Merano has a climate that surprises people. Sheltered by high mountains on three sides, it has mild winters and warm summers, and palm trees, cypresses and even a few vines grow in the town, which sits at about three hundred metres where the Passer river joins the Adige.
The Timmelsjoch and Jaufen loop starts and ends here, and it is a superb day. The Passeier valley road climbs from Merano to St. Leonhard, where it splits: one fork climbs to the Jaufen Pass, at 2,094 metres, and the other continues up to the Timmelsjoch, at 2,474 metres, on the Austrian border. The Timmelsjoch road is a tolled high alpine road, and it is usually open from about June to October, while the Jaufen stays open longer but can be closed after snow. Surfaces are good, bends are many, and the views are wide. Traffic is heavy on summer weekends, so start early.
The Passeier valley is the birthplace of Andreas Hofer, the innkeeper who led the Tyrolean uprising against Napoleon's forces in 1809, and his farm, the Sandhof, is a short way up the valley. In Merano, the Kurhaus, the long promenades along the river, and the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, where Empress Elisabeth stayed in 1870, recall the town's days as a spa for the Habsburg aristocracy. The thermal baths are modern, and the old town has arcades with cafes and shops.
Fuel is easy in Merano, which has stations and supermarkets, and it is wise to fill up before the passes. The food is a mix of Tyrolean and Italian: speck, a smoked ham, Schüttelbrot, a crisp rye bread, apple strudel and dumplings. In autumn, Törggelen, the tradition of eating roast chestnuts and new wine in farm inns, is at its best.
Walk the river promenade in the evening. The apple orchards and the lights of the town below the mountains are a fitting end.