Touriseum - Provincial Museum of Tourism

Twice - in 1870/71 and 1889/90 - Empress Elisabeth was a guest at Trauttmansdorff Castle during the winter months. The recuperative stays of the Austrian Empress in Merano contributed significantly to the flourishing of tourism in South Tyrol, as it became very chic to spend one's holidays here in the company of nobility and celebrities. Trauttmansdorff Castle, in the immediate vicinity of the traditional spa town of Merano, is therefore the ideal place for a museum dedicated to the history of tourism in South Tyrol.

After several changes of ownership in the 20th century, the castle stood empty since 1945. In 1977, the castle was taken over by the province of South Tyrol and completely restored in the 1990s. The now famous Botanical Gardens with their unique variety of plants were created in the grounds surrounding the castle. Since 2003, Trauttmansdorff Castle has also been home to the South Tyrolean Museum of Tourism.

The Touriseum is designed as a journey through time, beginning in the year 1765 in the first room and ending in the millennium year 2000 after 20 rooms. It is the first museum in the entire Alpine region to dedicate itself so extensively and exclusively to the history of tourism. The permanent exhibition deals with the difficulties of traveling in the Alpine region from the beginning to the "tourist avalanches" of the present, as well as with the fashionable spa tourism and contemporary historical aspects. Information and entertainment are beautifully combined, with numerous models, life-size figures, films, and all sorts of surprises making the museum an experience for the whole family. There is even a huge pinball machine here, the "South Tyrol Game," which invites visitors on an enjoyable journey through the country. Since 2008, three rooms with original exhibits and audio plays have also been dedicated to the most prominent guest of the castle, Empress Sissi.

In addition, the Touriseum presents changing special exhibitions that focus on particular aspects of tourism. Themes have included, among others, tourist posters, the Grand Hotel, Andreas Hofer, or the secrets of the menu. A visit to the Touriseum can be wonderfully combined with a stroll through the Botanical Gardens. The visit to the castle and Touriseum is included in the admission ticket to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.

Address: St. Valentin-Straße 51a, 39012 Merano, Tel. 0473/270172
Opening hours: April 1 - Nov. 15 daily 9-18, May 15 - Sept. 15 daily 9-21

www.touriseum.it