Giardini di Castel Trauttmansdorff

Infobox park
park=Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle

---

image size=250px
caption=
type=Botanic gardens
location=Merano, Italy
coordinates=coord|46.659569|11.184082|display=inline,title
size=convert|12|ha|acres
opened=c1850
operator=
visitors=
status=Open in summer

The Giardini di Castel Trauttmansdorff (Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, 12 hectares) are botanical gardens located on the grounds of the former Trauttmansdorff Castle at St.-Valentin-Str. 51A, Merano, Province of Bolzano-Bozen, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy. The gardens are open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged.

History

The gardens were begun circa 1850 by Count Trauttmansdorff during the castle's restoration.

Gardens

Today the castle grounds contain about 80 gardens of local and exotic plants, organized by region of origin, including typical landscapes of the South Tyrol. Principal features of interest include:

* Forests of the world - conifers and deciduous trees from the Americas and Asia.

* Oleander Steps - flowering oleander, an ancient olive tree, etc.

* Sun Gardens - cultivated plants of the Mediterranean, including cypress, figs, grapevines, lavender, and Italy's northernmost olive grove.

* Water and Terraced Gardens - various gardens, including a formal Italian garden, English garden, and sensual garden.

* "Wollemia nobilis" specimen

The gardens also contain Aesculapian Snakes in their natural habitat, courtesy of the Alpine Zoo of Innsbruck, an aviary, a Japanese alluvial forest, rice terraces, and tea plantations.

See also

* Grandi Giardini Italiani
* List of botanical gardens in Italy

References

* [http://www.trauttmansdorff.it/The_Gardens.html Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle]
* [http://www.bgci.org/garden.php?id=2520 BGCI entry]
* Udo Bernhart, Ulrike Dubis, "Trauttmansdorff - Die Gärten / Giardini / The Gardens", BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co, 2006. ISBN 3835402633.