Hotel Heinrichshof | Algund

A family-run hotel overlooking the orchards of Merano

Algund – Guests who have breakfast at the Heinrichshof can enjoy a view from the sun terrace over apple orchards, Merano, and the Adige Valley all the way to the Dolomites. The hotel is a four-star property with a residence located in the garden village just outside Merano. It has been family-owned for over 60 years and is currently managed by Michael and Renate Schwellensattl. It features an indoor pool, a panoramic outdoor pool, an outdoor Finnish sauna heated to 90 °C, and a restaurant that serves a five-course menu of your choice in the evening. Double rooms are available starting at €149 per person per night with half-board.

This profile takes you on a tour of the Schwellensattl family’s home: from the hosts to the location, rooms, suites, and apartments, the kitchen, and the wellness area, all the way to hiking trails, packages, prices, and directions.

Who runs the Heinrichshof in Algund?

For over 60 years, the Heinrichshof has had a family-friendly atmosphere, and South Tyrolean hospitality has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, Michael and Renate Schwellensattl run the inn together with Naomi and Lea, as well as a well-coordinated team. The family loves the mountains, nature, and the South Tyrolean way of life—and that’s exactly what they want to share with their guests.

They describe their approach in three words: simple, authentic, and personal. In everyday life, that means: time for a „Ratscher”—as they call a chat in South Tyrol—on the terrace, first-hand tips for special excursions, and a conversation at the bar in the evening. Every morning, the “Morning Post” is waiting with hiking and excursion ideas for the day.

Once a week, on Tuesdays, Michael Schwellensattl takes his guests to his favorite spots in the mountains around Merano and shares stories about the region and its people along the way. The family’s motto is: „Time is precious, so we want to fill it with wonderful memories for our guests.”

Algund, the garden village on the outskirts of Merano

Algund (Italian: Lagundo) is a municipality with about 5,000 residents on the western edge of the Merano basin, where the Adige Valley merges into the Vinschgau Valley. Situated at an elevation of about 350 meters, the town borders directly on Merano and thrives on fruit growing and viticulture. In the spring, the apple orchards surrounding the village are in bloom. The Heinrichshof is situated in a quiet location on Rosengartenstraße, nestled between orchards and vineyards.

From the south-facing balconies and the terrace, the view stretches across Merano and the Adige Valley all the way to the Dolomites. On the north side, you can see Tyrol Castle, the ancestral seat of the Counts of Tyrol, which towers high above the valley, as well as the peaks of the Texel Group, a mountain range north of Merano and South Tyrol’s largest nature park. It’s just a short walk to the Algunder Waalweg, a roughly six-kilometer-long walking trail that follows a historic irrigation canal along the hillside above the village.

Merano, one of South Tyrol’s most beautiful cities, is just a few minutes away. There you’ll find the Lauben, the main shopping street lined with centuries-old arcades; the Kurhaus on the Passer Promenade; the Merano Thermal Baths; and the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle—the botanical garden once visited by Empress Sisi. The bus stop with service to Merano is right next to the hotel, and with the Südtirol Guest Pass—the guest card for all public transportation—you can ride for free.

What types of rooms and suites are available at the Hotel Heinrichshof?

The hotel consists of two buildings: the main building, which features double rooms and suites, and the Residence, which offers spacious suites and apartments. Everything is furnished in a modern Alpine style using local wood and natural materials. Large windows bring the panoramic view into the room. Each room is equipped with a tablet, Wi-Fi, a safe, a refrigerator, and a wellness bag containing a bathrobe and slippers. Fresh spring water from the Texel Group Nature Park is also provided.

The south side is all about the view. The 20-square-meter South Balcony Double Room and the 28-square-meter South Superior Mini-Suite on the second and third floors of the main building each feature a furnished south-facing balcony with views of Merano, the Adige Valley, and the Dolomites. The 20- to 23-square-meter Double Room with North-Facing Balcony catches the evening sun and offers a view of Tyrol Castle and the Texel Group. Solo travelers stay in the 14-square-meter Single Room with South-Facing Balcony, which features a south-facing balcony. The double rooms and suites feature box-spring beds.

The suites offer more space. The 32-square-meter suite in the main building features a separate living room and bedroom, a large south-facing balcony, air conditioning, and two televisions. The 55-square-meter suite in the Residence is designed to accommodate up to four people and features a living room, a bedroom, a separate children’s room, a walk-in closet, a kitchenette, and a large south-facing loggia that is not visible from the outside, offering a view across the apple orchards to Merano.

How does a vacation in an apartment work?

The 55-square-meter apartment in the Residence can accommodate two to four people and features a bright living room with satellite TV, a tablet, and Wi-Fi; a bedroom with box-spring beds; a separate children’s room; a walk-in closet with a safe; and a large bathroom with a shower. The kitchenette is equipped with a stove, a refrigerator, a coffee maker, a kettle, a toaster, and dishes for four to six people. In the summer, the floor cooling system keeps the rooms cool.

You can flexibly book meals on-site. You can order fresh rolls from the local bakery „Mein Beck” via the tablet by 6:00 p.m. the day before. They’ll be delivered to your door the next morning. Breakfast at the hotel costs €25 for adults ages 15 and older and €15 for children ages 6 to 14. The five-course dinner menu costs €40 or €20, and the gala dinner on Wednesday costs €45 or €30. Children under five eat for free, and apartment guests can enjoy the afternoon cake and strudel buffet at no charge.

For evenings out in the village, the hotel provides its own restaurant guide with addresses in Algund and the surrounding area.

What's on the menu at Heinrichshof?

Under the direction of Chef Daniel, the kitchen combines South Tyrolean tradition with Mediterranean flair and uses regional, seasonal ingredients. The day begins with a gourmet breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., served on the sun terrace when the weather is nice, with a view across the garden to the Merano valley: Bread rolls and pastries, regional sausage and cheese specialties, homemade egg dishes, muesli, yogurt, fruit, and jams.

From 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., the cake and strudel buffet will be available, featuring homemade cakes and South Tyrolean apple strudel with vanilla sauce. If you’re planning a longer tour, be sure to order a packed lunch the day before.

For dinner, with seating between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., you can choose from a five-course menu featuring meat, fish, or a vegetarian option, accompanied by a salad bar. To finish, dessert or cheese from the Algund Alpine Dairy—the village’s dairy—is served. Two evenings a week feature special events: On Wednesdays, the kitchen serves a gala dinner, and on Fridays, a finger-food-style appetizer buffet.

You’ll wrap up the evening at the hotel bar, where host Michael Schwellensattl is happy to stop by for a chat and offer tips for the next day. A Aperitivo, a pre-dinner drink, tastes great on the terrace overlooking Merano.

Indoor pool, panoramic outdoor pool, and outdoor sauna with a view of Merano

At Heinrichshof, you can swim both indoors and outdoors. The indoor pool is twelve meters long, maintains a temperature of at least 30 °C, and is open year-round from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Panorama outdoor pool is located outside, is also twelve meters long, and features its own children’s pool. It is open from Easter through All Saints’ Day during the same hours. The Panorama hot tub is open year-round and maintains a temperature of around 36 °C. Surrounding the outdoor pool are a sunbathing lawn, an outdoor relaxation room, and the wellness garden with seating areas.

The saunas are heated from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and longer upon request. The centerpiece is the Finnish outdoor panoramic sauna at 90 °C, complemented by a bio sauna at 60 °C, an aromatic steam bath, a sensory shower, and an ice fountain. On the infrared loungers SenRelax With equipment from the Tyrolean manufacturer Physiotherm, you can gently warm up, and in the Swiss stone pine relaxation room—made of locally sourced Swiss stone pine—you’ll find a tea bar, Alpine juices, and fresh spring water. The spa and outdoor sauna are reserved for guests ages 14 and older.

Massages and treatments are offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. It’s best to make a reservation before you arrive. The selection ranges from the classic full-body massage (50 minutes, €70) to Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic full-body oil massage (€82), and the hot-stone massage (80 minutes, €120). In addition, there are treatments using products from the natural cosmetics brand Alpienne, such as the 25-minute honey facial massage for 45 €. Guests of the hotel who wish to spend a day at the Merano thermal baths receive a 10% discount on admission to the Merano Thermal Baths.

Hiking and Biking Right from Your Doorstep

Around Algund, 160 kilometers of hiking trails wind through orchards and forests all the way up into the high mountains. There are trails with elevation gains ranging from 300 to 3,000 meters. The classic trail right on your doorstep is the Algunder Waalweg. At its eastern end begins the Tappeinerweg, a panoramic promenade high above Merano. A touch of nostalgia is the basket lift to Vellau, one of South Tyrol’s last remaining basket chairlifts. It takes you to the mountain hamlet of Vellau, situated at about 950 meters, and near the Merano High Trail, the major circular route around the Texel Group.

Those looking to go higher can hike to the Spronser Lakes, a group of high-mountain lakes in the Texel Group Nature Park, or to the 2,295-meter-high Mutspitze, a mountain offering panoramic views overlooking Dorf Tirol, the village next to Merano. The guided hike with the host on Tuesday is free for hotel guests; hiking poles and backpacks are available for rent at the hotel. With the South Tyrol Guest Pass, you can use buses, trains, and select cable cars, including the cable car to Aschbach, the mountain hamlet of Algund located at 1,350 meters. In addition, there are workshops and events organized by the Algund Tourism Association.

Cyclists set off on the Adige Cycle Path along the Via Claudia Augusta—the ancient Roman road across the Alps—heading west through the Vinschgau Valley or south toward Bolzano. To reach the Passeier Valley, the side valley north of Merano, the route follows the Passer River. Mountain bikers take the climb up the Nörderberg toward Aschbach. Mountain bikes and city bikes are available for rent at the house; e-bikes are available for a fee. Your own bike is stored in the alarm-secured bike room and is also insured against theft there.

For days when you’re looking for something different, Algund offers a large outdoor bouldering area. In the Merano region, you’ll find via ferrata routes, tandem paragliding, rafting and canyoning on the Passer and Adige rivers, horseback rides on Haflinger horses—the mountain horses from nearby Hafling—in Aschbach, and the Alpine Bob in Meran 2000, the ski and hiking area above the city.

What does the Heinrichshof offer families and dog owners?

For families, there’s a children’s pool at the Panorama outdoor pool, table tennis and foosball, children’s bathrobes, as well as a crib and high chair at no extra charge; a microwave can be provided in the room upon request. The suite and the apartment in the Residence offer plenty of space and feature a separate children’s room. For outings with children, the hosts recommend the walking trails through the orchards, easy hikes starting from the hotel, and the ride on the basket lift to Vellau.

Dogs are also allowed in the Heinrichshof Welcome. Upon arrival, you’ll find a “dog letter” listing the family’s favorite walking routes, along with a food bowl, dog blanket, and poop bags; and after your walk, towels are available upon request. Outside of mealtimes, the lawn, bar, and terrace are open to four-legged friends on a leash; the dining room and indoor pool are reserved for two-legged guests. The fee for a dog is €20 per night in the main building and €25 in the suites and apartments; small dogs ride for free on buses and trains, while larger dogs require their own day passes.

How much does a vacation at the Heinrichshof cost?

A night in a double room with a north-facing balcony starts at €149 per person, and a night in a suite at the Residence starts at €208, both including half-board, access to the pools and saunas, and a guest pass. The apartment starts at €327 per night for two people, without meals. A local tax of €3.40 per person per day is added on site; children under 14 are exempt.

The hotel’s packages run throughout the season, all for a minimum of five nights and featuring a weekly program: a welcome drink, a gala dinner on Wednesday, a finger food buffet on Friday, the Tuesday hike, and—in most packages—an excursion on Thursday. In the fall, the „Golden Autumn“ package centers on „Törggelen,“ the South Tyrolean autumn tradition featuring new wine, roasted chestnuts, and hearty fare, along with a wine hike to Algund winemakers, a tour of the Dolomites, and a Törggelen excursion with a farm visit. Over Christmas and New Year’s, “Winter Magic at the Heinrichshof” takes you along the Tappeiner Trail to the Merano Christmas Market and concludes with the New Year's Eve gala dinner; in the spring, packages for Easter and apple blossom season will follow.

When is the best time to visit, and how do you get to Algund?

The Heinrichshof’s packages run from late March through early November and continue through the Christmas holidays until Epiphany. In April, the apple orchards around Algund are in bloom; in May and June, the program takes you from the palm trees in Merano to the alpine pastures above the valley; midsummer is the time for tours to the mountain lakes; and fall is the season for Törggelen and the Algund winemakers. The outdoor pool is open from Easter through All Saints’ Day, while the indoor pool and hot tub are open year-round.

By car, take the A22 Brenner Highway to the Bolzano South exit and continue on the MeBo expressway, which connects Bolzano with Merano and extends all the way to Algund. By train, you can reach Merano via Bolzano; the Vinschgau Railway also stops in Algund, and the hotel will pick you up free of charge at either train station upon request. The nearest airports are Bolzano, Innsbruck, and Verona.

Our take on the Heinrichshof in Algund

The Heinrichshof This is the place for anyone who wants to be right next to Merano but still live among orchards. The Schwellensattl family runs it just as they describe it: with a personal touch, featuring a hike on Tuesdays, a chat at the bar, and cuisine that brings together South Tyrolean tradition and Mediterranean lightness on a single plate.

Couples will find a south-facing balcony, a panoramic sauna, and a Swiss stone pine relaxation room; families will find a suite or an apartment in the residence with a separate children’s room; hikers will find 160 kilometers of trails starting right from the village and a host who’s happy to share his favorite spots. And if you’re traveling with a dog, you’ll get the perfect walking routes right off the bat.

If this sounds like your next vacation: Check availability for your travel dates or send the property a non-binding inquiry using the form below.

Photos © Hotel Heinrichshof/Alfred Tschager, Cyclist near Merano © IDM South Tyrol/Alex Moling