Merano

Merano or Meran (see Names below) is a town and comune in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to 3,335 m (11,000 ft), at the entrance to the Passeier Tal (Val Passiria), the Vinschgau (Val Venosta) and the Ulten Valley (Val d'Ultimo). In the past the town has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literates and artists,... more

Merano or Meran (see Names below) is a town and comune in the province of Bolzano-Bozen, Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to 3,335 m (11,000 ft), at the entrance to the Passeier Tal (Val Passiria), the Vinschgau (Val Venosta) and the Ulten Valley (Val d'Ultimo). In the past the town has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literates and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound and Paul Lazarsfeld, who appreciated its mild climate. Meran is the German name for the town; Merano is the Italian name. Both are used in English. The Ladin form of the name is Maran. The official name of the municipality (comune) is Stadtgemeinde Meran in German and Comune di Merano in Italian (both are in official use). In seventeenth-century Latin, the town was called Meranum. Other archaic names are Mairania (from 857 AD) and an der Meran (from the 15th century). The area has been inhabited since the 3rd... less