Summer Promenade

The Summer Promenade is located on the orographic left side of the Passer. It runs from the Post Office Bridge to the Stone Footbridge for a length of 300 metres. In the first section, it passes Elisabeth Park. Numerous plants characterise the dense vegetation of this walkway, which is particularly popular on hot days.

The Summer Promenade is linked to the creation of Elisabeth Park in 1870. It was called the "Garden of Marie Valerie" after the Austrian empress's daughter.

Impressive vegetation, consisting of almost 250 plant species in a relatively small area, immediately gives the feeling of being in a cool and shady place. It is the ideal place to laze around in the hot summer hours or read a newspaper. The vegetation is a mixture of conifers and evergreens typical of the Mediterranean (cedars, magnolias) and overseas plants (Japanese cherry trees, Canadian poplars, etc.). In the adjacent park, you can see the marble statue of Sissi, the Austrian empress, who spent her holidays in Merano several times.

Precisely because the Summer Promenade is so cool and shady, it lends itself to rest on a bench, quiet observation of the Passer's watercourse, to read or to let your thoughts run free. The freshness of the water and the leaves' dense canopy give us a pleasant feeling of freshness even on the hottest days.

This walk is particularly suitable for the elderly or anyone who may suffer from cardiovascular problems during the summer heat. The Passer provides plenty of humidity and supports our blood pressure when it drops due to the heat.

The Summer Promenade is a beautiful way to restore deep contact between man and nature. The benefits, apart from general well-being, are a strengthening of concentration and memory. You can also engage in a sensory experience, as suggested by the American researcher Francine Shapiro. She claims that an upward gaze, an alternating rolling of the eyes to the left and right, helps overcome psychological trauma.