Autumn

The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 1

For those that think they know how to revel in autumn, think again. Discover why the Merano Grape Festival is the must-attend harvest celebration of the Alps.

If we were to pick one season to visit South Tyrol it would be autumn. Fall stamps a mountain-size exclamation point on all the enchanting elements that make this corner of Italy so alluring.

From the blazing foliage setting the mountainsides afire to the blissful fragrance of pluck-ready fruit perfuming the trails, the hand of autumn beautifies South Tyrol’s scenery more than any other season.

The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 2

But do you know what we love even more than the pronounced natural beauty? How autumn enlivens the festive spirit of South Tyroleans.

Whether feasting your heart out in a timbered Buschenschank during Törggelen, relishing the best-smoked ham in the world beneath the thundering drama of the Dolomites or indulging in a bounty of other harvest festivals, a visit in fall leaves you with one impression above all: the people of South Tyrol know how to throw a party.

This jovial nature was never more apparent to us than this past October when we attended the annual Merano Grape Festival (also known as Traubenfest Meran and Festa dell’Uva Merano). In this post, we show you why experiencing the revelry of South Tyrol’s grandest fest is a must.

⇒ YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Bliss in the Alps: The Top 7 Things to Do in Merano

History of the Merano Grape Festival

The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 3 — Traditional attire and hearty laughter are on full display at the Merano Grape Festival.

The Merano Grape Festival is the oldest harvest festival in South Tyrol. The celebration has a vibrant history dating back more than 130 years.

Each year since 1886, South Tyroleans have gathered the third weekend in October in Merano to salute a bountiful grape harvest. Over the course of three days, the city comes alive with traditional music, food and drink entwined with the fascinating folklore of South Tyrol’s wine-growing culture.

Through the decades, the Merano Grape Festival has surged in popularity attracting up to 20,000 revelers each year from around the world. Such festive luster shines welcoming light on the stellar wines of Italy’s smallest wine-growing region.

What to Expect at the Merano Grape Festival

The Merano Grape Festival boasts a fun-filled program spanning three days. Fest-goers can delight in a cultural experience teeming with entertainment.

Each day offers a multitude of outdoor concerts as well as culinary stands brimming with the seasonal specialties of South Tyrol. Most of these festival activities take place in the plazas and promenades near the Passer River.

Admission to the festival is free. However, special events like wine tastings and yodeling workshops require a ticket. Yes, you can try mastering the art of yodeling while in Merano!

The Merano Grape Festival Grand Parade

The highlight of the festival is the Grand Parade that takes place Sunday afternoon. The one-plus-hour-long procession is unlike any parade we have seen before.

The Grand Parade illuminates the flower-framed avenues of old town Merano with lushly decorated floats and carriages led by South Tyrol’s famous Haflinger horses. In fact, it is the only horse-drawn parade in all of the Alps.

In between the 40+ floats, marching bands from communities around Merano fill the air with song. In addition, the parade proudly showcases Schützen — members of a voluntary organization honoring the storied heritage of riflemen defending South Tyrol’s independence.

The parade even includes a glamorous appearance by Merano’s most famous resident: Sissi, the beloved Empress Elisabeth of Austria. In the 19th century, her beauty as well as her affection for Merano was unrivaled.

The most spectacular sight we saw during the parade was a hulking bunch of grapes hung from a log carried by two men. Second to that was a mighty crown made of red and gold apples from South Tyrol.

Feasting with Festival Royalty

Prior to the parade, revelers and local residents alike feast in the Festplatz — a garden draped in vines tinged with autumn’s kiss. Here, you will mingle with ladies and gents donning time-honored Tyrolean attire while listening to live folk music.

Being able to admire the ornate costumes and hats up close is as fun as watching the parade itself. The Festplatz is also a great place to socialize with other fest-goers. We spoke with a friendly couple from Germany who left us even more merry than our glasses of wine.

This bustling area of the Merano Grape Festival is sponsored by the Schützenkompanie Meran (SSKM) so you are sure to find a hearty fall dish to your liking. But as we learned, make sure to leave room for South Tyrolean Strauben. It is not to be missed.

Where to Stay for the Merano Grape Festival

Given how popular the Merano Grape Festival has become we recommend booking accommodations in Merano so you can easily reach the old town center on foot. You will want to avoid dealing with heavy vehicle traffic — especially on Sunday when some roads close for the Grand Parade.

The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 76

Here are some of our top Merano Grape Festival accommodation recommendations in the heart of Merano:

Hotel Therme Meran (Terme Merano) – This modern luxury spa resort sits in the middle of Merano along the Passer river. It is connected by a tunnel to a stunning thermal spa and park where the pools possess healing properties thanks to mineral-rich water sourced from nearby Mt. Vigiljoch.

Hotel Aurora – Perched right on the Passer Promenade, Hotel Aurora is a family-owned gem with a location that cannot be beaten for the festival. The flower-drenched balconies offer sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and river below.

If you do not mind trekking a bit (20-40 minutes) to reach Merano, consider the following stays:

Hotel Erika – Located in the nearby village of Dorf Tirol, Hotel Erika is a jaw-dropping wellness oasis beaming from a mountainside amid vineyards and castles. You can easily reach Merano by taking the ravishing Tappeiner Promenade. This epic path is steps away from Hotel Erika.

Hotel Ansitz Plantitscherhof – Set conveniently in a regal neighborhood between Merano and the must-see Gardens of Trauttmansdorff, this boutique-style beauty wows guests with a rooftop spa and the opportunity to rent classic automobiles. Imagine cruising the Alps in a vintage Alfa Romero!

Of course, staying within walking distance of Merano is not necessary to visit the Merano Grape Festival. You might find it more convenient and affordable to book a cozy stay in neighboring Lana at the Landhaus am Gries or in Naturns at the Preidlhof Luxury Spa Resort. Public buses frequently run to Merano from these towns.

Tips for Attending the Merano Grape Festival

The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 77 — Wine and beer connoisseurs alike will find plenty to sample at the Merano Grape Festival.

The Merano Grape Festival is still scheduled to take place in 2020. This year will be an abbreviated festival running from October 17-18.

No doubt all of the health and safety measures we have become accustomed to over the last several months will be in force during the event. But unfortunately, the Grand Parade will not be rolling over the cobblestones this year. The Merano tourism website states festival officials are hopeful it will return in 2021.

If you plan to attend the Merano Grape Festival in the future, we recommend the following:

Book your hotel accommodations early
Once in Merano, visit the Merano tourist office for a map of the town and to obtain the festival program guide. The staff will also gladly answer any questions and share any special events you might like
Find a spot on the curb at least 30 minutes before the parade begins
If you are not staying within walking distance of Merano, make reservations for dinner in town after the parade. This will allow the crowds to thin out so you can avoid traffic delays

We would like to give special thanks to the Merano Tourist Office for going above and beyond in helping us highlight the Merano Grape Festival for our readers!

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The Merano Grape Festival: A Sweet Harvest Celebration in the Alps 78

21 Inspiring Photos of South Tyrol in Autumn 79

Autumn is an especially beautiful time of year no matter where you travel in Europe. Whether trekking old-growth forests ablaze with fall colors or reveling in centuries-old harvest festivals, every turn offers you another enchanting way to savor the season.

However, there is one European destination we think you should etch on your fall travel wish list above all others: South Tyrol.

Why? This mountainous jewel enviably sits in a rare corner of the world where Alpine wonders crash into boundless Mediterranean beauty. Such a surprising contrast of landscapes produces arresting scenery in every season. But the vibrant kiss of autumn elevates the medley from stunning to utterly jaw-dropping.

Scroll on to discover why fall is South Tyrol’s most alluring season.

Of Mountains & Awe – The Dolomites in Autumn

Our photo journey begins with one of the most celebrated mountain ranges in the world: the Dolomites. Comprising 18 peaks and 350,000 heavenly acres, the Dolomites’ jagged peaks storm above unspoiled valleys that sweep from one stone giant to the next. Hiking, biking or simply driving leisurely through this UNESCO World Heritage Site in autumn is a must for every mountain lover.

In this series of photos, we highlight the iconic Geisler peaks from Seceda and Val di Funes, as well as showcase Lake Braies (also known as Pragser Wildsee) and the crescent of massifs crowning Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Europe’s largest Alpine prairie.

A hike in Alpe di Siusi that is especially bewitching in autumn is to the “Witches’ Benches”. Countless legends tell of a coven of witches performing rituals centuries ago amid the fang-toothed peaks of Schlern mountain.

Adventuring through the Dolomites you will encounter wayside shrines as shown below. These shrines take on an almost angelic pose in the golden rays of autumn. Take a moment to admire them when they welcome you on a trail.

Val di Funes

Lake Braies (Lago di Braies)

Seceda

Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm)

⇒ SEE MORE: Take advantage of our detailed guides to hike these treasures of the Dolomites by visiting our “Hikes in the Dolomites” section.

Harvesters of Stone – South Tyrol’s Castles Under Autumn’s Light

If there is a rival to the magnificence of the Dolomites, it’s South Tyrol’s castles. 800 lord over the region’s valleys and mountainsides. These medieval monoliths whisk you back to a time when stone was the steel of the world.

Seeing South Tyrol’s castles in any season is picturesque, but autumn casts them in an even more enchanting light. Their silent salute of the season’s harvest from the stony steeds of a mountainside is an instruction in majesty.

Below we reveal a handful of our favorite South Tyrolean strongholds including Tirol Castle, Brunnenburg Castle, Trostburg Castle, Schenna Castle and the regal Trauttmansdorff Castle, which beams amid vast gardens that have to be seen to be believed.

⇒ SEE MORE: The Can’t-Miss Castles of South Tyrol

Autumn’s Kindled Gold – The Vineyards & Orchards of South Tyrol

Few things set all your senses afire like the autumnal vineyards and orchards of South Tyrol. The bountiful valleys ignite with golden and crimson hues while the peaks radiate brushes of white hinting of winter’s first lashing.

Grapes, apples and other fruits fragrantly animate every breath as you wander through leafy arcades that are no doubt Bacchus’s most cherished halls.

Voyaging along the South Tyrolean Wine Road in autumn is not to be missed. You can breeze along Italy’s oldest wine road by car or bike, as well as embark on hikes to castle ruins perched high above the fruit-riddled foothills.

Trauttsmandorff Gardens in Merano during Autumn

⇒ SEE MORE: Wandering the Tappeiner Promenade – Italy’s Most Enchanting Walk

Fall into Revelry – South Tyrol’s Festivals & Feasts

Autumn in South Tyrol also brings numerous celebrations such as Törggelen, Almabtrieb, Speckfest and the Merano Grape Festival in the third week of October as shown below. This three-day festival showers Merano with decorative parade floats, traditional South Tyrolean music and locals dressed in ancestral attire. The festival dates back to 1886 and gives thanks to the season’s bountiful grape harvest, which in time results in some of the most celebrated wines in the world.

Törggelen is a celebration spanning much of autumn. The event extols the season’s wine harvest with a hearty trek followed by an even more hearty evening filled with South Tyrolean cuisine at a traditional farmhouse or tavern.

Revelers dine on roasted chestnuts, dumplings, speck, and smoked sausages while washing it all down with the new wine and grape must called “Nuier”, “Suser” or “Sauser”.

St. Peter Church of Lajen in South Tyrol

⇒ SEE MORE: Enjoying Törggelen – Your Guide to South Tyrol’s Most Treasured Fall Tradition

Make Your Autumn Bountiful with Adventure

Like spring, autumn is a season of unrivaled contrasts. It’s only fitting then that a land born from such opposing forces of nature is where those seasons shine the most.

From wild-hearted treks to soul-mending walks to endearing cultural excursions, experiencing an epic autumn in South Tyrol is as certain as the leaves changing colors.

So if you’re ready to begin planning your fall escape, we’re here to help. Our Travel Resource Library makes South Tyrol trip planning practically as easy as plucking a ripe grape.