Hotel with panoramic views in Schenna above Merano: a front-row seat at Hohenwart
There are many hotels with views in South Tyrol. And then there are places where the location is more than a beautiful panorama. Hotel Hohenwart in Schenna above Merano is one of them.
From here, it is not only Merano that lies at your feet. Schenna itself becomes part of the view too: the church hill with its mausoleum, the castle hill with Schenna Castle, the rooftops of the village, the floor of the Adige Valley, the side valley towards Ulten, the Texel Group and the wide opening towards the Vinschgau Valley. At Hohenwart, you do not simply look out at the landscape. You are within it and, at the same time, slightly above it.
Perhaps that is exactly what makes Hohenwart’s location so special. It gives a sense of space without creating distance. It opens the view without losing the feeling of place. And it makes tangible what has shaped Hohenwart for generations: the feeling of being at home among friends, high above Schenna and Merano. The place that lasts.
A hotel above Schenna and Merano
Hohenwart is set in Schenna, in a sunny, elevated position above the spa town of Merano. When you arrive here, you quickly realise that this location connects two worlds.
Below lies Merano, with its promenades, arcades, gardens, mild climate and the distinctive atmosphere of a spa town. All around are vineyards, apple orchards, traditional Waalwege irrigation-channel paths and mountains. And directly below the hotel lies Schenna itself: familiar, lively and grown over time, with its church hill, mausoleum and Schenna Castle.
Hohenwart is not remote. And yet it rises above the everyday. Close enough to experience Merano and Schenna whenever you wish. High enough to feel quiet, light and space. This is where that particular feeling of having a front-row seat begins: you see what makes this place special, while remaining in the calm of the hotel.
More than Merano at your feet
People often speak of the view over Merano. At Hohenwart, that is certainly true. From the terrace, the Bellavista terrace, reception, the rooms, the VistaSpa and many other places in the hotel, the view opens wide across the spa town, the Adige Valley and the surrounding mountains.
But Hohenwart’s panorama begins even closer. It begins with Schenna itself.
From the Saletta, the view through the large glass front looks towards the church hill and the mausoleum. From the relaxation room in the VistaSpa, you look down towards the village and the castle. From the terrace, Schenna, Merano, the valley and the mountains come together in a single image. And already on arrival at the Bellavista terrace, where guests first drive up to the hotel, this special perspective begins to unfold.
It is more than a view. It gives orientation. You see where you are. You recognise the village, the town, the landscape and the mountains. And with every glance, it becomes clearer why Hohenwart stands exactly here.
When Schenna looks up to Hohenwart
Hohenwart’s special location also includes the opposite perspective. It is not only Hohenwart that looks down towards Schenna. Schenna looks up to Hohenwart too.
The main house, with its pitched roof and dark, weathered wooden façade, stands visibly above the village. Anyone walking along the Mitterplattweg, strolling through Schenna or driving along Schenna road and the road to Verdins towards Hohenwart can see this façade from afar. It has become part of the village landscape. A fixed point. A familiar presence, almost monumental.
In Schenna, there is the church hill. There is the castle hill. And then there is Hohenwart, rising almost like a third village hill above the place. A high vantage point in the truest sense. A house that lives up to its name.
That is also why many local people hope this image will remain: the main house with its strong silhouette, dark timber, clear roofline and quiet presence above the village. Hohenwart is not just a hotel in Schenna. It is part of Schenna.
A view that shapes the whole hotel
Hohenwart’s special location is not only visible from a few scenic viewpoints. It shapes the whole hotel.
Almost all rooms face south. Their balconies look out across Schenna, Merano, the valley and the mountains. On the terrace, there is not a single seat without a view. To one side, the eye wanders across Merano and the broad Adige Valley below. To the other, the imposing mountain formations of the Texel Group become part of the scene.
In the VistaSpa too, the location becomes part of the experience. On the rooftop terrace, in the brine pool, in the panoramic sauna and in the relaxation room, the landscape is always present. Wide glass surfaces bring light, sky, mountains and village into the interior. The gaze becomes calmer. The breath deeper. The mind more open.
The Saletta tells the story of this location in its own way. Slightly tucked away, quiet and modern, with its large rounded glass front, it feels almost like a small panoramic sphere above Schenna. A special space for private celebrations, atmospheric evenings and moments in which the view becomes part of the experience.
And even where you might not expect it, the strength of this location reveals itself: on the yoga platform at House Christine, on the Bellavista terrace on arrival, at reception with its direct view towards the castle, and even at the children’s playground. There, while the children play, the village, the Texel Group and the valley appear from a surprisingly beautiful perspective. A small Hohenwart insider tip, with benches where you can pause for a while.
Openness, freedom and generosity
A hotel with panoramic views can mean many things. At Hohenwart, it means more than seeing far into the distance. It means that this sense of space becomes part of the holiday feeling.
At breakfast on the terrace, the day opens out before you. Over an aperitif, the evening light colours the mountains. In the relaxation room of the VistaSpa, sometimes a single glance outside is enough to feel quieter within. On the balcony, a brief moment becomes a pause. And when you arrive in front of reception, you understand at once why this place feels different.
This location is a promise of openness, freedom and generosity. Nothing feels narrow. The gaze is free to wander. Thoughts are allowed to slow down. You are up high, but not detached. Close to Schenna and Merano, and yet at the same time slightly above them.
That is the strength of Hohenwart as a front-row seat. You are not away from the scene. You are part of the landscape, but with one of the finest views of it.
Sunsets above Schenna
The location becomes especially striking in the evening. When the sun sinks lower, the whole picture changes. The Texel Group becomes clearer, the valley softer, Merano begins to glow and Schenna is wrapped in warm light.
From Hohenwart, you can experience some of the most beautiful sunsets in Schenna. On particular days in spring and autumn, the sun sets exactly in the V-shaped opening between Mount Zielspitz and Vigiljoch. From here, this natural spectacle can be seen with particular clarity. For a moment, it feels as though the landscape itself becomes a stage, and Hohenwart its front-row seat.
These are the moments that stay with you. A red glow you had not gone looking for. A play of colour that simply happens. A natural spectacle glimpsed by chance, becoming a memory you never forget.
A place that changes the way you see
Hohenwart’s location is difficult to describe in a single sentence. It is a panoramic view over Merano. It is a village view of Schenna. It is a mountain view towards the Texel Group. It is sunset, southern light, the breadth of the valley and the familiar silhouette of a house watching over the village.
But it is also a feeling.
At Hohenwart, the view becomes more open. You see Merano and Schenna, town and village, valley and mountain, closeness and space. You look out, and at the same time you arrive. That is what makes this place so special.
Hohenwart is the front-row seat above Schenna and Merano. A house with a view. A house with character. A house that knows its place.
The place that lasts.