Meran's Old town center
Meran owes its captivating charm its famous arcades named Lauben (de) or Portici (it). When you walk along the upper Freiheitsstraße or along the Promenade next to the river Passer you may think you are living in a flowery Garden Paradise. The Kornplatz, the former market square of the old town, the Rennweg with the former Convent of the Poor Clares (Klarissenkloster), the Capuchin Monastery, the former Posthotel “Sonne”, and the "Graf von Meran” - probably the oldest hotel in town, do all impress visitors because of their significant histories. The two town gates, the "Vinschgauer Tor" and the "Bozner Tor", indicate where the oldtown walls once stood and are important monuments of Meran.
shopping, tourism and services in the old town
The old town has a wide range of shopping options. Young and dynamic businesses and long-established family businesses work side by side to keep our old town attractive. Their friendly way to serve tourists is well known as well as their attention to the needs of the local people. Numerous restaurants are on hand to pamper you with food and drink, while cafés and excellent pastry shops tempt you to treat yourself.
Not only a transit zone
Limited traffic area and transit zone.
The oldtown of meran is still open to unrestricted traffic: until 1976, traffic from the Passeiertal valley passed through the Porta Passiria into the historic center. Today, almost a thousand city and intercity buses, a considerable part of the city traffic, and transit traffic travel along the Via delle Corse and Piazza del Grano, and then pass under the small gate of the oldtown. Only the Vicolo dei Portici, Corso della Libertà and Via Galilei have restricted traffic, while Via Cassa di Risparmio is a pedestrian zone.
To the NewsVia delle Corse, Portici and much more!
The oldtown center from it's chocolate side
“If you want to show your chocolate side, you don't necessarily have to give away sweets”. In the old town you can find good mixture of culture and town life. Every year, cultural and music associations offer a full range of events. The most famous are the Südtirol Festival Merano. Meran and the Merano Wine Festival. Further highlights are the Theatre of the old town (“Theater in der Altstadt”), Südtirol Classic and the Asfaltart - Street Art Festival.
To the galleryHistory from 1317 to...
As the seat of the Counts of Tyrol, Meran becomes the capital of Tyrol. Meran was joined with the Steinach settlement under the Ortenstein Castle, with its walls probably started in 1280. The walls were first mentioned in the town charter, which was renewed in 1317. According to Franz-Heinz Hye, the wall's 800 m length was so extraordinary for Tyrol and was only achieved through the secondary inclusion of Steinach and a small settlement to the west. Evidence of inner gates is missing, however..." (Thomas Biller). It was Meinhard II who built the Arcades (Laubengasse) in the middle of the 13th century for the purpose of connecting Pfarrplatz with Kornplatz. During Meran's time as the capital of Tyrol, the Arcades were the centre for the town's trade and craftsmen. From the 14th century with the construction of Galileistraße, the Arcades were divided into the upper “Berglauben” and lower “Wasserlauben”
To the history1420
Duke of Austria and Count of Tyrol Frederick IV (“of the empty pockets”) relocates his residence to Innsbruck. Meran begins to decline, leading to poverty and insignificance.
1525
Under the leadership of Michael Gaismair, there happen peasant riots all over Tyrol. A gang of 2,000 farmers invade Meran and lay waste to the convent of the Poor Clares founded in 1309
1617
The Capuchins open a monastery on Rennweg and introduce the Passion Plays.
1724
The Benedictine school in Meran is founded. For this purpose, the abbey acquires the Lebenbrunn Residence on Rennweg.
From A to B
Limited traffic area and transit zone.
The Rennweg begins at the Vinschgauer Tor and ends at the Theaterplatz. Characteristic are its predominantly narrow sidewalks, the medieval oriels of its buildings and the Kornplatz opposite the Laubenaufgang. Its name derives from former knights' games. Many an interesting store can be found here. Small cafes offer freshly prepared snacks at lunchtime. The Aristongallerie with its many small stores and the cinema of our district leads into the Rennweg.
We thank you for your donations, that we need to maintain the website!
Donations account: IT21U0811258591000303288048