Maia Alta (Obermais) is Merano's elegant villa district. Beautiful stately homes lie hidden behind hedges and garden walls, giving the district its unique charm. Located east of the Passirio River, the valley floor here transitions towards the Montescena and the Montefranco.

The district also includes Labers and the Val di Nova with the valley station of the Merano 2000 Cable Car, which whisks you up to the skiing and hiking area of the same name. Even in earlier times, the nobility appreciated this area. The castles and manor houses of Maia Alta bear witness to this and some can be visited. Foremost among them is Trauttmansdorff Castle, which today houses the South Tyrol Museum of Tourism. Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sisi, once resided here, coming to Merano for spa treatments several times with her daughters.

Below the castle stretch the Botanic Gardens. All this is within easy reach on foot via the Sisi Path, which leads from Merano's old town up to the castle. Other notable sites include Pienzenau Castle, a training centre, Rubein Castle, and Rametz Castle with its Wine Museum. At the Villa Freischütz, you can admire the Franz Fromm art collection and the "Garden of Living Silence".

Hikes, such as the mountain tour to the Monte Ivigna, or a trip to the hamlet of Santa Caterina, can be perfectly combined with a traditional Toerggele evening in autumn. In winter, the cable car from the Val di Nova takes you to Merano 2000 - your destination for skiing and tobogganing.