Terme Merano (Therme Meran)

What to expect

Merano grew into a spa town in the 19th century on the strength of its mild climate, long before it had any spa water. The radon-bearing springs on Monte San Vigilio, above Lana, were found in 1933, and the first modern Terme opened in 1972. What you visit today is the 2005 building on Piazza Terme: a big cube of stone, glass and steel with interiors by Matteo Thun, set in a park on the bank of the Passirio river, across the water from the old Kurhaus.

It is a busy, well-run leisure spa rather than a medical spa. You buy a timed ticket, get a chip wristband at the desk, change on level -1 and then move freely between the pools, the sauna area if you paid for it, and the café. It feels closer to a smart public swimming centre than to a natural hot spring. Expect families and couples in the day, and a calmer crowd in the evening.

The water

This is the point where Terme Merano needs a plain answer. The water the spa talks about comes from springs on Monte San Vigilio, about 8 km (5 miles) away, and travels through a 1,200 m tunnel to the centre. The spa says granite in the mountain enriches rainwater with radon, fluoride and rare metals, and it has been used for treatments since a 1966 provincial decree. German Wikipedia calls this Vigiljoch water cool and only weakly mineralised.

German Wikipedia adds that the centre’s thermal water comes from a 2,350 m borehole in the Sinigo district, about 194°F90°C at depth and strongly mineralised, with the San Vigilio water mixed in. The spa’s own pages do not mention the borehole, and they never say how the pools are heated. Only two indoor pools are labelled as thermal water. Treat the rest as heated pools filled with fresh, salt or spring water.

The pools

The spa counts 16 indoor pools. The ones it lists by name:

• Main pool: 240 square metres at 93°F34°C, under the glass roof.
• Thermal water pools: two pools at 91°F33°C.
• Brine pool: salt water at 95°F35°C.
• Hot and cold pools: 99°F37°C and 64°F18°C, for a Kneipp-style contrast.
• Whirlpools: 99°F37°C.
• Children’s pool: 93°F34°C.

From mid-May to mid-September the outdoor park opens. It covers about 52,000 square metres (12.9 acres) and adds a 77°F25°C sports pool, non-swimmer and children’s pools at 82°F28°C, a current pool and a spring-water pool at 93°F34°C, a hot-cold pool, a Kneipp path and a chlorine-free natural swimming pond filtered through gravel. Sun loungers and parasols rent for €6.50 each.

The sauna area costs extra and is textile-free, as in most of German-speaking Europe.

Prices and booking

The official list in October 2026 gave winter prices, valid from September 16 to May 14:

• Weekdays, pools only: €19 for 2 hours, €21 for 3 hours, €27 for the day.
• Weekdays, pools and sauna: €30, €33 or €41.
• Weekends and holidays: pools €21, €23 or €29; pools and sauna €32, €35 or €43.
• Children 4 to 13: €15, €16 or €19 on weekdays, a little more at weekends. Under-4s are free.
• Extra time: €10 an hour for pools, €15 with the sauna, €5 for children.
• Family ticket: two adults and one child under 14, €10 for each extra child, winter weekdays only, not in South Tyrol school holidays.

Over Christmas (December 5 to 8, and December 26 to January 5) only 3-hour tickets are sold: €33 for pools, €45 with the sauna, €27 for children. Booking is compulsory then. The page lists the summer season as May 15 to September 15 but did not show summer prices when we checked, so look again before a summer visit.

Towels rent for €6 and bathrobes for €8, each with a refundable deposit. The shop sells swimsuits and slippers. You need your own towel and slippers in the sauna. Prices include VAT and can change without notice.

Getting there

Terme Merano is in the town centre, on Piazza Terme on the south bank of the Passirio. You can walk from the old town in a few minutes along the river promenade, and a cycle path along the Passirio ends at the square.

• By car: Merano is reached on the MeBo expressway from Bolzano. Follow signs for the Terme to the 560-space underground garage beside the building. A 2 or 3-hour ticket includes one hour of parking; with a day ticket you can park until midnight for €16 (not in Advent or at Christmas). Extra hours otherwise cost €3.20.
• By train and bus: Regional trains run to Merano station. From there, bus 221 (towards Tirolo) and bus 225 (towards Avelengo) stop at the Terme, and town buses 1, 3 and 4 stop nearby. Timetables are on suedtirolmobil.info.

When to go

Weekday mornings are the quietest. Rainy days, weekends and South Tyrol school holidays fill the hall, and the spa warns that tickets can sell out. Advent is the busiest time of year in Merano because of the Christmas market, so book ahead then.

Summer is the only season for the outdoor park, which roughly doubles the space. In winter the indoor hall is the whole visit, but the windows look straight out at snow on the peaks above town.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits in all pools. The sauna area is nude, ages 14 and up, with a towel under you on every bench.
• Children of any age are welcome with an adult. Teenagers from 14 can enter alone with ID.
• Last entry is 7 p.m. and the pools close at 8:40 p.m. The sauna opens at 2 p.m. on weekdays.
• Lockers are on level -1. The wristband is your key, so keep it on.

Where to stay nearby

The Hotel Therme Meran stands in the same park as the spa and opened in 2006. Merano itself has hotels of every level within walking distance, from the old town arcades to the villas of Maia Alta. For a mountain base, Avelengo and Tirolo sit above town and are linked by the buses that stop at the Terme.

Safety notes

• The 99°F37°C whirlpools and the hot-cold pools are the ones to take in short spells, especially after the sauna.
• The radon in the San Vigilio water is promoted as a feature. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, ask the spa’s medical service before booking treatments.
• Floors around the outdoor pools get slippery in the shoulder months, when the morning air is cold.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle are on the eastern edge of Merano. For naturally hot water, head west over the Stelvio Pass in summer to the QC Bagni Nuovi and QC Bagni Vecchi at Bormio. South in Trentino, Terme di Rabbi, Terme di Pejo and Terme di Levico are smaller spas built on cold mineral springs.