Italy · South Tyrol · Avelengo above Merano
Miramonti: hard to find, hard to forget. And that pool…
One of our favourite hotels. Hidden high above Merano, right by the forest, with a view that reaches across the valley — and people who turn a first visit into a return.
The quick Good Direction
Miramonti
at a glance.
- Where
- In Avelengo above Merano, at 1,230 metres, right on the edge of the forest.
- The feeling
- A mountain hideaway that manages to feel generous, personal and dangerously addictive.
- For whom
- For lovers of views, exceptional service, wellness, food and days on two wheels.
- How long
- Three nights are a lovely beginning. Two pass before you properly understand the pool.
- Our person
- Mr Braňo — and his wife. Two of the people who make the hotel somewhere we return to.
- Best moment
- Early morning in the infinity pool, with silence and St Kathrein between the water and the mountains.
Some hotels stay with you because of a room. Miramonti stays with us because of a feeling that begins on the last bends above Merano. The road climbs, the noise of town disappears, and a place emerges between the trees, hidden exactly as well as its motto promises.
“Hard to find, hard to forget” is not a line pasted onto a wall. It is a precise set of instructions. The first time, you search for the road. Next time, you know it by heart — already looking forward to the same views, the same calm and familiar faces.
The reason for the journey
A pool worth driving all the way up for.
We could begin with the design, the food or the rooms. But we both know the main character. The infinity pool slides out of its dark timber frame towards the mountains, the water continuing visually into the valley. St Kathrein appears between the trees. At that point, the day’s plans tend to cancel themselves.
The pool is 16 by 5 metres, kept at a minimum of 32°C, filled with lightly salted water and open year-round. It is most beautiful early in the morning, when the surface is still and the hotel is barely awake — or at night, when Merano lights up below.
Infinity pool details ↗
What a photograph cannot capture
Service that never feels rehearsed. It feels human.
Miramonti offers some of the best service we know. Not because someone circles you with a perfectly practised phrase. Quite the opposite. People remember you, know when to be close and when to leave you in peace. Our favourite is Mr Braňo — a wonderful man who, together with his wife, looks after us so warmly that returning feels less like checking in and more like visiting friends.
Meet the Miramonti team ↗
Miramonti & Leiter am Waal
A view on the plate, with nothing done merely for show.
At Miramonti, we begin with the hotel’s three restaurants. Panorama follows the region and the season without weighing dinner down with grand words. Vivid risottos, pasta and long lunches — there is never a reason to hurry away. And the timber dining room in the photograph on the left? That belongs to our favourite Leiter am Waal in Algund: traditional South Tyrolean cooking among the vineyards, where the view has a habit of extending lunch.
An evening in Merano · Michelin ★
Sissi. When dinner becomes a small celebration.
In Merano, we have one more address for an evening meant to feel like an occasion: chef Andrea Fenoglio’s Sissi. It holds one star in the 2026 Michelin Guide, yet what stays with us is the playfulness of the plates and the sense that fine dining need never feel stiff. A reservation belongs in the plan.
Beyond the hotel
Merano below. Mountains in every direction.
A few steps bring you to St Kathrein, the little church that looks almost theatrical from the pool. Drive down to Merano for promenades, palms and a café afternoon; climb to Merano 2000 for trails and mountain huts. Miramonti is rare because you never have to choose between those two worlds.
Merano, slowly
Palms, vineyards and a garden worth losing half a day in.
When you want to trade mountain stillness for a green labyrinth, the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle bring together exotic plants, playful installations and views across Merano. Give them half a day. A list of things to see soon dissolves into simple wandering here, with palms, vines and mountains taking turns around you.
Trauttmansdorff Gardens ↗
Around the hotel
Three outings worth leaving the pool for.
One almost at the door, one higher into the mountains and one down in town. Do not plan all three at once — a stay here needs some empty space.
Walk from the hotel
St Kathrein
A short stroll to the church you can see from the pool. Go early or before sunset, circle the meadow and sit for a while. It is a tiny outing with a disproportionately large view.
A mountain day
Merano 2000
A broad summer area with walking trails and mountain huts. Choose a route for the weather and your energy, and always check current lift and facility operation before setting out.
A landscape cinema
Knottnkino
An open-air ‘cinema’ with seats facing the landscape. The circular walk from Avelengo is about 12 kilometres, moderately demanding, and deserves good shoes plus time to sit and watch.
Avelengo by bike
An e-bike is an exceptionally good idea here.
Above Merano, routes run over gravel, through forest and across alpine meadows, with vertical metres accumulating faster than photographs. An e-bike leaves enough energy for the views and lunch at a hut. Walkers have priority on shared paths — exactly the considerate rhythm this landscape deserves.
Official local MTB ideas ↗
A gentle beginning
Avelengo and Verano
Choose a shorter loop across the Tschögglberg plateau. Forest tracks, meadows and villages suit a first day when you want to learn the terrain and return to the pool on time.
Our mountain day
Wurzer Alm
The climb to the mountain hut has a clear reward: panorama, a long lunch and the descent home. Check the route condition and hut operation before you leave.
The easier option
Merano and the valley
If the high trails are wet or you want a gentler day, descend to the valley paths and combine them with town, coffee and palm-lined promenades. Save some battery for the way back up.
Our plan
Three days with no ambition to fit in everything.
Miramonti is not a base to flee every morning. Deliberately leave at least half a day empty — the hotel is part of the journey, not merely the bed.
Day 1
Arrive, linger over lunch, take the first swim and walk to St Kathrein. Finish with a drink above the lights of Merano.
Day 2
E-bike towards Wurzer Alm or take an easier Tschögglberg loop. Return to the Onsen pool, dinner and absolutely no guilt.
Day 3
A slow breakfast, then the Trauttmansdorff Gardens or Merano 2000. Give the final afternoon to the pool and save the evening for Sissi.
Practical notes
Good things to know before you travel.
- Address
- Via S. Caterina 14, 39010 Avelengo above Merano, Italy.
- Getting there
- A car is the easiest option. The final stretch climbs above Merano and confirms the motto: the hotel really is rather well hidden.
- Length of stay
- We recommend at least three nights. Add a fourth if you want cycling, mountains and a day with no plan.
- Wellness
- The infinity pool is open throughout the year. The Onsen and other spa areas follow their own schedule; check it before your stay.
- Restaurants
- Panorama Restaurant is best booked in advance. Always check current concepts, times and menus directly with the hotel.
- Before you go
- Weather changes quickly at this altitude. Verify lift and hut operation as well as trail conditions for your dates.
Where it is
Miramonti Boutique Hotel
South Tyrol · Italy
Via Santa Caterina 14, Avelengo
Drawing the map…
Our Good Direction tip
A little difficult to find. Almost impossible to forget.
Travel for the pool. Stay for the people. Return because Miramonti turns luxury into something rarer — the feeling that you are exactly where you should be.