Südtirol festival merano . meran: great music, spa town atmosphere and a cultural holiday in Schenna
When Merano fills with music in late summer
There are evenings in Merano when the town seems even more elegant than usual. The air is mild, the promenade glows in the last light of the day, and people begin to gather outside the Kurhaus. Even before the first note is played, you sense that music here is not simply part of the programme. It belongs to Merano.
From the Merano Music Weeks to südtirol festival merano . meran
What many still know as the Merano Music Weeks was founded in 1986, on the occasion of Merano’s 150th anniversary as a spa town. The idea felt natural: Merano already had a musical history of its own. Musicians and composers came here in search of quiet, the mild climate, inspiration and that particular atmosphere of a town between the Alps and the South.
Today, südtirol festival merano . meran continues this legacy, turning Merano each year into a meeting place for classical music, chamber music, baroque, vocal music, jazz, world music and contemporary musical formats. Those wishing to experience classical music in South Tyrol will find a festival that brings together quality, variety and atmosphere in a special way. It is not only for experienced lovers of classical music, but for anyone who approaches music with openness, curiosity and a sense of quality.
This is also why the festival remains so closely connected to Merano. The music is not separate from the town. It blends with its spaces, its paths, its light, its promenade and Merano’s history. In this way, südtirol festival merano . meran makes this side of the spa town audible year after year and has become one of Merano’s defining music festivals.
For guests of Hotel Hohenwart in Schenna, the festival is an invitation to experience South Tyrol from a cultural perspective too. By day, the mountains, the garden, the spa or a walk through Merano. In the evening, a concert at the Kurhaus, the Municipal Theatre or another atmospheric venue nearby. A day on holiday takes on a different rhythm. Perhaps a little quieter. More attentive. And often, that is precisely what stays in the memory.
Great music in historic spaces
The best-known venue is the Kursaal in the Kurhaus of Merano. The room itself tells a chapter of the town’s cultural history: like few other buildings, the Kurhaus stands for the era in which Merano became one of Europe’s elegant spa towns. For promenades, grand hotels, a health-giving climate and a social life in which music naturally had its place.
To this day, the Kursaal carries that history within it. It is grand enough for international orchestras, yet intimate enough for the music to feel close. Here, great music meets a space that feels dignified without feeling distant.
There are also many other venues in Merano and environs: the Municipal Theatre, the Pavillon des Fleurs, churches, castles and historic rooms. Particularly appealing is the young artists portrait series, in which young ensembles and soloists perform in exceptional settings. Schenna Castle is also one of the festival venues and is within walking distance for guests of Hotel Hohenwart.
What all these places share is atmosphere. You do not simply listen to the concert. You experience the space, the town and the evening that gathers around the music.
Mrs. Christine and her love of music
At Hohenwart, the festival also has a very personal connection. Mrs. Christine is a great lover of music and has been attending the concerts with pleasure for many years. For her, the Merano Music Weeks are not simply a date in the calendar, but a fixed part of late summer.
She appreciates the elegant setting, the feeling of being close to the music and the quality of the artists and orchestras invited from all over the world. She likes to describe the Kursaal as offering great concerts in a living-room atmosphere: refined, high-calibre and yet surprisingly immediate.
Every orchestra brings its own sound, shaped by origin, school, experience and cultural sensibility. This is precisely what makes many concert evenings so interesting for her: familiar works can suddenly appear in a different light because they are interpreted in a new way. She follows the smaller formats with the same attention. Chamber music, young ensembles and the young artists portrait series often offer a particularly direct way into the music.
Mrs. Christine is always happy to share her personal recommendations. Not as a ready-made list, but in conversation.
A cultural holiday in Schenna and Merano
Many guests are surprised by how naturally culture, nature and relaxation come together in South Tyrol. Merano is close by, and yet Hohenwart in Schenna remains a quiet retreat above the town. After an evening concert, you return to the stillness and to the view over the valley.
This combination makes a cultural holiday in Merano and environs especially appealing, particularly for guests who wish to combine their stay in Schenna with concerts in Merano. In the morning, perhaps a hike, a walk through the gardens, a coffee in town or a quiet moment in the spa. In the evening, music. In between, time. Not an intense city break, not a purely wellness-focused stay, but an interplay of landscape, sound and rest.
For guests who wish to combine their holiday in South Tyrol with culture, this closeness is especially valuable. Merano is easy to reach, while Hohenwart remains a place of calm above the town.
Well accompanied to your concert evening
To make the concert evening in Merano begin simply and without worry, we are happy to help our guests choose and arrange their concert tickets. Those who are unsure which concert might suit them often find the right direction through a personal recommendation. With such a varied festival, a personal recommendation can make all the difference.
For concert evenings, we also offer our guests a complimentary shuttle service. The journey to Merano and back becomes simple, comfortable and pleasant. The evening can be enjoyed with ease, without having to think about the organisation.
A festival that belongs to Merano
südtirol festival merano . meran fits Merano so well because it does not impose itself on the town. It lets its spaces, history and atmosphere speak. Great music meets the charm of a spa town. International artists come to a place that has attracted people for generations in search of wellbeing, culture and beauty.
For Hohenwart, this music festival in Merano is therefore much more than a pleasant evening outing. It tells something of the place in which we live: of Merano and its culture, of Schenna as a quiet retreat above the town, of South Tyrol as a landscape that can not only be seen, but also heard.
Perhaps a memorable concert evening begins exactly like this. With a view from Schenna down towards Merano. With a recommendation from Christine. With a seat in the Kursaal. And later, with the return to Hohenwart, while the music continues to resonate for a little while longer.