merano. The next day we headed home, but we definitely have much more left to explore — and we will surely return. Maybe even this year — to ski. We’ll see… maybe the story will continue…