High above Meran – horses, cinema and pure nature

Although the panorama in the Miramonti left me speechless for a short moment, after some time I had recovered enough to discover the great landscape around the hotel in all its facets.

Up on horseback

What is the best way to discover nature? Of course, on horseback, it’s the most beautiful. As a horse lover, it was clear to me at the beginning that if I was already in Avelengo, then a ride with a real Haflinger was a must. The stocky, small Haflinger horses are real South Tyroleans and good mountain horses. Luckily, right next to the Miramonti is the Sulfner riding stables, where various rides are offered. Even before my arrival, I signed up for a 2-hour horseback ride (cost: 27 euros with guest card “Meranervirons”). Haflingers are greedy and slow. This is perfect for a leisurely Saturday morning ride.

Half an hour before the ride, the horses are assigned – I got Nice – and have to be cleaned and saddled themselves. Great to get a taste of it. Only experienced riders are allowed on the rides. The friend then respectfully kept his distance ;).

Afterwards we rode in a group of 5 comfortably through Avelengo and the surrounding area. Mostly at a brisk walking pace, in between in a brisk trot and twice we were able to really let off steam on gallop stretches (although galloping was not Nice’s favorite gait). The bridle paths lead along hiking trails, away from traffic, through forests and alpine pastures. Very nice start.

Knottnkino

In the South Tyrolean dialect, “Knottn” means rocks. The view from these rocks is sometimes so impressive that you could spend hours up there looking at the constantly changing surrounding atmospheres. The Bolzano artist Franz Messner was inspired by this and created the Knottnkino on the Rotsteinkogel between Avelengo and Verano. Nature instead of a cinema screen – great idea!

We hiked up from the Miramonti to the Knottenkino. It took us about two hours to complete the varied route. Shortly after Avelengo, we were briefly unsure whether the direction of the trail was correct, as the hiking trail is led directly on the road on a short section. Otherwise, the hike runs on natural paths and is well signposted. Along the way, you will meet cows, horses, other hikers and other curiosities. In particular, the deer skull shield caused confusion and amusement. Unfortunately, the meaning and purpose (if it exists) remained unclear to us until today.

After passing the Grüner Baum restaurant, a few drops of sweat have to be sacrificed on the last steep section. Once at the top, we sat down on one of the cinema chairs with a satisfied sigh, relaxed our feet and let the view work its magic on us for a moment.

For the way back, we chose the comfortable option: Take the bus from Verano to Avelengo, then change to the bus in the direction of Merano (to the St. Kathrein stop).

Sulfner Weiher

Directly behind the Miramonti begins a secluded forest. In it, the idyllic Sulfner Weiher is only about a 20-minute walk away. Ideal for “airing out” your head with fresh forest air before breakfast. The short hiking trail leads past the romantically situated church of St. Kathrein and then disappears into the forest behind the Sulfner riding stables. The short ascent leads over soft forest floor. Leaves rustle under your shoes and the spicy forest scent tickles your nose. And you are already standing on the banks of the small Sulfner Waldweiher. So early in the morning we had the place all to ourselves.

Unfortunately, one weekend is far from enough to try out all the various leisure activities. Unfortunately, we only caught a glimpse of Merano when passing through. We didn’t make it to Merano 2000, the high plateau high above Merano, either. But the two days in South Tyrol have awakened in me the desire to see and experience more. Let’s see when the next opportunity arises.

What are your top activity tips for South Tyrol?

Note: The trip to South Tyrol was supported by Perfectfor2 and the Miramonti Boutique Hotel – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here. The pretty shoes that discovered South Tyrol with me were given to me by PanamaJack – since I like them, they will accompany me on some adventure trips.