Following in the footsteps from history of Meran

Merano, with almost 37,000 inhabitants, is the second largest town in South Tyrol after the provincial capital Bolzano and, as an international spa resort, is much better-known than its nearby, larger neighbour. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Adige and Passiria, it takes its name from nearby Tyrol Castle, the historic residence of the Counts of Tyrol. The town remained in their possession until 1363 when the last of the family, Margarethe Maultasch who had no direct heirs, gave all her estate to the Habsburg dynasty. Merano enjoys a fine reputation as a health resort nowadays mainly because of its delightfully mild climate and is known for its spa waters and grape cure.

The name of Sissi, the popular Austro-Hungarian Empress, has long been associated with the history of Merano and its development as an international spa resort and, in 1903 the town decided to honour its famous guest with a white marble statue in the Elisabeth Park. Merano now also has a Sissi Walk which meanders through the Empress`s favourite parts of town and a museum of tourism, the Touriseum, housed in Trauttmansdorff Castle where Sissi and her family twice stayed.