It’s time to catch the spring blooms at the Gardens of Castel Trauttmansdorff, and also the temporary exhibition spotlighting succulent plants. Dubbed "Succu... what?" this exhibition showcases the remarkable diversity and ingenious survival tactics of plants like cacti, euphorbias, aloes, and agaves, highlighting their practicality in providing delectable fruits, medicinal compounds, durable fibres, and even liqueurs.
Evening guided tours and live music
Visitors can delve into the plant world of the Gardens alongside an expert guide. From April to May, the guided tour "Love in Bloom - Eros in the Plant World" lasting 120 minutes, and costing €11 (excluding the entrance fee) requires booking at least three weeks in advance. And throughout the season the Gardens have a diverse lineup of events including "Evenings in the Gardens" featuring the World Music Festival with high-calibre artists. On Fridays in June, July, and August, the Gardens will stay open until 11 pm for "Trauttmansdorff in the Evening". These evening guided tours will unveil new facets of the botanical garden bathed in the soft twilight glow, and from mid-June, the Café della Palme near the Water Lilies Pond will host extended aperitif sessions with live music.
Captivating vistas and the castle of the Empress Sissi
Spread across four thematic areas, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle on over 12 hectares, are a natural amphitheatre, spanning over a 100-meter altitude difference, offering captivating vistas of the surrounding mountains and the city of Merano at every turn, seamlessly integrating into the surrounding natural environment. At the heart of the Gardens stands Castel Trauttmansdorff, once the winter residence of the beloved Empress Elisabeth, better known as Sissi. Today, the castle houses the Touriseum, the South Tyrolean provincial tourism museum narrating 250 years of Alpine tourism history.
