The Sissi Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle

The Gardens of Sissi in the Trauttmansdorff Castle are located in Merano, where a mild climate and a wealth of southern vegetation can sometimes work wonders. Already around the middle of the 19th century, physicians took advantage of this when they were treating spa guests seeking recreation. The most prominent visitor was the Austrian empress Sissi, who actually used Trauttmansdorff Castle as her winter residence.

Today, the botanic garden extends around this historical building, with an area of 12 hectares divided in more than 80 gardens featuring a collection of plants from all over the world and surrounded by a wonderful scenery. The botanic garden stretches over a height difference of more than 100 meters and forms a natural terraced amphitheatre from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding Alpine landscape, of the beautiful spa resort of Merano, and of the exotic and Mediterranean world of the botanical garden itself.

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The Gardens

The Sissi Botanical Garden extends all around Trauttmansdorff Castle.

Surrounded by an oak forest, the garden, which benefits from the unique climatic conditions of the area, covers an area of twelve hectares, where nature and art come together in an aesthetically pleasing combination, various flowering seasons, numerous sensory stations and a variety of events make a visit to the Sissi Gardens a unique experience for all ages.

Because of this successful blend of nature and art and the innovative spirit behind it, they were voted "Most Beautiful Park in Italy" in 2005 and the following year they were awarded the ambitious title of "Garden of Europe No. 6".

The first exotic plants were brought to Merano over 150 years ago to embellish the large parks and gardens of the spa town. The plants collected in the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, also known as the Sissi Gardens, are arranged according to their place of origin, highlighting the relationships between natural vegetation, climate, soil and human influences.

The Gardens are divided into four large thematic areas: the Woods of the World, where deciduous and coniferous trees of American and Far Eastern origin alternate; the Sun Gardens, which fascinate with Mediterranean plants; the Water and Terraced Gardens, which present versatile creative creations with ups and downs and waterways; and finally the Landscapes of South Tyrol, where the crops that shape the local territory are represented.

The Park also has several multi-sensory stations: the Geological Mosaic, to learn about the world of rocks in the Austrian Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino; the Bridge of Adventures, a suspended bridge; the Beehive; the Dragonfly Clock, which illustrates the variety and flight periods of these insects; the Cave with the multimedia show; the Sounding Rock, where the effect of echo is reproduced; the Underground Kingdom of Plants; the Greenhouse with tropical plants, insects and lizards from all over the world; the showcase of the Alpenzoo of Innsbruck, a terrarium with specimens of Aesculapius' coluber; the Garden Fauna with different animals such as rabbits, sheep, peacocks...; the Sounds of Wood, to learn about the different varieties of wood; the Lovers' Garden, a circular path dedicated to falling in love, among plants and works of art.

How to get to Sissi Gardens

How to get there by car
From Bolzano take the dual carriageway Merano-Bolzano or the Resia Pass. Exit at Merano Sud and follow the signs to the centre. At the second roundabout, turn towards Scena and continue for about 2 km until you reach the car park of the gardens. There are 345 parking spaces available here for a fee (€3.5 per day), 7 parking spaces for the disabled and 9 free spaces for tourist coaches.

How to get there on foot
The gardens can be reached from the centre of Merano along the Sissi Path. Length: 3 km. Walking time: 45 minutes.

How to get there by train
All national and international trains run from Bolzano railway station. From here, take the regional train to Merano. Once in Merano, continue on foot along the Sissi Trail or use the regular bus service.

How to get there by bus
From the train station in Merano, there are two lines to the Sissi Gardens, line 4 and line 1B.

How to get there by plane
Charter and non-scheduled flights currently arrive and depart from Bolzano. A private company provides a helicopter shuttle service to and from international airports (Munich, Verona, Innsbruck,...).

The nearest airport is Verona, from where there are both public and private transport services to the train station.