Passeggiata Tappeiner

The Tappeiner Promenade follows the sunny Küchelberg slope above Merano, combining landscaped paths with a varied botanical collection.

Why it matters

The promenade belongs to Merano’s history as a spa town, where landscaped paths formed part of the therapeutic environment. Its planting combines species from different climates, including Himalayan cedars, cork oaks, agaves and prickly pears, giving the Küchelberg slope a Mediterranean character.

What to notice

Along the promenade are the medieval Pulverturm, once used for gunpowder storage, and grooves in the gneiss left by glaciers. A monument with a bust of Franz Tappeiner commemorates the physician and botanist who endowed the path. Its botanical features include South Tyrol’s public herb garden, established in 2002 with about 230 culinary and aromatic species, and the Ladurnergarten, planted from 1907 with Mediterranean scrub vegetation. A scented garden includes mountain laurel, a rarity in the region.

Context and history

Dr. Franz Tappeiner (1816–1902), born in Laas in the Vinschgau, was a spa physician, anthropologist and botanist who became one of Merano's greatest benefactors; he endowed the promenade in 1892. The promenade was built in three sections, in 1893, 1911 and 1928, and extends toward Gratsch near St. Peter. Cypresses and pines, together with Mediterranean and subtropical plants, give the sunny slope its distinctive character.