The small village of Verano, in the Merano area, lies 1,200 m above sea level and is part of the Monzoccolo or Tschögglberg, a small mountain range lying between Bolzano and Merano. It is linked to the Adige valley by the cable car line that runs to Postal, or Burgstall and a road that goes to Avelengo, or Hafling, and then to Merano, which is easily travelled in both the winter and the summer months. Sun worshippers will love Verano and the surrounding area. It is blessed by a mild climate from Spring to late Autumn and is excellent for strolls and walks, followed by a nice rest in the comfortable local inns. Thanks to our fortunate position near Merano, there are a lot of trips to be taken to the nearby towns, such as Merano, the city of flowers, with its historic porticoes and the new spa, or Bolzano, the city of culture, which offers theatre, dance and of course Ötzi, the ancient ice mummy.

In the Spring, nature awakens to new life at the Waldbichl above Merano - meadows of crocus and fresh green grass as far as the eye can see. Close your eyes and breathe in the fresh air.

In the Summer there is a lot to see right at the hotel itself. Such as a mountain bike tour over the various forest and high-country paths in the Merano region, a romantic ride on traditional Haflinger horses in Avelengo and Verano or a nordic walking tour over high-lying alms, or simply relaxing on our wooden recliners at the Waldbichl.

Suggested walk: Waldbichl – Vöraner Alm
Time required: about 2 to 3 hours, Difficulty: low, Elevation gain: about 370 m
Best time of year for this route: Early May to early November

From the Waldbichl, you take the narrow path directly above the house, path No. 11, to the Vöraner Alm or Malga di Verano. Turn left at the Rossbach brook, also called Rio Cavallo. You can rest at the little pond. From there, follow path 11 A directly to the Vöraner Alm. On the way back, take path No. 2 toward the Wurzer Alm or Malga di Wurzer, turn left almost immediately and follow first the path marked 11B and then 11A to the pond. From there it is easy to retrace your steps home.

Suggested walk: Waldbichl – Auener Alm – Stoanerne Mandlen – Waldbichl
Time required: about 4 hours, Difficulty: low, Elevation gain: about 500 m
Best time of year for this route: Early May to early November

From the Waldbichl, you take the narrow path directly above the house, path No. 11, to the Vöraner Alm or Malga di Verano. At the Rossbach, take path 11 to the Auenerjoch. At the large crossroads, follow the sign to Sarentino, or to the Auener Alm, which can be reached in 15 minutes. After a brief stop, which is highly to be recommended from a culinary point of view, retrace the short path and turn left to the Stoanernen Mandlen, the fascinating large stone cairns. From there the route takes you back the same way to the Waldbichl.

Please note: always follow the paths marked in red and white, all other paths are meant for the use of forest service personnel and woodsmen.

Suggested walk: Waldbichl – Sattler Hütte-Lafenn and back by bus
Time required: about 2.5 hours, Difficulty: low, Elevation gain: about 150 m
Best time of year for this route: Early May to early November

From the Waldbichl, take path 38 from directly below the farm to the Obermichelerhof; the same path runs directly to the SattlerHütte and from there you can take path 17 and then path 4 to the parking lot in Schermoos. From there it is a 20-minute walk to Lafenn, or Lavena.
If you wish, you can return the same way, or take the Monzoccolo bus to Aschl-Kirchlein and, after a half-hour stroll, you will be back at the Waldbichl.

Suggested walk: Vöran – Grüner Baum – Familienbesinnungsweg – Waldbichl – Vöran
Time required: about 2.75 hours, Difficulty: low, Elevation gain: about 300 m
Best time of year for this route: All year round, somewhat more difficult in the Winter months

The starting point is Verano. From here you take the No. 16 path eastwards to above the Grüner Baum inn. Turn right above the athletic area and follow the sign to the Familien-Besinnungsweg. From here, take path 1 to the Rohrer. The climb to the Waldbichl starts just left of the house on path 15A, the Hüttenbachweg. Up hill and down dale and after hopping over a few fences as well, you will soon be at the Waldbichl. Return: Just below the Waldbichl, take path 16 in the direction of Bruggen-Weiher to the Grüner Baum, and sloping gently downwards from there, back to the village of Verano.

Please note: the art along the Familienbesinnungsweg was done by my husband, Oswald Kröss.

Suggested walk: Alpenrose – Knottnkino – Bruggen Weiher – Waldbichl
Time required: about 3 hours, via the Schützenbründlweg about 3 ½ hours, Difficulty: low, Elevation gain: about 200 m
Best time of year for this walk: All year round

The starting point is the parking lot above the Alpenrose inn. From here, follow path 11 to the fork for Knottnkino. Sloping slightly uphill, a 15-minute walk will take you to the well-known cinema. After a brief visit, the path takes you down to the Weberhof farm and onwards on path 11 to the Bruggen Weiher. After about 15 minutes you will reach the Waldbichl.

You can return via the Schützenbründlweg/Grüner Baum. An amusing - and possibly useful - structure next to the path - the little outhouse with a heart carved into it.