Merano as a base for hiking

Yes— there are rifugios near Merano and you can find them and multi-day packages at www.Meranerland.org

well this much I knew, I was looking for specific recs or experiences...

Well, I'll probably be about as much help as the last commenter, but I'll take a risk. We stayed in Merano for two nights. It is a lovely city. We also stayed in Castelrotto which we also enjoyed. If I wanted to hike in the Alpe di Siusi or other spots around Ortisei, I'd stay in Castelrotto or Ortesei. It is at least an hour drive between Merano and Ortesei/Castelrotto because there really isn't a direct route, you pretty much have to go back to Bolzano.

That all said, there is some hiking around Merano.

Also had to look up the definition of a rifugio, so I guess, I'm not a ton of help.

Thanks for trying, though! and you've been to Merano, and I haven't!

Ortisei was very very small, so other than being a springboard for hikes, it was, in summer, dead. We would not be going to both places. Would be coming from Munich or Innsbruck and then after some "nature", continuing to Brescia or someplace close to Milan.

Merano is a bigger and more authentic city than Ortisei, which is overcrowded these days. Good pick!

We enjoyed our 4 night stay in merano last May. Beautiful city surrounded by mountains with a river running through it. We went to Bolzano, alpe di suisi and Val di funes from there.

Merano is a wonderful base for hiking. Plus, the Terme Merano is a lovely way to get some pool time. You'll enjoy a lot more variety than the Dolomites. You can do everything from relaxed hikes on the Waalwegs amid vineyards and orchards to high-alpine adventure on the Meraner Höhenweg. For a truly beautiful hike, consider making a day trip to Lago di Vernago in Val Senales: https://throneandvine.com/lago-di-vernago-vernagt-stausee/. It's about a 40-minute drive from Merano. There you can also stay at the Finailhof, which is one of the highest mountain farms in South Tyrol and a true gem. A great family outing to also consider from there is to the Iceman Ötzi Peak: https://throneandvine.com/iceman-otzi-peak/. You'll take the Schnalstal Glacier Cable Car to the Hochjochferner Glacier and from there it is a short walk to the peak. Tremendous views! Have an amazing trip!

Thanks so much for these pointers! I should add we'd be traveling without a car most likely. I'm intrigued by the Oetztal mountains and perhaps a Gasthof up there. I'll continue reading up.