http://www.meranerland.com RSS-Feed regarding enjoyment in Merano and environs. en-EN http://www.meranerland.com Meraner Land 2009 http://www.meranerland.com/img/en/logo.gif http://www.meranerland.com The milk used in South Tyrol for the preparation of many dairy products derives from the diminutive Tyrolese Grey Cow, a small and typical Alpine breed of cattle. Its milk has an excellent quality and is adequate either for direct consumption or for processing into other high-quality products (cheese, butter, yogurt). Among the mountain cattle breeds in Italy the Tyrolese Greys have the best milk quality ratio (as a source for fat and protein) and delivers a higher amount of content for processing into other products. In regional alpine dairies and cheese factories the milk is carefully made into butter, yoghurt, quark, different kinds of cream cheeses, semi-hard cheeses and soft cheeses. Special ingredients such as wine leaves, herbs and spices, like fenugreek and pepper, give each brand of cheese its own particular flavour. Cheese is an important component of the traditional diet, for example in the typical South Tyrolean "Marende", the traditional afternoon snack consisting of bread, cheese and cold cuts. Yet the idea of refining local cheese types gained ground only in the years after the Second World War, when prosperity arrived. Today, the highest quality milk from this Alpine breed is doubtless generated in South Tyrol, as is the cheese, especially in the mountain dairies of Merano and its environs. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/local-products/milk-and-cheese/ www.meranerland.com-116 The distillation of spirits has a long tradition in Merano and its environs. Brandies made from pomace such as Treber and traditionally-produced fruit brandies are made from high quality organic products which are either cultivated or grow wild in Merano and its environs. The range of liquors is as rich as the variety of fruit that grows in the area.  http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/local-products/spirits-and-brandies-/ www.meranerland.com-720 Merano, the “sunny balcony of the Alps“, is where the Central European heritage meets the lifestyle of the Mediterranean. Italian antipasti and appetizers are part of the South Tyrolean everyday life, along with classic Tyrolean main courses and traditional pastries, which are only made out of excellent local ingredients. The top gourmet guides Michelin and Gault Millau have just awarded 16 Stars and 63 Chef Hats to South Tyrolean restaurants. Also, the most important Italian wine guide, “I VINI d’ITALIA” by “Slow Food Edition” awarded 24 South Tyrolean Wines with the “Three Glasses” designation. Between rustic and traditional taverns and restaurants of the highest international standards, you may choose the one that suits your desires from our Online Restaurant Guide. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/food-and-drink/restaurants/ www.meranerland.com-34 Though the treatments offered still include radon-containing mineral water (radon spa), the Merano Thermal Baths of today do not have much in common with the traditional health resort of the past. An impressive oasis of well-being has been created in the heart of the city. A transparent cube of glass and steel with warmly accented wooden elements, arches above the thirteen indoor pools. In the 50.000 sq. meter park belonging to the thermal baths, twelve open-air swimming pools have been added. The overall effect offers pure relaxation in the midst of nature. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/wellness-and-relaxation/merano-thermal-baths/ www.meranerland.com-29 The Christmas Market in Merano with its traditional advent trimmings is now in its 18th year and will as always, be taking place on the historic health spa promenade. This year, there is also an excellent variety of wonderful highlights for you to see. Especially this year’s selection of hand blown glass and Christmas tree balls and ornaments are exceptional. All of this can be viewed on the historic promenade and can also be purchased for your Christmas tree at home. Even a master of the glassblowing art will be present to create Christmas ornaments on site, this will surly be an amazing pleasure for everybody to watch. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/highlights/merano-christmas-market/ www.meranerland.com-615 The colourful season of autumn is celebrated in Merano with a wide range of events, with a large number of bucolic programs and festivals taking pace around harvest time throughout the entire region. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/highlights/autumnmerano/ www.meranerland.com-763 On the sun-drenched vineyards of Merano and its environs a huge variety of local and “international” grape varieties are cultivated, fitting perfectly to the region’s mild Alpine-Mediterranean climate. The particular quality of the sandy clay soil and the perfect ventilation provided by the light winds from the mountains allow each of these to develop their own unique character.  http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/local-products/wine/ www.meranerland.com-124 Embedded in the centre of South Tyrol along the Etsch runs a 200 square kilometre parcel of cultivated land, which represents Europe’s largest combined orchard. Due to the climate, this area seems to have been intended for growing apples. A well-preserved natural environment, soil of rare quality, and 300 days of sunshine per year are a guarantee for superb tasting fruit, known not only in Merano and its environs, but also far and wide. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/local-products/apple/ www.meranerland.com-734 Naturno: 315 days of sunshine in the Alpine Wellness Holiday Resort town. Naturno, near Merano, has been certified as a Alpine Wellness Holiday Resort town since the fall of 2006 and is one of only four holiday towns in the Alps that meet a strict criteria for this seal of quality. The right amount of exercise, relaxation, exposure to the outdoors and healthy nutrition leads to a balanced relationship between body and soul, which improves the bodies own wellness. Another important factor why Naturno holds a certified title of Alpine Wellness Resort town, is because of its unique location and the special climate. Naturno is embedded in a sun spoiled Mediterranean landscape with 315 days of sunshine and is considered the sunniest place in the Alps. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/wellness-and-relaxation/alpine-wellness/ www.meranerland.com-711 People who have smelled the bouquet of the herbal gardens in the high altitudes of the South Tyrolean Alps, or have tasted these herbs in a tea, realise right away the difference when compared to standard kinds of organic herbs and will notice their unrivalled quality. Merano and environs, like everywhere else in the land of the Alps, has a long tradition of herb and root collecting. Only in the last 20 years, this almost forgotten culture has experienced an upswing in developing a structured herb cultivation. The climate in this country allows the growing of more then 120 types of spices and healing plants. http://www.meranerland.com/en/pleasure/local-products/herbs/ www.meranerland.com-730