Experience Stations

More than 40 different types of bamboo grow here – in a variety of sizes. There are also fascinating examples of how people in the Far East use bamboo: it is a remarkably versatile material.

A twelve-minute multimedia presentation – shown in German, Italian or English – brings two awe-inspiring concepts to the Grotto in Forests of the World: the earth’s formation and the origins of life. The show has a perfect environment to match its theme: the primordial Fern Glen with its “living fossils”.

Take the rope bridge that leads to the Aviary, and you will be at the highest point of Forests of the World. From up high on the aerial platform, take in sweeping views from of the gardens and castle below, the surrounding mountain range, and the city of Merano.

In a garden along the castle wall, bizarre creatures are up to no good amidst poisonous plants and witches’ herbs. The footsteps of Belinda – the fairy tale maiden who has as much power as seven witches – run through the garden so full of secrets.

An echo delayed: Round openings in the porphyry reveal its secrets. The stone will respond to your sounds, after just a moment’s hesitation.

Renowned architect and designer Matteo Thun conceived this platform in 2005; its binocular shape and transparency will give you the feeling of being suspended in mid-air.

This exhibit is part of a unique partnership between the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle and Innsbruck’s Alpenzoo – and thus between North and South Tyrol. The zoo gave the Gardens Aesculapian snakes to put on display; the Gardens shared exotic and Mediterranean plants with the zoo in return.

A beehive large enough to walk into – an up-close yet perfectly safe encounter – will teach you about the lives of these industrious honey collectors.

The Dragonfly Clock illustrates the diversity and flight patterns of these enormous insects.

Take a precarious, wobbly walk across the Adventure Bridge: it will take you through the Alluvial Forest in Landscapes of South Tyrol.

Walk across this enormous tile mosaic – it will take you on a tour of a world of stone: Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino.

Our young guests are especially fond of the many animals at the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle: rabbits, Zebra finches, peacocks, Hungarian “Racka” sheep, snakes, Mandarin ducks, Japanese koi, and many others.

Empress Sissi of Austria travelled twice to Trauttmansdorff Castle for her “winter cure”. The promenade where she once strolled, a statue, a marble throne on the castle terrace, three rooms in the Touriseum, and the Sissi Weg – a path that leads into the center of Merano – have all been named in honour of her sojourns at the castle.

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are part of Sisi’s Road, a European cultural route through cities and castles that played an important role in the monarch’s life. Sisi's Road received the Bavarian Innovation Award for Offer Presentation in City Tourism in 2003. Sisi’s Road also provides travel advice to individuals and groups in large cities about castles, monuments, museums, gardens and parks. For more information, click here: www.sisi-strasse.info

The Sissi Terrace & Sissi’s Throne

Get a truly imperial view of the Adige Valley from the Sissi Terrace, where Sissi’s Throne sits regally at the top of semi-circular steps. Baron von Deuster erected the dazzling-white marble bench in honour of Empress Sissi.

The Sissi Promenade

Used back in Empress Sissi’s times, the Sissi Promenade meanders through the downy oak forest. A statue of the beloved Empress points the way toward the Viewing Platform.

In Landscapes of South Tyrol, you will find a tabernacle that tells the story of South Tyrol’s more than 3,000 years of winemaking tradition. Exhibited inside are a gold replica of a 7,000-year-old grape seed – a gift from the National Museum in Tbilisi, Georgia – and grape seeds discovered in South Tyrol that date back 2,400 years.
In 2006, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle assumed patronage for the largest and probably oldest vine in the world, the Versoaln, at Katzenzungen Castle in Prissiano (Prissian) near Tesimo (Tisens). A trip to see the vine is part of the Gardens & Wine Enjoyment Package.

In 2008, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle began displaying a grape seed discovered in South Tyrol that dates back 2,400 years, together with a gold replica of 7,000-year-old grape seeds from Georgia. The gold replica was a gift from the nation of Georgia, the oldest wine-growing country in the world, to South Tyrol, the oldest wine-growing region in German-speaking Europe. The gift is a symbol of unity, and marks the beginning of a fruitful exchange based on a mutual tradition of winemaking.