Around Marlengo & Merano

The neo-gothic parish church of Maria Himmelfahrt, built in the XIX century, dominates the view in the centre of Marlengo. The bell tower and the side chapel are part of the original XIII century construction. A visitor from Sesley, England, fell in love with the construction so much that the church design has been copied for a similar construction in his hometown.

The Filialkirche St. Felix in der Nörder (originally erected in 1251) is right next to the Aqualis Residence, above the Waalweg. The building incorporates a water source in the floor of the main nave. This water is thought to have special therapeutic properties.

The Monteleone castle (Lebenberg in German) is situated over Cermes. The manor is one of the biggest and best preserved in South Tyrol. It is surrounded by an elaborate rococo garden, which is quite uncommon for this area. Part of the castle is not inhabited and has been converted into a museum of medieval weapons. Of particular interest is the large fresco in the chevaliers’ hall. The castle is open from March to October.

The Trauttmansdorff castle in Merano, South Tyrol, hosts the Museum of tourism, also known as Touriseum, which shows the history of tourism in Alto Adige. A large botanic garden has been created around it across a surface of 12 hectares. The garden, divided into 83 sectors, host as many as 5400 varieties of plants. The castle is also famous for having been the home of empress “Sissi” during one of her visits to the thermal city.

The entire region owes its name to this manor near Merano, which used to be home to the Tyrol Counts. The original building was erected in the year 1100. The structure was then enlarged possibly around 1139-40. A third construction period was ordered by Count Meinardo II halfway through the XIII century. The castle has been home to the Tyrolean Area Princes until 1420. The castle now hosts the regional museum, which shows the history of this land. The local bird preservation centre is right next to the castle.

World famous extreme climber Reinhold Messner has devoted his life to climbing and, with equal passion, has recently developed his own museum project across five different locations: the 5 Messner Mountain Museums (MMM).
The main MMM branch is at Castel Firmiano near Bolzano. The museum deals with the theme: man and the mountain.

• The Solda museum under the Ortles, at 1900 m., is underground and deals with the theme of ice and glaciers.
• The myth of the mountain is dealt with at the Juval castle in val Venosta. Numerous artistic collections are also to be found here as part of the museum.
• The Monte Rite (2181 m) is in the heart of the Dolomites, between Pieve di Cadore and Cortina d‘Ampezzo. A stunning 360° view of the most spectacular part of the Dolomites can be enjoyed from its peak. The museum is hosted in an old fort and deals with the theme of “the rock” also showing the history of alpinism in the Dolomites.
• The fifth museum in the Brunico castle, Val Pusteria, deals with mountain populations.