This January I decided to organize a weekend in South Tyrol (Italy) since, funnily enough, I’ve traveled a lot in my life but I’ve never visited this region before; I focused so that I could be “initiated” into my Trentino experience visiting one of its most famous and gorgeous areas.
WHERE TO STAY IN MERANO
Jacuzzi – imperial Art Hotel
ImperialArt Hotel, in the very heart of Merano, immediately stood up in my researches since it’s one of the most appreciated hotels in South Tyrol.
Samantha is the sweetest, most welcoming concierge I’ve ever met and she took an amazing care of us before and during our stay. She organized for us a true “ImperialArt experience” suggesting the best spots in town and providing an incredibly charming penthouse for our stay.
The boutique hotel is considered “small but wow!” due to its dimensions and the glorious artistic interior decorations; it features 12 art rooms, designed by 3 South Tyrolean artists which made every one of them extremely unique. See all the art rooms HERE.
Our room was “Penthouse Thermae” which presents a delicate and sophisticated design, a Jacuzzi on the terrace and beautiful bright lighting.
Small details in the penthouse like the warm heated floor, personal yoga mats and foam roller, a selection of the best South Tyrol wines, apple ciders and organic juices made our experience even cozier and authentic.
The Jacuzzi was so enjoyable and romantic that we decided to spend a whole evening relaxing on the terrace, sipping on Apple Cider while watching the sunset.
In-room breakfast 
Penthouse Thermae – Imperial Art Hotel 
Terrace’s Jacuzzi – Penthouse Thermae 
Sachertorte
In the morning, enjoy a super buffet breakfast in the hotel’s bar or order in-room service with your tablet (each room as one) to have all delivered to your door! Besides the delicious pastries and tasty cakes, I particularly appreciated the presence of very healthy super foods like pumpkin and flax seeds, and fresh made fruit juices (Ginger? Yes please!).
ImperialArt Bar
I couldn’t be happier with the outstanding hospitality shown by Samantha and with the centrality of this boutique gem. I extremely recommend staying here if you are planning on visiting Merano and you’re looking for a romantic nest.
If you are looking for more adventurous activities, check this out.
If you wanna relax and recharge, I have wonderful news for you! For each day staying at ImperialArt you’ll get a FREE VIP DAY PASS per person at the renowned Merano Therme. Isn’t this freaking awesome? We totally took advantage of our passes!
THERME MERANO
I was so excited to check out this place and it actually exceeded the expectations. The place is a 2 minutes walk from ImperialArt hotel, which provided us each with a super useful bag of towels, flip-flops and bathrobes (soooo convenient!).
We visited on a Friday, the place was warm and not overly crowded; the harmonious interior design was conceived by the world-famous architect Matteo Thun.
My favorite part was indeed the nudist sauna area, with South Tyrolean Organic Hay sauna, Caldarium, Finnish Sauna, Snow Room and so much more.
Once done with our wellness afternoon, we relaxed at the sauna’s bar sipping on freshly made veggies and fruit’s juices (and a Veneziano Aperol Spritz!).
I honestly can’t wait to be back in this complex since I experienced many different spas and thermal baths but this one set the bar way higher.
WHERE TO EAT IN MERANO (for all budgets)
Therme Meran 
Panna Cotta and -7* Chocolate
– Sissi of Andrea Fenoglio: 1 Michelin-Star classy restaurant with a 1900′ design.
Since it wasn’t my first experience in a starred restaurant I’m going to be very honest with you guys! The atmosphere was very spartan and silent, it made me feel very uncomfortable and put me in a very bad mood. BUT! Besides the vibes the food was truly unforgettable.
I had the Truffle spinach gnocchi with cheese, which was one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten. My boyfriend Robby had the Wild boar tataki with vinaigrette and mushroom lamellae (Tataki di cinghiale con vinaigrette e lamelle di funghi) and the Venison’s fillet of with blueberry sauce, taggiasche olives and savoy cabbage puree (Filetto di cervo in salsa di mirtilli, olive taggiasche e purè di verza).
We spent around 140 euros for 2 aperitifs (Kir Royale), 1 glass of dessert wine, 1 appetizer, 1 main course, 1 second-course, 2 desserts.
– Vinothek Relax Pizzeria: we had two bomb pizzas with mushrooms and speck.
45 euros for 2 pizzas, 1 soda, 1 water, 2 desserts. A little pricey (our dessert cost 10 euros each!) but definitely recommended for the yummy thin-crust pizzas.
– Forsterbräu: easy and open till late, this is one of the best spots in town. We had traditional sausages, würstels, sauerkrauts and fries.
24 euros for 2 plates + water.
We didn’t try these two places (blame it on the lack of time) but our ImperialArt hotel recommended:
– Sigmund: traditional South Tyrol food.
– 357 Pizza and Food: Gourmet Pizza with a twist!
MERANO 2000
Besides being very popular for its thermal baths, Merano is also really well-known for the Merano 2000 mountains’ ski basins, located just a few kilometers from the city center.
Parking by the ropeway’s entrance is free. To check all the passes’ prices click here.
Merano 2000
If you know me a little, you know I’m not a “mountain kind of girl”. I appreciate rocks and the desert immenseley (it’s actually my favorite environment!), but everything that involves snow and cold is extremely out of my comfort zone.
Sooo.. You can guess how comfortable I was getting on a ropeway to reach the ski area. I was totally whining.
BUT, if you’re not crazy like me you’ll actually enjoy this place really much.
Tagliatelle al Cinghiale 
Bombardino
We hiked a little (there are different walking paths available… no way I was going to ski!) and had lunch at Rotwandhütte Rifugio, where we enjoyed great South Tyrol wine, tagliatelle with deer and the famous “Bombardino”, which is a bomb shot made of egg not and brandy, and is considered very useful to replenish tired skiers. I also suggest you to stop by and eat something at Piffinger Köpfl Mountain inn, which, even though is more crowded, has a very characteristic interior design.
You can find more info about Merano 2000 here.
SCHENNA- SCENA
A beautiful scenary of Meran and the Alps can be admired from the nearby village of Schenna, which has a really privileged position above the valley. We quickly stopped by here to get some nice shots, but you can find more info about this beautiful little town here.
I hope to come back here during Spring or Summer to experience different activities (and a warmer weather hehe!). A special thanks to Imperial Art Hotel that made this weekend so relaxing and unforgettable for us!
See you guys on the next article!
If South Tyrol is your passion, check out:
Ire
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