Visit of Crown Prince Archduke Ferdinand to Merano and the Surrounding Area

Tyrol.

Meran, Aug. 8. The day before yesterday, on the 6th inst., His Royal Highness the most serene Crown Prince, Archduke Ferdinand, arrived here in the best of health around 6 o'clock in the evening from the overnight stop Cles in Nonsberg via the post road from Salurn through Neumarkt, where lunch was taken, and via Bozen, and graced this town and its environs with His presence until this morning. Regrettably, the time of the exalted arrival was marred by the onset of heavy rainfall. Braving the bad weather, all municipalities in this district through whose territory the route passed, from Salurn to Meran, eagerly demonstrated their joy and devotion to the venerated ruling house by firing mortar salutes, erecting rustic arches, holding Schützen parades, and lining up schoolchildren led by the authorities and the clergy. The valiant citizens of Meran performed guard duty during the departure of the military, and several music choirs competed to entertain the noble guest. After sunset, a voluntary illumination of the town took place, during which several homeowners distinguished themselves through brilliant and tasteful ideas. On the following day, the 7th inst., when the sky showed itself clearer and cloud cover protected against the burning sun, His Royal Highness set out on horseback with His retinue at 6 o'clock in the morning via Riffian to Salthaus in Passeier. There, at a site above the village very felicitously chosen by the district judge Strolz, beneath a hut of fir branches and surrounded by several brave defenders of the homeland as delegates from all municipalities, His Royal Highness was able to enjoy a view of the greater part of that valley. The return journey was made via Schenna, from whose castle, magnificently towering above the rocks, the other part of the Passeier Valley can be overlooked. The path then led past Schloss Winckel, very tastefully restored and furnished by its current owner Pitsch of Meran, whose magnificent location and view aroused surprising delight. Everywhere His Royal Highness condescended to graciously acknowledge the joyful honors offered by the clergy, decorated schoolchildren, and Landesschützen, and to watch with benevolent kindness the flag-waving traditional there. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock, His Royal Highness deigned to inspect the parish church in Meran and the English educational and teaching institute, and thereupon to make an excursion on horseback to the ancestral Schloss Tirol. On the return way via Schloss Thurnstein, small carriages had been ordered in the hamlet of Gratsch for the journey home, and the town of Meran celebrated this happy evening with another illumination. On the 8th inst. early at 6 o'clock, the departure of His Royal Highness was scheduled. At the height of Partschins, His Royal Highness left the carriage to proceed on horseback to the waterfall majestically cascading from the Tschegot Mountains from a height of more than 100 fathoms. The brave community of Partschins and the local landowners had spared no effort to make the access to this splendid natural scene, already easy in itself, even more convenient and pleasant. Thereupon His Royal Highness continued the journey to Mals, where the lunch stop was planned, but first visited from the Spondinig bridge the first section of the new road over the Wormser Joch at Pradt, where He inspected the plans of this monumental work with great interest and had them explained by one of the Italian building contractors present.