South Tyrol in Spring: Apple Blossoms, Irrigation Canal Trails, and Asparagus Season

Merano – By the end of March, the first apple trees on the outskirts of town are turning white, and snow still covers the peaks above.

Visitors to South Tyrol in the spring experience the season from the bottom up: Apple blossoms spread through the valleys from late March to early May; the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle—the extensive grounds surrounding the castle of the same name in Merano—will open on March 26, 2027; and the inns in Terlan, the wine village between Merano and Bolzano, will be featuring white asparagus in its cuisine from March 23 to May 23, 2027.

This guide introduces you to ten spring destinations: walks through the blossoms, two waterfalls after the snowmelt, a hill with walls dating back to late antiquity, and the first days of swimming at Lake Kaltern, the large swimming lake on the South Tyrolean Wine Route south of Bolzano. It also includes all dates, prices, and travel information by bus and train.

When does spring begin in South Tyrol?

Spring begins in South Tyrol in the valley and then makes its way up the slopes. The apple blossoms set the pace. In the Meraner Land, the vacation region surrounding Merano, the trees bloom between late March and early May. In each individual location, the bloom lasts about two weeks and is over by the second week of May at the latest. In the lower-lying areas on the outskirts of Merano, the bloom begins about a week earlier than higher up on the slopes.

For your planning, this means: If you want to see the blossoms in the valley, come during the first two weeks of April. If you wait until May, the orchards will usually already be green, but you’ll get to see the waterfalls at their most spectacular, such as the waterfall near Parcines west of Merano, and the first days of swimming at the lake. In the spring, the most beautiful trails are down below, among orchards, vineyards, and forests.

A few dates for spring 2027 have already been set. The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle open on March 26, the Terlano asparagus season runs from March 23 to May 23, and admission to the gardens costs €17.00 for adults. With the Mobilcard—the ticket for buses and trains throughout South Tyrol—you can travel for three days for €32.00. The loop through the Frühlingstal, a forested valley along the South Tyrolean Wine Route, is 6.6 kilometers long.

Apple Blossoms in South Tyrol: Lana, Schenna, and the Vinschgau Valley

The apple trees are most densely concentrated in the Adige Valley around Merano. Lana, the market town in the Adige Valley south of Merano, celebrates the blossoms with its own program: Lana is in bloom fills the entire month of April with events; in 2026, it ran from April 1 to 30. The first blossoms appear here around late March or early April, and for about ten days, the trees are then covered in white and pink.

In Scena/Schenna, the resort town on the hillside northeast of Merano, the trees bloom from early to mid-April for two to three weeks. In Tirol village, the village on the hillside directly above the town, the flowers usually bloom in the second week of April.

Further west, in the Vinschgau Valley, in the long valley between Merano and the Reschen Pass, the orchards lie at altitudes ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters. There, the valley usually begins to transform in early to mid-April. The exact day in April when the first buds open varies from year to year and depends on the previous winter.

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle Open in March

The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle will kick off the 2027 season on March 26, making them one of the first major destinations of the South Tyrolean spring. During the 2026 season, they were open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through mid-October, with last admission at 5:30 p.m., including Sundays and holidays.

One ticket is valid for the gardens and for the Touriseum, the museum dedicated to the history of tourism located in the castle itself. Adults pay €17.00, children and teens ages 6 to 17 pay €8.00, and families with two adults and up to four children pay €38.00. Plan on spending three to six hours here: There are 7 kilometers of trails on the grounds with a 100-meter elevation gain. The four loop trails are still easy to walk because they have very little incline.

You can read about how the themed gardens were laid out and the history of the castle in our feature article The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle.

The Marling Waalweg: South Tyrol's Longest Waalweg

Waalwege are narrow paths that run alongside the Waale, the old irrigation canals that farmers in the Merano region and the Vinschgau Valley used to water their meadows and orchards. The Marlinger Waalweg is the longest of them.

It begins in Töll, a neighborhood of Parcines west of Merano, at the Adige Dam near the power plant. From there, it follows the canal along Forest, Marling and Cermes all the way to Lana. Once you reach your destination, you'll arrive at the bus station or the cable car's valley station, where you'll find the Vigiljoch ...the local mountain of Lana.

The trail is more than ten kilometers long, and the hike takes a good three hours. It never gets steep: Over the entire route, you’ll climb only 24 meters in elevation, but there’s a gentle 213-meter descent. From Waal, you can look out over the Merano valley basin, which in April is surrounded by blooming orchards.

The Tappeiner Trail: A Walk High Above Merano

The Tappeinerweg is Merano's most famous promenade, a four-kilometer-long path on the hillside above the old town. It was built by Franz Tappeiner, a doctor and researcher from the Vinschgau Valley who championed the spa town of Merano and donated the city's promenade.

You can access the path from several directions: via the stairs behind the parish church St. Nicholas, from the Galilei Street at the chairlift to Dorf Tirol, from the Gilf Promenade, the walking trail along the Passers Gorge, at the Powder Tower past or to the right of the Roman Bridge, the old stone bridge over the Passer River. There is an elevation difference of about 60 meters between Gilfpromenade and Tappeinerweg.

You can reach the path without any steps in Gratsch, the neighborhood at the western end. Bus line 236 goes there, and that's the right stop if you're traveling with a stroller or wheelchair.

If you want to continue from Tappeinerweg, take the chairlift on Galileistraße to Tirol village and from there, walk up to Tyrol Castle, the ancestral castle of the Counts of Tyrol, perched high above the Adige Valley. The road to the castle is closed to cars; from the village of Tirol, expect a 25- to 30-minute walk.

The castle is home to the South Tyrolean Provincial Museum of Culture and Regional History. During the 2026 season, it was open daily (except Mondays) from March 15 through November 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission costs €10.00. To find out what awaits you at the museum, check out our article on Tyrol Castle, you can find more castles in our overview Castles and Fortresses in South Tyrol.

Frühlingstal and the Montiggler Lakes: Flowers in the Forest

The Spring Valley is a wooded valley on the South Tyrolean Wine Route, between the Montiggl Lakes, two forest lakes near Eppan, and Lake Kaltern. It truly lives up to its name: Early in the year, yellow primroses, white snowdrops, purple liverwort, blue crocuses, and cowslips bloom here, and snowdrops grow along the damp shores.

The walk through the valley begins at the large parking lot in Montiggl, a district of Eppan. Take Trail No. 20 to the southern end of Lake Großer Montiggler See and continue into the Frühlingstal valley; take Trail No. 5 to return from the forest. The loop is 6.6 kilometers long; it takes about three hours to complete, with an elevation gain and loss of 200 meters each. At the end of the trail, you’ll find yourself surrounded by vineyards, looking out over Lake Kaltern.

Castelfeder near Auer: Walls from Late Antiquity

Castelfeder is a hill about 400 meters high near Auer, a town in the South Tyrolean Unterland region south of Bolzano. People have lived here since the Stone and Bronze Ages. Shortly after the year 500, the Byzantine Empire had a fortification built on the hill, the remains of whose walls still stand today. In addition, there is the St. Barbara Chapel, which was written in the 6th century.

The area covers about 100 hectares and has been protected as a biotope since 1977. A hiking trail leads up from Auer. The hike is most pleasant in the spring, when it’s not yet hot in the lowlands.

Waterfalls After the Snowmelt: Partschins and Barbian

The Parcines waterfall Above Partschins, it plunges 97 meters into the depths. It carries the most water during the snowmelt, from mid-May through late June or early July. The record was set in July 1989: 10,000 liters per second. To reach the waterfall, take bus line 265 to the final stop, “Restaurant Wasserfall”; from the village, it’s about an hour’s walk. By car, you can drive to the Birkenwald parking lot.

The Barbian Waterfalls are available at Barbian in the Eisack Valley, northeast of Bolzano. This is where the Ganderbach The waterfalls cascade down a 200-meter-high rock face in eight stages; the lower section is up to 85 meters high. They are most impressive during the snowmelt in April and May. From the village square in Barbian, at an elevation of about 832 meters, it takes about an hour to walk to the lower waterfall. The short loop to the upper waterfall, at about 1,110 meters, is 4.7 kilometers long and takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Asparagus Season in Terlan and Kastelbell

Spring in South Tyrol has a flavor all its own: white asparagus. It is harvested in South Tyrol in April and May. The best-known variety is Terlan asparagus, which comes from Terlan and its surrounding villages Vilpian and Siebeneich, where it is grown on about 10 hectares. The seal of quality certifies its origin Margarete, whose sole trademark owner is the Terlan Winery is the village's winegrowers' cooperative.

During the Terlan asparagus season in 2027—from March 23 to May 23—restaurants throughout the Terlan area will be serving asparagus dishes. The event is organized by the Terlan chapter of the HGV, from the Hoteliers and Restaurateurs Association. You can buy asparagus to go at the Terlano Asparagus Sales Outlet, which is open from late March through mid-May.

In the Vinschgau Valley, Kastelbeller asparagus is grown on just under 3 hectares around Castelbello-Ciardes. It ripens a little later than in the floodplains of the Adige Valley; the harvest takes place from mid-April through early June. The Asparagus Festival in Kastelbell-Tschars runs every year from mid-April through the end of May.

Where's the best place to eat during asparagus season?

During asparagus season, the spotlight is on the asparagus restaurants—the eateries participating in the Terlan Asparagus Festival. Three of them are located right in Terlan, with others in Vilpian and Siebeneich.

Bolzano in Spring: Walther Square and the Flower Market

In Bolzano, the capital of South Tyrol, the Waltherplatz the heart of the Old Town. At the end of April, it transforms into a sea of flowers: During the Bolzano Flower Market, stalls selling flowers and plants line the square and along the Bahnhofsallee. In 2026, the market was held for the 136th time, on April 30 and May 1.

The market alone isn't enough for a spring day in the city, but it's a good start. Our guide lists everything else you shouldn't miss in the Old Town, from the arcades to Ötzi at the Archaeology Museum. Bolzano sights.

Lake Kalterer: The Lake Trail and the First Days of Swimming

The Lake Kaltern Located on the South Tyrolean Wine Route south of Bolzano, it is South Tyrol’s largest natural body of water and is considered the warmest swimming lake in the Alps. As early as May, the first visitors take a dip in the water. Swimming takes place on the north side, where there are four beach resorts. The southern part of the lake is a protected biotope and is home to birds and fish.

In April, when no one is swimming yet, the lakeside trail is the better choice. It circles the lake, from the swimming spots in the north to the protected biotope in the south, and along the way you can look out over the water at the vineyards on the hillside.

Golf, Cycling, and Skiing: Sports in South Tyrol in the Spring

For golfers, the season begins with the blossoming of the trees: In 2026, the Lana Golf Club kicked off its tournament season in early April amid blossoming apple trees. Another course is located below the Schlern, the mountain range above the Seiser Alm: the golf course St. Vigil Seis at Siusi allo Sciliar. You can find all the facilities in the state in our overview Golf courses in South Tyrol.

Cyclists follow the Adige Valley along the Via Claudia Augusta, the bike path that follows the route of the old Roman road. Between Merano and Bolzano, it winds its way through the orchards, which are in bloom in April.

And if you want to combine spring with one last day of skiing, you'll find information on slopes, season dates, and ski pass prices in our guide Ski Vacation at Kronplatz.

You should mark these spring dates on your calendar

Spring in South Tyrol follows a set schedule. It begins in late March with asparagus season in Terlan and the start of the season in Trauttmansdorff, and ends in late May with the Asparagus Weeks in Vinschgau. In between are “Lana in Bloom,” the flower market in Bolzano, and the Haflinger Horse Races on Easter Monday. This horse race features Haflinger horses—the chestnut-colored horses with light manes from the mountain village Hafling over Merano, and have been kicking off the racing season at the Merano racetrack since the late 19th century.

How much do the gardens, the castle, and the Mobilcard cost?

For a spring day in Merano, expect to pay €17.00 for the Trauttmansdorff Castle Gardens and €10.00 for Tyrol Castle. The Mobilcard costs €22.00 for one day, €32.00 for three days, and €52.00 for seven days. You don’t need a ticket for the Waalwege, the Tappeinerweg, or the Frühlingstal.

How do you get to your destinations in the spring without a car?

You can reach almost all of the destinations in this guide by bus and train. The Mobilcard is valid for one, three, or seven calendar days starting from the first validation on all public transportation in South Tyrol, including regional and regional express trains to Trento. Children ages 6 through 13 travel at half price with the Mobilcard Junior. Many accommodations also provide their guests with the South Tyrol Guest Pass, which allows you to use public transportation throughout the country. Ask about it when you make your reservation.

Bus line 265 goes to the Partschins Waterfall, and bus line 236 goes to the flat starting point of the Tappeinerweg trail in Gratsch. The Marlinger Waalweg trail ends at the Lana bus station; from there, you can take the bus back to Merano. Merano and Bolzano are connected by train; the trip takes about 40 minutes.

What You Should Know About Spring in South Tyrol

1. The bloom doesn't follow any calendar. Every year, winter determines when the apple trees bloom. If you want to stay flexible, stay in the area around Merano: From there, you can reach the Adige Valley, Schenna, and the Vinschgau Valley, depending on where the trees are blooming at the moment.

2. Trauttmansdorff has its own rules. Dogs aren't allowed inside, guest passes don't offer a discount, and the ticket is valid only on the day it's issued, with no re-entry. So plan to spend half a day at a time in the garden—that way, the admission fee is worth it.

3. The waterfalls require patience. In April, the Partschins Waterfall has even less water; it doesn't reach its peak until mid-May. For a trip in April, the Barbian Waterfalls are a better choice, as they are at their most impressive during the snowmelt in April and May.

4. Asparagus is only available in season. In Terlan, the 2027 asparagus season ends on May 23. Those who arrive later can head to the Vinschgau Valley, where Asparagus Weeks run through the end of May and the harvest continues until early June.

5. Bathing means May. Before May, Lake Kaltern is a destination for a walk around the lake, not for a day at the beach. Starting in May, that walk turns into a day at the beach at one of the four lakeside resorts in the north.

Combine Merano with Lana, Bolzano, and Lake Kaltern

Most spring destinations are located in the Adige Valley between Merano and Bolzano, less than an hour apart. Here’s a suggestion for a three-day trip: On the first day, explore Merano with the Tappeiner Trail and the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle; on the second, take the Marling Waal Trail to Lana through the blossoming countryside; and on the third, visit Bolzano with Walther Square and Lake Kaltern in the afternoon.

On a rainy day, the Terme Merano right in the heart of the city. And if you want to explore South Tyrol beyond the valleys, you’ll find the most beautiful places in our overview Cities of South Tyrol.

Our conclusion: South Tyrol is worth visiting in the spring, from late March through late May

In South Tyrol, spring is the season of the valleys. While snow still lies high up in the mountains, the orchards down below are in bloom, the gardens in Merano are opening, and the restaurants in Terlano are serving up asparagus dishes. For those who prefer hiking to climbing, this is the most beautiful time of the year.

It doesn't have to be expensive. The Waalwege trails, promenades, and the Frühlingstal valley are free; the Mobilcard takes you everywhere for three days; and the biggest expense of the day is usually the admission fee to the gardens at Trauttmansdorff Castle.

Plan your trip for the first two weeks of April if you want to see the blossoms, or in May for waterfalls and days at the beach. You'll find everything else you need to know for planning—from regions to accommodations—in our South Tyrol Travel Guide.

Prices, hours of operation, and schedules are subject to change. Check the official websites for the latest information before your trip.