November in Schenna: when autumn grows quiet
The luxury of doing nothing
November in Merano and environs invites you to slow down and take your time: to enjoy the luxury of sleeping a little longer, with nowhere you need to rush off to afterwards. Instead, there is time to watch the soft morning light, savour the stillness of an unhurried start to the day and let your gaze wander from mountain peaks gleaming white in the sunshine to the deep-red leaves still clinging here and there to the trees.
Before Advent begins filling the diary again, November offers a kind of quiet that has become rare. You can pause, breathe and allow yourself to do nothing at all – and truly rest. It is a welcome break before the Christmas rush, when body and mind need concern themselves with nothing else.
Schenna grows quieter, but it does not hibernate
The stillness of late autumn certainly does not mean that Schenna has already gone into hibernation. Even in November, popular walking routes and excursion destinations remain easy to reach.
From 11 November to 6 December, the Taser cable car takes walkers up to Schennaberg, high above the village, from Wednesday to Sunday. At the top, well-maintained paths lead through the late-autumn landscape, past larches and meadows and towards ever-changing, wide-open views.
The valley station is only a few minutes away on the local hiking bus: simply board at the nearby “Hilburger” stop and, six minutes later, you are ready to take the cable car. Guests staying at Hotel Hohenwart also receive the Südtirol Guest Pass, which includes free travel on the Schenna guest bus and public transport throughout South Tyrol. Thanks to the village’s excellent connections, it is just as easy to plan a walk down to Merano as it is to set out on an excursion from elsewhere in Merano and environs.
Arriving by plane is equally straightforward: a year-round transfer service connects Bolzano Airport directly with Hohenwart. The winter rates are particularly attractive: from 8 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, a one-way journey costs €15 per person, while a return journey costs €20. Guests arriving by public transport or air can also use our electric car free of charge for one day.
Game.Wine.Music (6 to 22 November)
What could be lovelier than spending time together, perhaps taking a short walk before settling down to a delicious game dish? Or enjoying the quiet of the day before ending the evening with atmospheric music and specialities inspired by the forest and local game?
From 6 to 22 November, Schenna celebrates the flavours of late autumn. Participating inns and restaurants serve selected game dishes and seasonal specialities: from venison ragout and saddle of roe deer to mushroom dishes, accompanied by carefully chosen local wines.
On selected dates, singing, instrumental music, accordion melodies and readings also fill the dining rooms. Game.Wine.Music brings the flavours of late autumn together with convivial evenings and Schenna’s lively tradition of hospitality.
November at Hohenwart
With music, literary encounters and culinary traditions, November at Hohenwart has several special occasions in store.
Sunday brunch with live music (8 November)
The programme begins with a leisurely Sunday brunch. Time, after all, is one of life’s loveliest luxuries – especially when it is spent with the people you love, being spoiled with good food and letting an entire morning drift by over pleasant conversation, fine flavours and music.
From 8.30 to 11 a.m., savoury specialities, freshly prepared egg dishes, sweet treats, cappuccino, tea and a glass of Prosecco await, while music accompanies the morning.
St Martin’s goose dinner (11 November)
On St Martin’s Day, children in many towns and villages carry their handmade lanterns through the darkness. At Hohenwart, another much-loved tradition returns: the St Martin’s goose dinner.
Chef Maurizio and his kitchen brigade create a festive menu centred on the traditional roast goose, combining familiar autumn flavours with refined culinary surprises.
Game.Wine.Music at Hohenwart (14 November)
From 6 p.m., the group Die Wetterhexen sets the mood with a musical aperitif. From 7 p.m., we serve a menu of fine game dishes.
At the heart of the evening is genuine craftsmanship: subject to availability, we source whole game animals and our kitchen brigade uses every part with care. The result is an autumn evening perfectly in tune with the season – an informal, convivial dinner where the rich flavours of game meet selected wines. A culinary masterstroke, enjoyed in the warmth of our traditional wood-panelled Stube and accompanied by the Alpine folk music of Die Wetterhexen.
Traditional fish dinner (24 November)
First introduced to mark Hohenwart’s 50th anniversary, the fish dinner has since become an integral part of late autumn at the hotel. Popular with guests and locals alike, it showcases specialities from the sea and freshwater alongside the culinary skill of Hohenwart’s kitchen team.
The evening begins with an aperitif, followed by a lavish fish buffet featuring hot and cold delicacies and live cooking. The highlight comes next: a five-course fish menu.
Merano: fine wine and the magic of light
Just a few kilometres downhill, Merano shows that November also has an elegant, international side.
Merano WineFestival (6 to 10 November)
From 6 to 10 November, Merano’s Kurhaus becomes a meeting place for the international world of wine and gastronomy. At its 35th edition, more than 700 exhibitors and over 10,000 visitors come together – producers, trade professionals and wine lovers from many countries.
Since 1992, the Merano WineFestival has been defined by its exacting selection process. The wines and gourmet products on show are assessed in advance by tasting panels, while the WineHunter Award serves as an important mark of quality. In the Art Nouveau halls of the Kurhaus, renowned wineries meet emerging producers, leading chefs and enthusiasts eager to discover new worlds of flavour.
The festival begins on 6 November with “TasteTerroir – bio&dynamica”, featuring organic, biodynamic and natural wines. From 7 to 9 November, the focus is on award-winning wines from Italy and wine regions around the world, together with the gourmet products of “Culinaria”. The festival concludes on 10 November with “Catwalk Champagne & more”, a day devoted to sparkling wines and Champagne.
A visit pairs beautifully with a walk through the late-autumn landscape. Setting out from Hohenwart on foot, you can reach Merano in just under an hour via the Mitterplattweg, passing vineyards and apple orchards along the way. For an easy journey back, bus 231 takes you uphill to Schenna.
LUMAGICA 2026
From 19 November, early nightfall takes on a magic of its own. With LUMAGICA, artistic light installations illuminate the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.
This year’s production follows in the footsteps of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth, journeying through landscapes, cultures and places associated with her life and longings. Light sculptures, projections and interactive elements bring nature and history together along an atmospheric evening trail.
The quiet before Christmas
Towards the end of the month, the first Advent lights begin to glow in Merano and Schenna. Late autumn gives way to a new season, bringing its own scents, sounds and traditions. What comes next deserves a story of its own.
Until then, November belongs to quiet moments: clear, refreshing hours outdoors and comforting warmth inside; breakfast savoured at leisure; the heat of the saunas and pools veiled in wisps of steam; losing yourself in a good book in the relaxation room and forgetting the time; and an evening of fine food and good company.
It is a time when there is nothing to miss and nowhere else you need to be. A time to gather new strength before the year grows lively once more.