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A milestone, Ötzi and a waterfall
Things to see and do in Partschins, Meran & the Vinschgau Valley
The Roman milestone and carter’s fare at the entrance to the Hanswirt are evidence of the long historical significance of the areas around Rabland, Partschins, Meran and the Vinschgau Valley. There are numerous attractions waiting to be discovered here, from the Partschins waterfall to the place where Ötzi was found high above the Schnalstal Valley.
Partschins. The holiday area of Partschins, Rabland and Töll is located just 8 kilometres from Meran. The sun shines around 300 days a year here, which makes it a popular place to holiday. The villages nestle between the Sonnenberg and Nörderberg mountains, both accessible by cable car up to an altitude of 1,544 metres. The emblem of Partschins is its waterfall, at 97 metres the highest in South Tyrol. It not only makes an impressive spectacle; the high humidity and evaporation cooling improves the gas exchange in the lungs and strengthens the immune system.
Explore Ötzi’s native soil. The oldest of our ancestors lived some 5,000 years ago in the Copper-Stone Age and was found in 1991 – with an arrowhead in his shoulder – in the ice on the Hauslabjoch Pass above the Schnalstal Valley. The ArcheoParc in the village of Unser Frau in Schnals is dedicated to the famous glacier mummy. A reconstructed Stone Age village lets visitors shoot a bow and arrow, practise their pottery skills and watch copper smelting. The cable car running up to the Schnalser glacier (a ski area in both winter and summer) arrives close to the place where Ötzi was discovered.
Meran and environs. With walking paths, promenades and Waalwege, ranging in altitude from 300 metres around Meran all the way up to the 3000-metre peaks of the Texel Group Nature Park, Meran and its environs represent a paradise for walkers and mountaineers alike. The Hochmut cable car will take you up to the Meran high-mountain trail in the Texel Group, while the Vigiljoch and Meran 2000 cable cars bring you to the cooler mountain pastures in summer.
Explore Meran on foot. There are castles, palaces and stately residences everywhere you look, attesting to the historic significance of Meran when it was the first city of Tyrol. The mild climate is ideal for cypresses, oleanders, palms and vines to thrive. Those who could afford it would take the waters in and around Meran at the turn of the last century; you too can enjoy the wonderful year-round climate.
Stately residences, castles and historic buildings all characterise the village, and can be visited on weekly tours. Not to be missed are the Roman milestone on the Via Claudia Augusta just outside the Hanswirt, the Roman tombstone and the typewriter museum, dedicated to its inventor, Peter Mitterhofer from Partschins. Other attractions include the Railway World featuring the land of South Tyrol in miniature, and the museum at Bad Egart dedicated to Royal and Imperial Austria-Hungary with a huge collection of old items. Prehistoric cupstones can be found along the Sagenweg (Trail of Legends). Other popular and well-signposted themed trails are the Peter Mitterhofer culture trail, the Jakobsweg (St. James Way) and the Forest Trail.
The Vinschgau Valley Culture
beneath the glaciers:
The Martel Valley and the Stilsferjoch (Stelvio) Pass are also close to the “eternal ice”. The Ortler massif is South Tyrol’s highest mountain and its icy splendour attracts hikers, motorists and climbers. There are climbing walls in Naturns and Schnals for young and old alike to tackle. The lovely valley landscape is a charming counterpart to the bare mountains; a special attraction is the quarry at Laas with its world-famous white marble. The Vinschgau Valley offers many beautiful places all just waiting to be discovered. Sacred treasures from the Romanesque era, special beauty and numerous pleasures all await visitors.
