Our discovery tour through Merano starts at the Piazza della Stazione, in front of the train station, where the Val Venosta Train and those coming from Bolzano stop. On the opposite side of the square, there is a huge monument of Andreas Hofer, a freedom fighter, behind which the Via Meinhard road starts. We follow this avenue towards east to the Piazza del Grano square (Kornplatz). This is where the heart of the historic district of Merano starts. We traverse the Via delle Corse (Rennweg) and continue the Portici, the shopping mall of Merano in the centre. Food, souvenirs, clothing or other items of daily use, this is where you find almost everything. At the end of the Portici, there is the big St. Nicholas Church. After having visited this church, we continue through the Leonardo Da -Vinci road via the Ponte della Posta bridge, crossing the Passirio river. On the left, there is the Elizabeth park with a statue of the empress Sissi, surrounded by high trees.

Back on the other side of the bridge, we walk the Winter Promenade (Winterpromenade). The rushing water, the mild temperatures and the tranquillity in the historic town make us wish for a coffee break, and there is also the possibility to enjoy a moment of silence. Afterwards our walk takes us to the promenade along the river, up to the Roman brige, the so-called "Steinerner Steg". We traverse the Passirio river and continue on the other side, the Summer Promenade (Sommerpromenade). On the Via Salita alla Chiesa road we reach the Piazza Fontana square, the centre of Maia Alta (Obermais). Past the Reichenbach residence we continue through the "Enge Gasse" (narrow alley) and the Via Christomannos alley to the castles of Rubein and Pienzenau, only a stone's throw from the Trauttmansdorff castle and the famous Botanic Gardens.

The almost 4 km long path through Merano can be done in about one hour of walking, but it really deserves more time in order to fully enjoy the beautiful façades, monuments and promenades of the city, and to make the one or other stop at the shops of Merano and to visit some of its bars and taverns. Culmination is of course a visit of the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff castle and the Touriseum, museum of tourism. For the way back you can comfortably take the bus.