Dolomiti
Nightlife in and near Castelrotto
Sleeping in and near Castelrotto
Orientation to Compatsch Village
Italy’s dramatic rocky rooftop, the Dolomites, offers some of the best mountain thrills in Europe. The city of Bolzano—blending Austrian tidiness with an Italian love for life—is the gateway to the Dolomites. And the village of Castelrotto is a good home base for your exploration of Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Europe’s largest alpine meadow. Dolomite, a sedimentary rock similar to limestone, gives these mountains their distinctive shape and color. The bold, light-gray cliffs and spires flecked with snow, above green, flower-speckled meadows and beneath a blue sky, offer a powerful and memorable mountain experience.
A hard-fought history has left the region bicultural, with an emphasis on the German. In the mountains and closer to the border, most locals speak German first, and some wish they were still part of Austria. In the Middle Ages, as part of the Holy Roman Empire, the region faced north. Later, it was firmly in the Austrian Habsburg realm. By losing World War I, Austria’s South Tirol became Italy’s Alto Adige. Mussolini did what he could to Italianize the region, including giving each town an Italian name and building a severely fascist-style new town in Bolzano. But even as recently as the 1990s, secessionist groups agitated violently for more autonomy—with some success (see sidebar).
The government has wooed locals with economic breaks, which have made this one of Italy’s richest areas (as local prices attest), and today all signs and literature in the province of Alto Adige/Südtirol are in both languages. Some include a third language, Ladin—an ancient Romance language still spoken in a few traditional areas. (I have listed both the Italian and German, so the confusion caused by this guidebook will match that experienced in your travels.)
The Dolomites are well developed, and the region’s most famous destinations suffer from après-ski fever. But in spite of all the glamorous resorts and busy construction cranes, the regional color survives in a warm, blue-aproned, ruddy-faced, felt-hat-with-feathers way. There’s yogurt and yodeling for breakfast. Culturally, as much as geographically, the area is reminiscent of Austria. In fact, the Austrian region of Tirol is named for a village that is now part of Italy.
One night in the Dolomites will give you a feel for the South Tirol’s alpine culture. But it’s best to stay at least two nights so you have at least one full day to hike. Pretty Castelrotto is the best base for hiking in the spectacular Alpe di Siusi alpine meadow, but Italian-flavored Bolzano, down in the valley, is also in easy reach of the high-mountain lifts.
From either town, plan an early start up to Compatsch, the gateway to the high Alpe di Siusi meadow. Tenderfeet stroll and ride the lifts from there. For serious mountain thrills, do an all-day hike. And for an unforgettable memory, spend a night in a mountain hut. With a second day, do more hiking or spend time in Bolzano, where you can stroll the old town and visit Ötzi the Iceman at the excellent archaeology museum (best to get tickets in advance). Always check local transportation timetables before you set out.
Hiking season is mid-June through mid-October. The region is particularly crowded, booming, and blooming from mid-July through mid-September (but once you’re out on the trails, you’ll leave the crowds behind). It’s packed with Italian vacationers in August. Spring is usually dead, with lifts shut down, huts closed, and the most exciting trails still under snow. Many hotels and restaurants close in April and November. By mid-May, most businesses reopen, some lifts start running (check dates at www.seiseralm.it), and—if you luck into good weather—a few rewarding hikes are already possible. Ski season (Dec-Easter) is busiest—and most expensive—of all.
Willkommen to the Italian Tirol! If Bolzano (“Bozen” in German) weren’t so sunny, you could be in Innsbruck. This enjoyable old city is the most convenient gateway to the Dolomites, especially if you’re relying on public transportation. It’s just the place to take a Tirolean stroll.
Bolzano feels like a happy castaway between the Germanic and Italian worlds. The people are warm and friendly, but organized. One person greets you in Italian, the next in German. But everyone can agree the city has a special verve, with lively shopping arcades, a food-and-flower market more bustling than anything you’ll find north of the border in Austria, and a tidy main square with a backdrop of colorful churches and wooded foothills.
The town has only one museum worth entering, but it’s world class, offering the chance to see Ötzi the Iceman—a 5,300-year-old Tirolean found frozen on a mountaintop—in the (shriveled, leathery) flesh. Beyond that, Bolzano is made for strolling, relaxing, and hiking in the nearby hills—and works well as a home base for venturing deeper into the mountains (though Castelrotto is closer to the high-mountain lifts).
Virtually everything I mention in Bolzano (pop. 105,000) is in the compact and strollable old town, which radiates out from the main square, Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. Those curious about fascist architecture can head 10 minutes west of the center to see Mussolini’s “New Bolzano” development. And many enticing hikes into the foothills that cradle Bolzano begin from your hotel’s doorstep.
Bolzano’s TI, just down the street from the train station, is helpful (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat 9:30-18:00, may open Sun May-Sept 10:00-15:00, otherwise closed Sun, Via Alto Adige/Südtiroler Strasse 60, www.bolzano-bozen.it).
Discount Card: Consider buying the Museummobil Card, which covers most museums in the South Tirol (including the archaeology museum, with its famous Iceman), plus trains, buses, the Funivia del Renon/Rittner Seilbahn cable car to Oberbozen, and more (€30/3 days, available at local TIs and the train station baggage storage office, www.mobilcard.info). It’ll pay for itself only if you’re very busy (for example, if you visit the Iceman, ride the Renon cable car, and take the bus round-trip from Bolzano to Castelrotto). The Mobilcard is a transit-only version that covers trains, buses, and lifts (€15/1 day, €23/3 days, sold at TIs and transit offices, www.mobilcard.info).
Walking Tours: The TI offers a guided town walking tour in English on Saturdays in season (€6, March-Oct at 11:00, departs from TI).
By Train: There are two train stations for Bolzano—you want Bolzano, not Bolzano Süd. WCs are in the underground passage by track 1, and luggage storage is just upstairs (see “Helpful Hints,” next). To reach the TI, exit the station, turn left, and walk two blocks. To get downtown, jog left up the tree-lined Viale della Stazione/Bahnhofsallee, and walk past the bus station (on your left) two blocks to Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz and the start of my self-guided walk.
By Car: Be careful driving in Bolzano—keep an eye out for ZTL zones (marked with a red circle), where you’ll be automatically ticketed. The most convenient parking lot for a short visit is the P3 garage, right under the main square (€2.50/hour, cheaper overnight; to find it, make your way to the train station, then drive up Viale della Stazione/Bahnhofsallee, watching for the P3/Piazza Walther entrance on your right). For longer stays or to save a few euros, try P8 (Parking Centro/Mitte), just south of the ring road and west of the train station—about a 10-minute walk from the main square (€1.50/hour, cheaper overnight, enter from Via Josef Mayr Nusser).
With the exception of Bolzano, where Italian has become the primary language, you’ll hear mostly German in Dolomite villages. Overall, seven in ten Italians living in the South Tirol speak German as their mother tongue. Many are fair-skinned and blue-eyed and prefer dumplings and strudel to pasta and gelato. Most have a working knowledge of Italian, but they watch German-language TV, read newspapers auf Deutsch, listen to jaunty oompah music, and live in Tirolean-looking villages.
At the end of World War I, the region was ceded by Austria (loser) to Italy (winner). Mussolini suppressed the Germanic cultural elements as part of his propaganda campaign to praise all things Italian. Many German speakers hoped that Hitler would “liberate” them from Italy, but Hitler’s close alliance with Mussolini prevented that from happening. Instead, in June of 1939, residents were given six months to make a hard choice: Move north to the Fatherland and become German citizens, or stay in their homeland (Heimat) under Italian rule. The vast majority (212,000, or 85 percent) decided to leave, but with the outbreak of World War II, only 75,000 actually moved.
After the war, German speakers were again disappointed when the Allies refused to grant them autonomy or the chance to become Austrian citizens. Instead, the victors decided to stick with the prewar arrangement. The region rebuilt and the two linguistic groups patched things up, but for the remainder of the 20th century, German speakers were continually outvoted by the Italian-speaking majority in the regional government (comprising two provinces, Italian-speaking Trentino and German-speaking Alto Adige/Südtirol).
German speakers lobbied the national government for more control on the provincial (not regional) level, even turning to demonstrations and violence. Over the years, Rome has slowly and grudgingly granted increased local control. The country’s 2001 constitution gave Alto Adige/Südtirol a large measure of autonomy—similar to Sicily and Sardinia—though it’s still officially tied to Trentino. Roads, water, electricity, communications, and schools are all under local control, including the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, founded in 1998.
A good way to sum it all up: In many ways, the people of the Dolomites feel a closer bond with their Austrian ancestors than with their countrymen to the south. But when Italy plays Austria in a big soccer match, who do locals root for? Italy.
Sleepy Sundays: This small, culturally conservative city is really dead on Sunday (young locals add, “and during the rest of the week, too”).
Markets: Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz hosts an ancient and still-thriving open-air produce market (Mon-Sat all day, closed Sun). Wash your produce in the handy drinking fountain in the middle of the market. Another market (offering more variety, not just food) runs Saturday mornings on Piazza della Vittoria.
Baggage Storage: You can store bags at Base Camp Dolomites, at the train station by track 1 (daily 8:30-18:30, tel. 0471-971-733, Matteo and Lukas).
Laundry: Ecomatic is at Via Rosmini/Rosministrasse 39, southwest of the South Tirol Museum of Archaeology (daily 7:00-22:30, doors lock automatically at closing time, mobile 340-220-2323).
Bike Rental: The city has a well-developed bike-trail system and cheap, city-subsidized rental bikes (€2/6 hours, €5/6-24 hours, €10 refundable deposit, ID required, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:50, closed Sun and Nov-March, just off Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz on the road to the station, tel. 0471-997-578). For a higher-quality mountain bike or electric bike, try Base Camp Dolomites at the station (see “Baggage Storage,” above).
(See “Bolzano” map, here.)
This brief self-guided walk will help you get your bearings in central Bolzano.
• Start the walk in...
Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz: The statue in the center honors the square’s namesake, Walther von der Vogelweide, a 12th-century politically incorrect German poet who courageously stood up to the pope in favor of the Holy Roman (German) Emperor. Walther’s spunk against a far bigger power represents the Germanic pride of this region. The statue is made of marble quarried in the village of Laas, north of Bolzano. (The US chose this same marble for the 86,000 crosses and Stars of David needed to mark the WWII dead buried at Normandy and other battlefields across Europe).
When not hosting Bolzano’s Christmas market, flower market (May Day), or Speck Fest (a spring ham festival), Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz is simply the town’s living room. And locals care about it. It was the site of Italy’s first McDonald’s, which, in the early 1990s, became the first McDonald’s to be shut down by locals protesting American fast food. Today the square is home to trendy cafés such as Café Walther, where (outside of meal times) you’re welcome to nurse a “Venetian” spritz or a pricier cocktail as long as you like.
• Cross the street to the big church.
The Cathedral: The cathedral’s glazed-tile roof is typical of the Germanic world—a reminder that from the sixth century until 1919, when Italy said benvenuti to the Südtirol, German was the region’s official language. The church was flattened in World War II (a common consequence of being located near a train station in 20th-century Europe).
Walk around to the right, to the Romanesque Lion’s Gate (at the far end), and step inside. The place feels Teutonic, rather than Italian, with a mostly Gothic interior that’s broken at the front by an impressive Baroque tabernacle. Partway down the nave, the sandstone pulpit (c. 1500)—with its reliefs of the four Church fathers whose presence gave credibility to sermons preached here—is reminiscent of Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Most of the art is by Bavarian artists.
• Leaving the church, return to Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz and cross it diagonally, heading up the street to the right of the big Sparkasse bank building. Follow this for one block, to...
Piazza del Grano/Kornplatz: Nine hundred years ago, this was Bolzano’s main square. The building to your right was the bishop’s castle. The traditional food stand selling Vollkornbrot (dense, whole-grain bread) and pretzels is another reminder of German heritage. At the top of the square, look for the flower bed with a big, chunky rock. A bronze relief embedded in the rock shows Bolzano’s street plan in the 12th century: a one-street arcaded town huddled within a fortified wall.
• Jog right and continue straight ahead into the original medieval town, passing a wurstel (frankfurter) stand on your left. You’ll pop out in the middle of...
Via dei Portici/Laubengasse: This was the only street in 12th-century Bolzano. Step into the center (dodging bikes). Looking east and west, you see the width of the original town.
Turn left and stroll a bit, watching on the right for the frescoed, pointed arches of the old City Hall—the street’s only Gothic building (at #30). Notice that the other buildings, with uniform round arches, are all basically the same: Each had a storm cellar, cows out back, a ground-level shop, and living quarters upstairs. Bay windows were designed for maximum light—just right for clerks keeping track of accounts and for women doing their weaving. The arcades (Lauben), typical of Tirol, sheltered merchants and their goods from both snow and sun. Narrow side passages lead to neighboring streets.
A bit farther along on the left, the only balcony marks the street’s lone Baroque building—once the mercantile center (with a fine worth-a-look courtyard), now a skippable museum.
• Continue to the end of the street, where you’ll find a bustling market.
Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz: This square hosts an open-air produce market, liveliest in the morning (closed Sun). The historic market fountain gives Bolzano its only hint of the sea—a 17th-century statue of Neptune. Stroll around and see what’s in season. All the breads, strudel, and hams schmecken sehr gut.
• From the market, Via Museo/Museumstrasse (called Butcher Street until the 19th century, when a museum opened) leads straight ahead to Frozen Fritz.
This excellent museum, which illuminates the prehistory of the region, boasts a unique attraction: the actual corpse of Ötzi the Iceman, who spent more than five millennia stuck in a glacier. With Ötzi as the centerpiece, the museum takes you on an intriguing journey through time, recounting the evolution of humanity—from the Paleolithic era to the Roman period and finally to the Middle Ages—in vivid detail. The interactive exhibit offers informative displays and models, and video demonstrations of Ötzi’s extraction and his personal effects. Everything’s well described in English (skip the €4 audioguide).
Cost and Hours: €9, €37.50 guided tour for up to 15 people (must reserve ahead), Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon except July-Aug and Dec, near the river at Via Museo/Museumstrasse 43, tel. 0471-320-100, www.iceman.it.
Crowd-Beating Tips: Capacity is limited, and ticket-buying lines can be long. It’s busiest on rainy days in July and August. To skip the line, it’s smart to buy tickets online (same price as at site, must purchase at least one day in advance, exchangeable if your schedule changes). Show your emailed receipt or confirmation code for admission.
Background: Ötzi’s frozen body was discovered high in the mountains on the Italian/Austrian border by a German couple in 1991. Police initially believed the corpse was a lost hiker, and Ötzi was chopped roughly out of the glacier, damaging his left side. But upon discovering his pre-Bronze Age hatchet, officials realized what they had found: a 5,300-year-old, nearly perfectly preserved man with clothing and gear in excellent condition for his age. Austria and Italy squabbled briefly over who would get him, but surveys showed that he was located 100 yards inside Italian territory. Tooth enamel studies have now shown that he did grow up on the Italian side. An Austrian journalist dubbed him Ötzi, after the Ötztal valley, where he was discovered.
Visiting the Museum: The permanent exhibit is smartly displayed on three floors (plus temporary exhibits on the top floor). First you’ll learn about Ötzi’s discovery, excavation, and preservation. Upstairs, you’ll walk through displays of his incredibly well-preserved and fascinating clothing and gear, including a finely stitched two-color coat, his goathide loincloth, a fancy hat, shoes, a well-crafted hatchet, 14 arrows, a longbow, a dagger, and shreds of his rucksack (which held fire-making gadgets and a tree fungus used as a primitive antibiotic). And finally, you’ll peek into a heavily fortified room to see Ötzi himself—still kept carefully frozen.
One floor up, exhibits focus on the Copper Age. The discovery of Ötzi helped researchers realize that the use of copper occurred in this region more than a millennium earlier than previously thought. There’s also a complete medical workup of Ötzi, including an interactive flatscreen where you can zoom in on different parts of his body to see the layers of skin, muscle, and bone. And you’ll learn how researchers have used modern forensic science techniques to better understand who Ötzi was and how he died. (Think of it as a very, very, very cold case.)
From all of this, scientists have formed a complete picture of the Iceman: In his mid-40s at the time of his death, Ötzi was 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He weighed about 110 pounds, was lactose-intolerant, ate too much animal fat, and likely had trouble with his knees. And they’ve even determined the cause of death: an arrowhead buried in Ötzi’s left shoulder. At the end of the exhibit, you’ll see an eerily lifelike reconstruction of how Ötzi may have looked when he was alive. If you’re interested in learning more about Ötzi, National Geographic and the public-television program Nova have covered the evolving story.
Art lovers can drop by this otherwise stark and sterile 13th-century church to see its Chapel of St. John (San Giovanni/St. Johannes; chapel is through the archway and on the right), frescoed in the 14th century by the Giotto School.
Cost and Hours: Free, €0.50 coin lights dim interior, Mon-Sat 7:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, on Piazza Domenicani, two blocks west of Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz.
The Funivia del Renon/Rittner Seilbahn cable car whisks you over the hills from Bolzano to the touristy resort village of Oberbozen on the high plateau of Renon/Ritten, where Sigmund Freud and his wife once celebrated their wedding anniversary. The reasonably priced, 12-minute ride itself is the main attraction, offering views of the town, surrounding mountains, made-for-yodeling farmsteads, and 18-wheelers downshifting along the expressway from Austria. While the cable car is fun, it’s no replacement for a trip to Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi. But if you’re here offseason and unable to go any higher, this lift gives you a taste of the Alpine wonderland that lies above the valley floor.
Cost and Hours: €10 round-trip, cash only, validate tickets in blue box; departures year-round Mon-Sat 6:30-22:45, Sun 7:10-22:45; leaves every 4 minutes—reduced to every 12 minutes after 21:00; closes for maintenance for a week in March and Nov; for info call regional transport hotline at tel. 840-000-471 or visit www.sii.bz.it.
Getting There: The cable car’s valley station is a five-block walk east from the Bolzano train station along Via Renon/Rittner Strasse or from Piazza Municipio/Rathausplatz in the old center.
At the Top: Oberbozen (elevation 4,000 feet) is mostly a collection of resort hotels. From Oberbozen, a narrow-gauge train makes the 16-minute trip to Klobenstein, a larger and slightly less touristy village at 3,800 feet (€3.50 one-way, €6 round-trip, €15 round-trip for both cable car and train, daily departures every 30 minutes—reduced to hourly early and late). The local TI has branches in both villages (www.ritten.com). In Oberbozen, the TI is in the train station building, just steps from the lift station (Mon-Fri 9:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-12:30, closed Sun in summer, shorter hours off-season, tel. 0471-345-245). The Klobenstein TI is a five-minute walk from the train station (Mon-Fri 8:30-18:00, Sat 8:30-12:00, closed Sun, tel. 0471-356-100).
The lift station and TIs have brochures suggesting short walks. More interesting than Oberbozen itself (though not a must-see) are the nearby “earth pyramids”—Bryce Canyon-like pinnacles that rise out of the ridge, created by eroding glacial debris dumped at the end of the last ice age. Some of these are visible from the Oberbozen cable car, but are challenging to hike to; an easier-to-reach area is a 15-minute walk from Klobenstein. Another walk is the Freudpromenade, a fairly level, 1.5-hour stroll between Oberbozen and Klobenstein (you can take the train back).
Just across the river from the Museum of Archaeology, the fascist-style Victory Monument (Monumento alla Vittoria) glistens in white Zandobbio marble. It marks the beginning of the “new” city built by the fascist government in the 1920s to Italianize the otherwise Germanic-looking city. Indeed, you won’t hear much German spoken in the shops and bars along the colonnaded Corso della Libertà—it feels a world away from the old town. A visit to New Bolzano comes with a delightful stroll over the river and the inviting, parklike Talvera promenade (described later).
In the basement of the arch-like structure, you’ll find a small but informative exhibit about the history of the monument itself, the Italianization of the South Tirol, and the effort of the local people to keep their language, culture, and traditions alive. History and architecture buffs will appreciate a quick stop here (monument always viewable, exhibit free and open March-Sept Tue-Sun 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-17:00, Thu 15:00-21:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Mon year-round, good information in English, www.monumenttovictory.com).
The grand plans for this part of the city were never fully realized. But several blocks of buildings were constructed in a repetitive Modernist design, following the idea of imperial monumentalism trumpeting the dawn of a new era in Italy. Most of the structures were intended to house state institutions and highly desirable apartments for state employees. (A few blocks south on Piazza Tribunale, you can still find the somewhat faded image of Mussolini waving from one of the buildings.)
While visiting this neighborhood, consider a stop at Officina del Gelo Avalon, a gourmet, organic gelato shop tucked under the arches of Corso della Libertà. Try the pistachio or one of the half-dozen flavors of chocolate (Wed-Mon 13:00-21:30, shorter hours off-season, closed Tue and in winter, Corso della Libertà 44, tel. 0471-260-434).
This 13th-century “illustrated manor” perches above the river just north of downtown. Inside is an impressively large collection of secular medieval frescoes, with scenes from the everyday lives of knights and ladies. To get here, walk the promenade along the Talvera River (30 minutes from downtown; see “Bolzano Walks,” next).
Cost and Hours: €8, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, 1.5 miles north of Ponte Talvera on Kaiser-Franz-Josef Weg, tel. 0471-329-808, www.runkelstein.info.
Pick up the clearly marked map at the TI for scenic, accessible strolls that provide a different perspective on the region. One popular option is the easy, shaded Talvera promenade just west of the Museum of Archaeology, following the river embankment north. This route has great people-watching in the summer, with views of vineyards and Maretsch Castle (Castello Mareccio/Burg Maretsch) to the right. In about 30 minutes, you’ll reach the Bridge of St. Antonio, where you can cross and follow the river for another 15 minutes to the impressive Runkelstein Castle (described previously).
To extend your hike, go back to the Bridge of St. Antonio and head up the hill about 45 minutes for the St. Oswald walk. This route takes you to the church of Santa Magdalena (with its 14th-century frescoes), offering great views back to the city.
All the places listed here are in the city center, within walking distance of the train and bus stations. Bolzano has no real high or low season. Most hotels have the same rates all year, but they’re most likely to make deals in March and November.
$$$$ Parkhotel Laurin is a fancy Old World hotel near the train station, with 100 tastefully decorated rooms, marble bathrooms, a chic dining room and terrace, a swimming pool (summer only), an extensive and luxurious garden, and attentive staff. Frescoes throughout the grand lobby and atmospheric bar depict the legend of King Laurin (air-con, elevator, pay parking, Via Laurin/Laurinstrasse 4, tel. 0471-311-000, www.laurin.it, info@laurin.it).
$$$$ Hotel Greif, a luxury boutique hotel, is right on Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. Each of the 33 individually designed rooms makes you feel like you’re in a modern-art installation (its website gives a room-by-room tour). It’s not exactly “cozy,” but it is striking, and a stay here comes with one of my favorite breakfasts in Italy (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—enter hotel directly from level 1 of the garage, Via della Rena/Raingasse 28, tel. 0471-318-000, www.greif.it, info@greif.it).
$$$ Stadt Hotel Città, a venerable old hotel with 99 modern, straightforward rooms, is ideally situated on Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz. The hotel’s café spills out onto the piazza, offering a prime spot for people-watching (family rooms, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—enter hotel directly from level 1 of the garage, Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz 21, tel. 0471-975-221, www.hotelcitta.info, info@hotelcitta.info, Francesco and Hannelore, plus son Fabio and daughter Sandra). This place is an especially good value if you spend an afternoon in their free-for-guests Wellness Center (generally open mid-Sept-June Mon-Sat 16:00-21:30, closed Sun and in summer; Turkish bath, whirlpool, Finnish sauna, biosauna, massage by appointment)—a fine way to unwind.
$$$ Hotel Figl, warmly run by Anton and Helga Mayr, has 23 comfy, bright, good-value rooms. It’s situated over a popular-with-locals café on a pedestrian square located a block from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz (breakfast extra, air-con, elevator, pay parking at P3/Parking Walther under main square—take the escalator to the square and walk a couple of minutes, Piazza del Grano/Kornplatz 9, tel. 0471-978-412, www.figl.net, info@figl.net, include a phone number if you email).
$$ Hotel Feichter is an inexpensive, well-kept, family-run place with simple but sufficient amenities in a great location. Some of the 34 rooms share a communal terrace overlooking the rooftops of Bolzano. Papà Walter, Mamma Hedwig, Hannes, Irene, and Wolfi Feichter have run this homey hotel since 1969 (family rooms, fans, pay parking, 18 steps up to reception and elevator from entrance, ground-floor café serves lunches Mon-Fri 11:30-14:00; from station, walk up Via Laurin/Laurinstrasse, which becomes Via Grappoli/Weintraubengasse—hotel is on the right at #15; tel. 0471-978-768, www.hotelfeichter.it, info@hotelfeichter.it).
$$ Kolpinghaus Bozen, modern, clean, and church-run, has 34 rooms with two twin beds (placed head to toe) and 71 air-conditioned single rooms with all the comforts. Though institutional, it’s a good deal...and makes me feel thankful (elevator, pay laundry, pay parking, 4 blocks from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz near Piazza Domenicani at Largo A. Kolping/Adolph-Kolping-Strasse 3, tel. 0471-308-400, www.kolpingbozen.it, info@kolpingbozen.it). The line of people out front at lunchtime consists mainly of office workers waiting for the cafeteria to open (generally Mon-Fri 11:45-14:00, Sat 12:00-13:30, closed Sun).
¢ Youth Hostel Bolzano is the most comfortable and inviting hostel that I’ve seen in Italy. It has 17 four-bed rooms (each with two bunk beds and a full bathroom; fifth bed possible) and 10 delightful singles with bath. The bright, clean, modern rooms make it feel like a dorm in a fancy university. With no age limit, easy online reservations, and family discounts, this is a utopian hostel (elevator, pay laundry, 9:00 checkout, 100 yards to the right as you leave the train station at Via Renon/Rittner Strasse 23; tel. 0471-300-865, www.ostello.bz, bolzano@ostello.bz).
(See “Bolzano” map, here.)
All my recommendations are in the center of the old town. Prices are consistent (you can generally get a good plate of meat and veggies for €10). While nearly every local-style place serves a mix of German/Tirolean and Italian fare, I favor eating Tirolean here in Bozen. Many restaurants have no cover charge but put a basket of bread on the table; as in Austria, if you eat the bread, you’ll be charged a small amount. Bolzano’s restaurants tend to stay open all day, but at a few places the kitchen closes in the afternoon with only snacks available.
$$ Weisses Rössl (“White Horse”) offers an affordable mix of pasta and Tirolean food with meat, fish, and fine vegetarian options. Located in a traditional woody setting, it’s good for dining indoors among savvy locals (Mon-Fri 11:00-24:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, 2 blocks north of Piazza Municipio at Via Bottai/Bindergasse 6, tel. 0471-973-267).
$$ Ca’ de Bezzi/Gasthaus Batzenhäusl is historic. It’s Bolzano’s oldest inn, with two Teutonic-feeling upper floors; by contrast, the patio and back room are refreshingly modern and untouristy. They make their own breads, pastas, and beer, and serve traditional Tirolean fare—stick-to-your-ribs grub (daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-24:00, one of the rare places open on Sun, Via Andreas Hofer/Andreas-Hofer-Strasse 30, tel. 0471-050-950).
$$ Hopfen and Company fills an 800-year-old house with happy eaters, drinkers, and the beer lover’s favorite aroma: hops (Hopfen). A tavern since the 1600s, it’s a stylish, fresh microbrewery today. This high-energy, boisterous place is packed with locals who come for its homemade beer, delicious Tirolean food, and reasonable prices (great salads, limited menu outside of mealtimes, daily 9:30-24:00, Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz 17, tel. 0471-300-788).
$$ Paulaner Stuben is a restaurant-pizzeria-Bierstube serving good food (more Italian than German) and a favorite Bavarian beer. It has good outside seating and a take-me-to-Germany interior (Mon-Sat 11:00-24:00, closed Sun, Via Argentieri/Silbergasse 16—or use back entrance at Via dei Portici/Laubengasse 51, tel. 0471-980-407).
$$ Humus is a trendy eatery packed with locals enjoying a hearty mix of Italian and Middle Eastern dishes. With an emphasis on organic food, this place feels fresh, lively, and inviting (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat until 16:00, closed Sun, Silbergasse/Via Argentieri 16D, tel. 0471-971-961).
Drinks and Light Food: $ Enoteca Il Baccaro, a nondescript hole-in-the-wall wine bar, is an intriguing spot for a glass of wine and bar snacks amid locals. Wines available by the glass are listed on the blackboard (Mon-Fri 8:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sat 8:00-14:00, closed Sun, located a half-block east of Hopfen and Company on a hidden alley off Via Argentieri/Silbergasse 17, look for vino or wein sign next to fountain on south side of street and enter courtyard, tel. 0471-971-421). $ Dai Carretai is a popular cicchetti bar where locals meet after work over a glass of wine—the crowd spills out onto the street. Browse the array of toothpick snacks at the counter, or order a bruschetta from the menu (also serves hot lunches, Mon-Fri 7:00-14:00 & 16:30-21:00, Sat 7:00-14:00, closed Sun, Via Dr. Streiter/Dr.-Streiter-Gasse 20b, tel. 0471-970-558).
International Food: $ Drago D’Oro is a good and affordable Chinese restaurant in the old town (Mon 11:30-15:00, Tue-Sun 11:30-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, Via Roggia/Rauschertorgasse 7a, tel. 0471-977-621). $$ Gul has Indian-Pakistani standards (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-23:00, closed Sun, at Via Dr. Streiter/Dr.-Streiter-Gasse 2, tel. 0471-970-518). Both are takeout-friendly, as are several small pizzerias in the same area.
Picnics: Assemble the ingredients at the Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz market and dine in the park along the Talvera River (the green area with benches past the museum). Or visit one of the three Despar supermarkets: The largest is at the end of the Galleria Greif arcade (enter arcade from Piazza Walther/Waltherplatz by Hotel Greif and walk to far end—the supermarket is downstairs; Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, closed Sun). Smaller branches are on Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz and at Via Bottai/Bindergasse 29 (both open Mon-Sat 8:30-19:30, closed Sun).
During your visit to the Dolomites, take a break from Italian-style pizzas and pastas to sample some of the region’s traditional cuisine...with a distinctly Austrian flavor. For simplicity, I’ve generally listed Italian names here, though local menus are in both Italian and German (and usually also English).
Wurst and sauerkraut are the Tirolean clichés. More adventurous eaters seek out speck, a raw (prosciutto-style) ham smoked for five months then thinly sliced and served as an antipasto or in sandwiches. Canederli—large dumplings with bits of speck, liver, spinach, or cheese—are often served in broth, or with butter and cheese. (Never cut a dumpling with a knife—it’ll destroy the chef.) Merenda is a platter of cured meats and hard cheeses. Pastas aren’t an integral part of the local cuisine, but you will see mezzelune—half-moon-shaped ravioli.
The stars of Tirolean cuisine are the hearty meat dishes—which, unlike traditional Italian main courses, are nearly always served with side dishes of doughy dumplings or vegetables and potatoes. Try stinco di maiale (roasted pork shank, usually garnished with potatoes) and crauti rossi (a sweetish sauerkraut made from red cabbage). Carrè affumicato is pork shank that is first smoked, then boiled. Selvaggina, or wild game, comes in the form of capriolo (fawn), cervo (venison), or camoscio (chamois/antelope). Game is eaten smoked and thinly sliced in antipasti; in meat sauce (ragù) with fresh pasta or as ravioli stuffing; or in entrées, as tender chunks grilled or roasted in a rich sauce (spezzatino).
For dessert, strudel is everywhere, filled with the harvest from this region’s renowned apple orchards. Cakes and pies are loaded with other locally grown fruits, raisins, and nuts. Kaiserschmarrn is an interesting alternative: a tall, eggy crêpe prepared with raisins and topped with powdered sugar and red currant jam.
Bier (birra) is king in the Alto Adige (the best-known brand, Forst, is brewed in nearby Merano), but the wines of the area are well-matched to the local fare. Magdalener is a light, dry red made from Schiava grapes. Lagrein scuro is a full-bodied red, dry and fruity, similar to a cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Gewürztraminer is a dry white wine with a spicy fruit flavor. For something stronger, try grappa made from Williams pears (and served with a wedge of fresh pear), or grappa nocino—a darker, sweeter brew similar to Jägermeister. Guten Appetit und Prost!
Most trains from Bolzano are operated by Trenitalia (departures marked R or RV on schedules; ticket windows open daily 6:00-21:00, www.trenitalia.com). But some long-distance trains on the Innsbruck-Bolzano-Verona line are run by the German (or Austrian) railways—DB/ÖBB for short (trains marked Eurocity, EC, or Trenord). With your back to the Trenitalia ticket counter, the DB Reisebüro ticket office is located near the left exit (open Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat 8:00-15:00, closed Sun; www.oebb.at). Because the German and Italian systems don’t cooperate very well, it’s best to book tickets through the company that’s running your specific departure.
From Bolzano by Train to: Milan (about hourly, 4 hours, change in Verona), Verona (about hourly, 2.5 hours, take the regional/“R” trains—avoid fast trains that take same time for double the cost), Venice (about hourly, 3.5 hours, change in Verona), Florence (every 1-2 hours, 5 hours, change in Verona and/or Bologna), Innsbruck (1/hour, 2.5 hours, some regional connections change in Brennero), Vienna (4/day, 7 hours, change in Innsbruck), Salzburg (7/day, 5 hours, change in Innsbruck or Rosenheim), Munich (called “Monaco” in Italy, 5/day direct, 4 hours).
By Bus: Bus #170 connects Bolzano with the cable car to Compatsch (putting you at the gateway to all the Alpe di Siusi hikes in about an hour) and the town of Castelrotto (direction: Castelrotto, 2/hour Mon-Sat, hourly on Sun, last departure Mon-Sat at 20:10, Sun at 19:10, free schedule at bus station, €4 each way, buy tickets from driver, toll tel. 840-000-471, www.sii.bz.it).
The bus leaves from Bolzano’s bus station (one block west of train station) and then winds high into the mountains. For Alpe di Suisi, ask the driver to let you off near the cable-car station (Seiser Alm Bahn/Cabinovia Alpe di Siusi, 40 minutes from Bolzano), then ascend to Compatsch (for more on Alpe di Siusi, see here). Otherwise, stay on the bus another 10 minutes to reach the center of Castelrotto.
Castelrotto (altitude: 3,475 feet) is the ideal home base for a day of hiking at Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm. Relax on the traffic-free main square, surrounded by a mountain backdrop and a thousand years of history, with an oversized (and hyperactive) bell tower above you. You’ll feel almost lost in another world. (Stay two nights.) Easy bus and cable-car connections bring you up to the trails at Alpe di Siusi and down to Bolzano.
With a population of around 2,000, Castelrotto is a combination of real town, ski resort, and administrative center for surrounding villages. Tourism has become increasingly important here; locals remind visitors that farming—which occupied most of the population in the 1960s—is minimal nowadays. Castelrotto’s good lodging and services help make your stay trouble-free. Though I’ve used the town’s Italian name, life here goes on almost entirely in German, and locals call their town Kastelruth. (Fewer than 5 percent of Castelrotto’s residents are native Italian speakers.)
The helpful TI is on the main square at Piazza Kraus 2 (Mon-Sat 8:30-12:00 & 15:00-18:00, closed afternoons April and Nov, closed Sun except June-Aug 10:00-12:00, tel. 0471-706-333, www.seiseralm.it). If you plan to hike, pick up the TI’s free Living the Dolomites pictorial hiking map, which includes estimated walking times and trail numbers. For longer hikes, 1:25,000 maps are about €5.
Transit Deals: If you’re sleeping anywhere in the Castelrotto/Alpe di Siusi area (but not in Bolzano), ask your hotel for a free Alpe di Siusi Live Card. It covers local buses between Castelrotto and places like Bolzano and the base of the Alpe di Siusi cable car. It doesn’t cover anything above the cable car base (at Seis/Siusi). You’ll only get the card if you ask...so ask.
The TI sells a Combi-Card, which covers some cable cars and buses; if you’re making a few trips up to (and around) Alpe di Siusi, this will likely pay for itself (€39/any 3 days in a 7-day validity period, €52/7 days).
Annual Events: The Oswald-von-Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, held the first or second weekend of June, features medieval-style equestrian tournament games, followed by a feast. The town also holds religious processions with locals dressed in traditional costumes, usually on the Sunday after Corpus Christi (June 3rd in 2018); on the feast day of the village protectors, Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29—often celebrated on the nearest Sunday instead); and on the local Thanksgiving (first Sun in Oct). In mid-October, the town is packed for the Kastelruther Spatzenfest, a concert weekend for the local musical heartthrobs, the Kastelruther Spatzen.
Spring and Fall Closures: The periods between ski season and hiking season (April-mid-May and Nov) are quiet, with lifts closed for maintenance and most hotels and restaurants shuttered (this is when locals take their own vacations).
Sightseeing Schedule: Shops in Castelrotto close from 12:00 to 15:00—a good time for a long lunch, a hike in the hills...or a siesta. In summer, there’s usually a free band concert on Thursday evenings and a small farmers’ market on the square on Friday mornings.
Wi-Fi: A free hotspot is available in the main square (network name: Wi-Free). Most recommended accommodations also have Wi-Fi.
Launderette: There’s none in the area.
Recreation: A heated outdoor swimming pool with alpine views and nearby tennis courts is in the hamlet of Telfen, between Castelrotto and Seis/Siusi (mid-May-mid-Sept 9:00-21:00, tel. 0471-705-090). You can rent a horse at Unter-Lanzinerhof in Telfen (tel. 339-868-6868, www.reiterhof-oberlanzin.com, Karin speaks some English). For more excitement, tandem paragliding flights—you and the pilot—depart from Alpe di Siusi and land either there or in Castelrotto (tel. 335-603-6400, www.tandem-paragliding.com, Ruben and Kurt). You can rent skis and snowboards at both the bottom and top stations of the Alpe di Siusi lift, or at RC Sports and Rent in Castelrotto (Nov-Easter, near the Marinzen lift at Via Panider/Paniderstrasse 10, tel. 0471-711-079, Robert—mobile 339-293-9725).
The bus station (Bushof) is 100 yards below the town’s main square. It’s unstaffed, but there’s a shelter with timetables and a ticket machine (cash only). Free WCs are in a building at the tip of the bus loop. Take the stairs (by the tiny elevator) to get to the main square and TI.
Drivers can park in one of the two underground parking lots: One is near the bus station, and the other is on Wolkensteinstrasse, next to the recommended Saalstuben Restaurant (€1.70/hour, €10/day, cash only). Each of the recommended hotels also has free parking (ask for details when you book).
Coming from the south, drivers exit the expressway at Bolzano Nord. Coming from Innsbruck and points north, exit (earlier than you would expect) at Chiusa/Klausen and continue five miles toward Bolzano along the secondary road (SS-12) before crossing the river at Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck and following signs for Castelrotto.
(See “Castelrotto” map, here.)
Castelrotto is a great place to sleep but has only a little sightseeing of its own—the surrounding mountains and hikes are the attractions here. This quick self-guided walk will get you oriented and trace the town’s history.
• Start in the...
Main Square (Piazza Kraus): This square is named for the noble family who ruled the town from 1550 to 1800. Their palace, now the City Hall and TI, overlooks the square and sports the Kraus family coat of arms.
Castelrotto puts its square to use. A farmers’ market takes place here on Friday mornings in the summer (June-Oct), and a clothing market fills the square most Thursday mornings. Before and after Sunday Mass, the square is crowded with villagers and farmers (who fill the church) dressed in traditional clothing. The main Mass (Sat at 20:00 and Sun at 10:00) is in German. In July and August, when Italian tourists visit, another Mass takes place in Italian (at 11:30).
• A landmark in the square is the...
Bell Tower: At 250 feet, the freestanding bell tower dominates the town. It was once attached to a church, which burned down in 1753. While the bell tower was quickly rebuilt, the gutted church was torn down, and the church you see today was constructed farther back, enlarging the square.
When you feel the pride that the locals have in their tower—which symbolizes their town—you’ll better understand why Italy has been called “the land of a thousand bell towers.” The bells of Castelrotto, which are a big part of the town experience, ring on the hour from 6:00 until 22:00. While sleepy tourists may wonder why the bells clang so very early in the morning, locals who grew up with the chimes find them comforting. The beloved bells mark the hours, summon people to work and to Mass, announce festivals, and warn when storms threaten. In the days when people used to believe that thunder was the devil approaching, the bells called everyone to pray. (Townspeople thought the bells’ sound cleared the clouds.) Bells ring big at 7:00, noon, and 19:00. The biggest of the eight bells (7,500 pounds) peals only on special days. When the bells ring at 15:00 on Friday, it commemorates Christ’s sacrifice at the supposed hour of his death—a little bit of Good Friday every Friday. The colorful poles in front of the church (yellow-and-white for the Vatican, red-and-white for Tirol) fly flags on festival days. The towering May Pole, a Bavarian tradition, was a gift from Castelrotto’s sister city in Bavaria.
• Also on the square is the...
Church: Before entering, notice the plaque on the exterior. This commemorative inscription honors the tiny community’s WWI dead—Fraktion Dorf means from the village itself, and the other sections list soldiers from the surrounding hamlets. Stepping into the church, you’re surrounded by harmonious art from about 1850. The church is dedicated to Sts. Peter and Paul, and the paintings that flank the high altar show how each was martyred (crucifixion and beheading). The pews (and smart matching confessionals) are carved of walnut wood.
• Back outside, belly up to the...
Fountain: Opposite the church, Castelrotto’s fountain dates from 1884. St. Florian, the protector against fires, keeps an eye on it today as he did when villagers (and their horses) first came here for a drink of water.
• With your back to the church and the fountain on your left, walk a half-block down the lane to see the finely frescoed...
Mendel Haus: This house, with its traditional facade, contains a woodcarving shop. Its frescoes (from 1886) include many symbolic figures, as well as an emblem of a carpenter above the door—a relic from the days when images, rather than address numbers, identified the house. Notice St. Florian again; this time, he’s pouring water on a small painting of this very house engulfed in flames. Inside Mendel Haus are fine carvings, a reminder that this region—especially nearby Val Gardena—is famous for its woodwork. You’ll also see many witches, folk figures that date back to when this area was the Salem of this corner of Europe. Women who didn’t fit society’s mold—including midwives, healers, and redheads—were sometimes burned as witches.
• Continue downhill to the left of Mendel Haus, then before the underpass, climb the stairs on your right. At the top of the stairs, turn left on Dolomitenstrasse. In 50 yards, on the left at #21, is a shop dedicated to Castelrotto’s big hometown heroes.
Kastelruther Spatzen-Laden: The ABBA of the Alps, the folk-singing group Kastelruther Spatzen (literally “sparrows”) is a gang of local boys who put Castelrotto on the map in the 1980s. They have a huge following here and throughout the German-speaking world. Though he’s now in his 50s, the lead singer, Norbert Rier, is a Germanic heartthrob on par with Tom Jones. You’ll see his face on ads all over town—in the recommended Saalstuben Restaurant, suggesting what to order for dessert, or in the Co-op supermarket, reminding you to drink lots of Tirolean milk. The group’s feel-good folk-pop style—an alpine version of German Schlager music—is popular with the kind of conservative, working-class Germans who like to vacation in the South Tirol. (Younger, more progressive Germans cringe at this stuff, with its nationalistic overtones.) At a big festival in Castelrotto on the second weekend in October, the band puts on a hometown concert, filling this place with fans from as far away as the Alsace, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. They also hold an open-air concert here in June and a Christmas concert.
The Dolomites have been called the most beautiful mountains on earth, and certainly they are among the most dramatic.
They differ from the rest of the Alps because of their dominant rock type, dolomite, which forms sheer vertical walls of white, gray, and pink that rise abruptly from green valleys and meadows. Many parts of the mountains (including Alpe di Siusi) have been turned into regional or national parks, where development is restricted. Still, rail lines, roads, and innumerable lifts make this group of mountains very accessible.
Once dubbed the “Pale Mountains” or the “Venetian Alps,” this mountain range was named after French mineralogist Dolomieu, who in the late 1700s first described the rock type responsible for the region’s light-colored bluffs and peaks.
These sedimentary rocks (similar to limestone) were formed in warm tropical seas during the Triassic Period (about 250 million years ago). The marine sediments, along with the fossilized remains of coral reefs and other animals, were buried, hardened, and later scooped upward along with the rest of the Alps by the tectonic-plate action of Africa slowly smashing into Europe. Today, marine fossils are found atop the region’s highest peaks, including the skyscraping, nearly 11,000-feet-high Marmolada.
During World War I, the front line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through these mountains, and many paths were cut into the range for military use. Today mountaineers can still follow networks of metal rungs, cables, and ladders (called via ferrata). One famous wartime trail is the “Strada delle Gallerie,” near Rovereto, which passes through 52 tunnels (gallerie).
A paradise for hikers and climbers in summer, the Dolomites are even better known as a popular skiing destination. The 1956 Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo put the region on the map. A popular winter activity for intrepid skiers is the “Sella Ronda”—circling the Sella massif using a system of lifts and 28 miles of ski runs.
Whether you experience the Dolomites with your hand on a walking stick, a ski pole, or an aperitivo while mountain-gazing from a café, it’s easy to enjoy this spectacular region.
Browse the store, which is part souvenir shop and part insignia and apparel outlet. Downstairs is a sprawling, folksy museum slathered with gifts, awards, and gold records. The group has won 13 Echo Awards...“more than Robbie Williams.” Watch the continuously playing video (€2 museum, entry refunded with €5 purchase in the shop, Mon-Sat 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun).
• Leaving the shop, cross the street for a...
Fine Mountain View of the Schlern: This bold limestone peak—so typical of the Dolomites—is a symbol of the Südtirol. Witches are said to live there, and many locals climb it yearly (it’s actually an easy—if long—walk up the back side).
Look left—the street points to a ridge in the distance. That’s Puflatsch (a high meadow with a popular trail called the Trail of the Witches—see “Activites in Alpe di Siusi” later).
• Continue up the hill 50 yards, cross left at the crosswalk, pass the little parking lot square, and find two stones marking the top of a cobbled pedestrian lane that leads downhill back into town. Look up at the top of the bell tower. Ahead stands the elegant...
Hotel Wolf Facade: This was painted by the same artist who did the Mendel Haus. St. Florian is still pouring water on burning houses and locals are busy enjoying the local wine.
As you head left, uphill back to the town square, enjoy windows filled with traditional Südtirol formal wear—delightful dirndls. You’ll pass an old hotel, which, by the looks of its street sign, must be called The Golden Horse (Cavallino d’Oro or Goldenes Rössl). Ahead of you is the inviting sound of a refreshing drink from the town fountain.
• Our walk is over. Ahead (through a white arch just left of the TI) are two big pictorial maps showing the region in summer and in ski season, as well as a modern café with ice cream and a nice terrace under a tree. The arch to the right of the TI leads up to Calvario (Calvary Hill) for a fine little loop walk, described next.
For an easy stroll to Castelrotto’s finest postcard views—the giant bell tower with a dramatic alpine backdrop—take a 15-minute mini hike around the town’s hill, Calvario (Calvary). Originally, this was the site of the ancient Roman fortress, and later the fortified home of the medieval lord. One lane circles the hill while another spirals to the top past seven little chapels, each depicting a scene from Christ’s Passion and culminating in the Crucifixion. Facing the TI, take the road under the arch to the right, and then follow signs to Kofelrunde (to go around the hill) or Kalvarienberg (to get directly to the top). The light is best late in the day, and the stroll is also great after dark—romantically lit and under the stars. (The lead singer of Kastelruther Spatzen enjoyed his first kiss right here.) For a longer walk back into town, take the Friedensweg (Peace Trail) from the top of the hill. This 30-minute forest walk is decorated with peace-themed artwork by local elementary students.
The little Marinzen chairlift trundles you up above town in two-person seats to the Marinzenhütte café (at 4,875 feet), which has a playground and animal park for kids (open when the cable car runs). The views from the top are nothing special, but several hikes leave from here—and as you ride back down, you’ll enjoy pleasant panoramas over Castelrotto. (Alternatively, it’s a scenic one-hour hike back down.) While the chairlift doesn’t compare with going up to Alpe di Siusi, it’s still a nice activity. Catch it right in town, up the lane behind the Co-op/Konsum-Market.
Cost and Hours: €7.50 one-way up, €6.50 one-way down, €10.50 round-trip, daily mid-May-mid-Oct 9:00-17:00, slow-and-scenic 22 minutes each way, closed off-season and rainy mornings, tel. 0471-707-160, www.marinzen.com.
On a narrow country road a little outside the nearby town of Seis/Siusi, you’ll find an organic farm that grows dozens of varieties of herbs. Walk among the scent-filled, fully labeled beds and browse the wide variety of herbal products in the shop. To reach the farm from Castelrotto, drive through Seis/Siusi, pass the turnoff for the cable car on your left, and after about a half-mile, turn right following St. Oswald and Pflegerhof signs.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sept-March until 17:00, closed Sun year-round, St. Oswald 24, tel. 0471-706-771, www.pflegerhof.com.
The recommended Zur Alten Schmiede Pizzeria in Castelrotto is a fun spot that’s open late. Rubin’s, next door to the Hotel Schgaguler in Castelrotto (tel. 0471-712-502), and Sasso’s, on Schlernstrasse in the nearby town of Seis/Siusi (tel. 0471-708-068), are trendy wine bars. A popular hangout for the younger crowd in Seis/Siusi is Santners (the only dance club in the area). It’s at the Seiser Alm Bahn cable-car station (tel. 0471-727-913). If you’re here on the weekend, the “Nightliner” shuttle bus can bring you home in the wee hours (Fri-Sat roughly hourly 20:40-2:40, schedules at www.silbernagl.it; €2.50/ride, €4/all-night pass).
Castelrotto has the largest selection of accommodations and is the only truly convenient option for those traveling in this region by public transport. If you’ve come to hike at Alpe di Siusi, you could also stay in one of the hotels there (in or around Compatsch)—I’ve listed two less expensive options—or even in a mountain hut.
Dozens of farmhouses in the area also offer accommodations, usually practical only if you have a car. (There’s a full list on the TI website.) Some are working farms; others have been converted to tourist accommodations. I’ve listed a few that are willing to accept guests for one or two nights (the typical American stay). German and Italian tourists—who make up the bulk of the area’s business—are more likely to stay for a week and to rent apartments with a kitchen but with no breakfast or daily cleaning service—which can save a great deal of money, especially for families.
Rates skyrocket during July, August, and around Christmas. Accommodations often close in November and from April to mid-May. I’ve assigned categories based on the price of a double room in June or September.
If sleeping in this area, you’re entitled to an Alpe di Siusi Live Card—a free pass for many local buses (described earlier, under “Tourist Information”). Be sure to ask your hotelier for one.
These listings are within 300 yards of the bus station. The first three are in the traffic-free area of the old town; hotel guests are allowed to drive in to park. All have free parking.
$$$ Hotel Cavallino d’Oro (in German, Goldenes Rössl), right on the main square, is plush and welcoming, with the best Tirolean character in town. Run by helpful Stefan and Susanne, the entire place is dappled with artistic, woodsy touches—painted doors, carved wood, and canopy beds in many rooms—and historical photos. If you love antiques by candlelight, this nearly 700-year-old hotel is the place for you (elevator, free self-service laundry, open all year, Piazza Kraus 1, tel. 0471-706-337, www.cavallino.it, info@cavallino.it). Stefan converted his wine cellar into a Roman steam bath and Finnish sauna (free for guests, great after a hike, can book an hour for exclusive use)—complete with heated tile seats, massage rooms, a solarium for tanning, and tropical plants.
$$ Hotel zum Turm (in Italian, Albergo alla Torre) is comfortable, cozy, and warmly run by Gabi and Günther. The 15 rooms are woody and modern. If you’re staying at least three nights, the €12/person half-board option is a great value (family rooms, elevator, free passes for Marinzen chairlift, closed April and Nov, Kofelgasse 8, tel. 0471-706-349, www.zumturm.com, info@zumturm.com). From Castelrotto’s main square, walk (or drive) through the upper of the two archways.
$$ Hotel Wolf (in Italian, al Lupo) is pure Tirolean, with all the comforts in 23 neat-as-a-pin rooms, most with balconies (elevator, coin-op laundry, closed April-late May and Nov-mid-Dec, a block below main square at Wolkensteinstrasse 5, tel. 0471-706-332, www.hotelwolf.it, info@hotelwolf.it, Malknecht family).
$ Residence Garni Trocker is run by the Moser family, who rent 11 great rooms in a place that’s bomb-shelter solid yet warm-wood cozy. While the family is shy and less welcoming than others listed here, their compound is beautifully laid out—with a café-bar (a popular, often-smoky local hangout), garden, sauna, steam bath, roof deck with Jacuzzi, and coin-op laundry (family rooms, apartments available, elevator, closed Nov, Föstlweg 3, tel. 0471-705-200, www.residencetrocker.com, garni@residencetrocker.com, Stefan). If arriving on Sunday (the family’s day off), be sure to let them know in advance what time you’ll arrive.
$ Pension Garni Lantschner is family-run and a good budget value. Its 10 rooms—on the two upper floors of a large traditional house—are a little smaller, simpler, and older than at my other listings, but all are comfortable and have balconies with views (Kleinmichlweg 8, tel. 0471-706-025, www.garni-lantschner.com, info@garni-lantschner.com).
Dozens of working farms around Castelrotto take in visitors, mostly in apartments with a kitchen and a minimum stay of five to seven nights (the TI has a complete list). A few farms also accept guests for short stays—even one night—and serve breakfast. Expect rustic doubles with bath for about €60. Staying in these places is practical only if you have a car. Consider the following (all $): Goldrainerhof (a 10-minute uphill trudge from Castelrotto, Tioslerweg 10, tel. 0471-706-100, www.goldrainerhof.com); Tonderhof (a fruit farm in a dramatic hillside setting along the road down to Waidbruck/Ponte Gardena, Tisens 25, tel. 0741-706-733, www.tonderhof.com) and their neighbor, Schiedhof (Tisens 23, mobile 345-583-7278, www.schiedhof.it); and Formsunhof (along the road up to Alpe di Siusi, before the checkpoint, St. Valentin 12, tel. 0471-706-015, www.formsunhof.com).
There are more than two dozen hotels in Alpe di Siusi, most in Compatsch (where the cable car from Seis/Siusi arrives) but some farther into the park. Most are quite expensive, four- and five-star affairs, with doubles costing around €200 in July and August. The two hotels listed here cost less—because Compatsch and the park entrance are a 10- to 15-minute uphill walk away. These are only practical for drivers. Half-board is wise here, as there’s nowhere else to eat dinner (except other hotels). Serious hikers should consider staying at the park’s high-altitude mountain huts (mentioned under “Activities in Alpe di Siusi,” later).
$$ Hotel Seelaus, with 25 rooms, is a friendly, mellow, family-run, creekside place with an Austrian feel (family rooms, hearty €15 dinners, free wellness area with sauna, hydro-massage, and minipool; Wi-Fi in common areas only, closed mid-April-mid-May and mid-Oct-early Dec, Compatschweg 8, tel. 0471-727-954, www.hotelseelaus.it, info@hotelseelaus.it, Roberto). Roberto offers free rides from the bus or cable-car station, and affordable transfers to/from Bolzano—arrange in advance.
$$ Hotel Schmung is along the road and has fine, recently renovated rooms. During the day, the Seiser Alm Bahn cable cars float through the air just outside the front balconies (dinner available, free sauna, closed April-May and Nov-mid-Dec, Compatsch 12, tel. 0471-727-943, www.schmung.com, info@schmung.com).
(See “Castelrotto” map, here.)
$$$ Saalstuben Restaurant serves a selection of hearty and tasty Austrian-Italian dishes indoors or on their terrace, including big salads, vegetarian plates, lots of grilled meats, and Tirolean classics. Their dessert specialty is Kaiserschmarrn, a favorite of Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. This eggy pancake with jam is plenty big for two (dressy indoors, Fri-Wed 11:30-14:00 & 17:30-21:00, closed Thu, Wolkensteinstrasse 12, tel. 0471-707-394, www.saalstuben.com).
$$$ Hotel zum Turm tries hard to up the culinary bar in town, focusing on locally sourced ingredients and serving good, meaty fare, including venison. You can sit in the humdrum breakfast room, the cozy and very traditional Stube, or out on the back terrace (salad bar, Thu-Tue 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-20:45, closed Wed, closed April-mid-May and Nov, tel. 0471-706-349, www.zumturm.com).
$$ Gasthof Toni, along the main road at the town’s main intersection, pleases hungry locals with huge €15 two-course meals served at both lunch and dinner (pick one pasta and one meat course, includes side salad). It’s cozy inside but the outdoor tables are just off a noisy street. They also have good pizza (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, pizza until 23:00, closed Sun, Wolkensteinstrasse 15, tel. 0471-706-306).
$$ Zur Alten Schmiede Pizzeria is a great place to enjoy an evening drinking Forst, the local beer, and playing darts. They offer a wide range of nothing-fancy grub—pizzas, pastas, meaty dishes, and wurst meals (Tue-Sun 12:00-14:00 & 17:30-21:00, pizza until 23:00, closed Mon, outdoor seating, near bus station entrance at Paniderstrasse 7, tel. 0471-707-390).
$ Pasta & More, right on the main square, is where Martin dishes up lasagna, vegetable strudel, pastas, and other simple meals—either packed to go or served at a few indoor tables or a couple delightful tables on the square (Mon-Sat 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-19:00, closed Sun, Piazza Kraus 5, tel. 0471-711-085).
Ristorante Liftstüberl is a good bet if you’d like to eat in nature rather than in town. It’s a charming local favorite offering good traditional dishes with a classic woody interior and picnic benches with mountain views. Find it in a meadow about a half-mile hike south of town (closed Sun, Via Marinzen 35, tel. 0471-706-804).
Picnics: Castelrotto has several supermarkets. Eurospar is the handiest, at the town’s main intersection, and has the longest hours (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:30, closed Sun, on Wolkensteinstrasse). The Co-op/Konsum-Market has the best selection of locally produced food, and a hardware section where you can pick up a bell for your cow—no joke (Mon-Sat 7:30-12:30 & 15:00-19:00, closed Sun, Paniderstrasse 24).
From Castelrotto by Bus to: Bolzano (#170, 2/hour Mon-Sat, hourly Sun, 50 minutes, last departure around 19:00; if you’re connecting to a train in Bolzano, hop off at the train station—otherwise stay on for the bus station, which is slightly closer to the main square). From Bolzano, you can easily connect to Verona, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, and beyond. Get bus schedules at the TI, toll tel. 840-000-471, or check www.sii.bz.it or www.silbernagl.it. For connections to Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm, see “Getting There,” later.
This grassy mountain plateau above the village of Seis/Siusi (the next over from Castelrotto) is the largest high meadow—and summer pastureland—in the Alps. It’s a premier hiking and skiing area, and also home to hundreds of cows every summer. Undulating rather than flat, broken by rushing streams, and dappled with shapely evergreens, what makes Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm in German) really spectacular are the views of the surrounding Dolomite peaks. Well-kept huts, trails, and lifts make hiking here a joy. It’s family-friendly, with lots of playgrounds. Being here on a sunny summer day comes with the ambience of a day at the beach.
The cows munching away in this vast pasture all summer after a winter huddled in Castelrotto produce two million gallons of milk annually, much of which is sent to Bolzano to make cheese. After tourism, dairy is the leading industry here.
To enjoy Alpe di Siusi, you’ll need a full day and decent weather. Arrive in Compatsch (the main entry point) as early as you can, then hike (or bike) as much as you please. Plan a picnic, or lunch at a high mountain hut, and aim to wrap up the day in midafternoon—many upper lifts close at 17:00, and thunderclouds tend to gather even on days that start out sunny.
The hiking season runs roughly from mid-June through mid-October (though if the weather’s good, you can hit some of the trails as early as mid-May). The trails are pretty dead in April, early May, and November. For a fragrant festival of wildflowers suited to growing at 6,000 feet, come in June.
With additional time, you can explore more of the park or overnight in one of the mountain huts as a base for more remote and challenging hikes. You’re more than a mile high here, so take it easy and give yourself frequent breaks to catch your breath.
Get to know the park’s mountains by sight. The jagged peaks called Langkofel (Sasso Lungo, “Long Stone”) and Plattkofel (Sasso Piatto, “Flat Stone”) together form an “M” at the far end of Alpe di Siusi—providing a storybook Dolomite backdrop. The dark, eerie saddle between them fires the imagination. To the right, and closer to Compatsch, the long, flat ridge called the Schlern (Sciliar in Italian) ends in spooky crags that boldly stare into the summer haze. The Schlern, looking like a devilish Winged Victory, gave ancient peoples enough willies to spawn legends of supernatural forces. The Schlern witch, today’s tourist-brochure mascot, was the cause of many a broom-riding medieval townswoman’s fiery death.
Compatsch provides great views of the Schlern, but only a peek-a-boo glimpse of Langkofel and Plattkofel. For better views, gain some altitude on a lift, or hop the bus (or hike) toward Saltria, at the far end of Alpe di Suisi. (Because Saltria sits down in a valley, the views are even better from the road just above it, near the hut called Rauchhütte.)
By Car: The winding, six-mile road up to Compatsch starts between Castelrotto and Seis/Siusi (at San Valentino). To keep the meadow serene, it’s closed to cars during the day (9:00-17:00), unless you’re staying in one of the hotels in the park. (The road is unblocked, but you’ll likely be stopped by roving traffic monitors—be ready to show your hotel reservation confirmation.) But if you’re an early riser, there’s no reason not to drive up if you can arrive at the checkpoint before 9:00. (You can drive back down at any time.) Compatsch has a huge parking lot (€16/day—the same price as one round-trip cable-car ticket, so groups of at least two save by driving).
From Bolzano or Castlerotto to the Seiser Alm Bahn Cable Car at Seis/Siusi: Regular buses from Bolzano and Castlerotto link to the bottom of the cable car that whisks visitors from Seis/Siusi to Alpe di Siusi (described next). Buses #3 and #4 run from Castelrotto (4/hour July-Aug in morning and afternoon peak times, otherwise 2/hour; 10 minutes, €1.50, use machine, if no machine pay driver). These buses stop directly at the cable-car station. Some buses, including #170 from Bolzano (see here), stop at the turnoff just below the cable-car station—a steep five-minute hike up.
By Cable Car from Seis/Siusi: A cable car (the Seiser Alm Bahn; in Italian, Cabinovia Alpe di Siusi) runs hikers and skiers up to Compatsch (mid-May-early Nov daily 8:00-18:00, mid-June-mid-Sept until 19:00, closed most of Nov and mid-April-mid-May, runs continuously during open hours, 15-minute ride to the top, €11 one-way, €17 round-trip, tel. 0471-704-270, www.seiseralmbahn.it). You can reach the valley station either by car (free outdoor parking; garage parking-€3/day) or by bus (see earlier). The lower cable-car station is a slick mini shopping mall, with lots of outdoor outfitters and a tempting local-products store.
By Bus from Castelrotto: “Express” bus #10 runs from Castelrotto all the way to Compatsch. This is practical but costs the same as the more dramatic and memorable—and environmentally friendly—cable car (8 buses/day mid-June-mid-Oct, 20 minutes, fewer mid-May-mid-June and late Oct, www.silbernagl.it). Note that the Siusi Live Card does not cover buses that go above Seis/Suisi.
Shuttle Buses: The plateau is essentially car-free, except for guests staying at a few hotels inside the park. The #11 shuttle bus takes visitors to and from key points along the tiny road between Compatsch—the gateway to Alpe di Siusi—and Saltria, at the foot of the postcard-dramatic Sasso peaks and the base of the Florian lift (2-3/hour mid-June-mid-Oct, fewer mid-May-mid-June and in late Oct, runs about 8:40-18:40—check local schedules, 15 minutes from Compatsch to Saltria, €2, buy ticket at vending machines at the station or pay driver, www.silbernagl.it). At the end of the day, buses back from Saltria can be jam-packed. Bus #14 serves hotels in the meadow but isn’t helpful for points in this chapter.
Cable Cars and Chair Lifts: Four upper lifts (marked on maps) are worth the €6-10 per ride to get you into the higher and more scenic hiking areas expeditiously (or back to the shuttle buses quickly). Keep in mind that the upper lifts stop running fairly early (typically at about 17:00; the Seiser Alm Bahn cable car from Compatsch down into the valley runs until 18:00 most of the year—and until 19:00 in high-season). Check schedules and plan your day accordingly.
Compatsch (about 6,000 feet), at the entrance to Alpe di Siusi, isn’t quite a “village,” but a collection of hotels and services for visitors to the plateau. Most services cluster around the parking lot (including the TI, ATMs, restaurants, bike rental, small grocery store, and shops). The upper station of the Seiser Alm Bahn cable car, a five-minute walk away, also has WCs and a few shops and eateries.
Make a point to stop by the TI, which sells maps and has the latest on snow conditions and trail openings. If considering a demanding hike, review your plan here (Mon-Fri 8:15-12:30, Sat until 12:00, closed Sun, tel. 0471-727-904, www.seiseralm.it).
Bike Rental: Two shops offer standard, performance, and electric bikes, along with helmets, maps, and trail advice, and have similar prices (standard bike-€12/1 hour, €25-29/day; performance or electric bike-€43/day). Sporthaus Fill is by the cable-car station (tel. 0471-729-063, www.sporthausfill.com) and Sport Hans is across from the parking lot (tel. 0471-727-824, www.sporthans.com, Hans and son Samuel). There’s a world of tiny paved and gravel lanes to pedal. Pick up their suggested routes and consider the ones I describe later. Rentable baby buggies are popular for those hiking with toddlers.
Groceries: Onkel Eugen’s, a tiny store across from the parking lot, has necessities (open early-June-mid-Oct and Dec-Easter 8:00-16:00).
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides: These are available next to the TI (May-Oct 9:00-16:00, €30-40/half-hour, €80-115 to Saltria, price depends on size of carriage).
(See “Alpe di Siusi” map, here.)
Easy meadow walks abound in Alpe di Siusi, giving novice hikers classic Dolomite views from baby-stroller trails. Experienced hikers should consider the tougher, more exciting treks. Before attempting a hike, call or stop by the TI to confirm lift schedules and check your understanding of the time and skills required. As always, when hiking in the mountains, assume weather can change quickly, and pack accordingly. Meadow walks, for flower lovers and strollers, are pretty—but for advanced hikers, they can be boring. Chairlifts are springboards for more dramatic and demanding hikes. Upper lifts generally close at 17:00.
Trails are very well marked, and the brightly painted numbers are keyed into local maps. Signs also display the next mountain hut along the trail, which serve as helpful navigational landmarks. (When asked for directions, most locals will know the trail by the huts it connects rather than its number.) For simple hikes, you can basically string together three or four names off the free pictorial map. For anything more serious, invest in a good 1:25,000 map from the TI (about €5). Huts (Hütte in German, rifugi in Italian) offer food and, often, beds. The Alpe di Siusi website (www.seiseralm.it) has more information (click on “Summer,” then “Hiking,” then “Hiking Trails”).
Shoulder-Season Strategies: The Seiser Alm Bahn cable car up to Compatsch starts running in mid-May, but upper lifts begin operating a few weeks later; there’s a similar gap at the end of the season (mid-Oct-early Nov). But even during these shoulder seasons, Alpe di Siusi can still be worth visiting (and busy with hikers) in good weather. Many of the hikes listed here are doable without a lift—but only if you’re willing to hike to the trailhead (most realistic for the “Trail of the Witches”). Get local advice about snow levels and which hikes are possible. The simplest option is to hike trail #30 or ride bus #11 along the valley floor between Compatsch and Saltria, enjoying the views along the way.
Hiking Club: If you’re headed up into the mountains, the Alpenverein Südtirol, a local hiking club, provides good, free trail maps for the whole region on its website (www.trekking.suedtirol.info).
Bus #11 connects Compatsch to Saltria (at the far end of Alpe di Siusi, tucked under Langkofel and Plattkofel) in about 15 minutes—zipping past some impressive scenery en route. For a very easy, mostly level walk, follow this same route by foot, in about 50 minutes (using trail #30, which parallels the route). The last stretch—into Saltria—is steeply downhill and has less impressive views; consider going only as far as Rauchhütte (a charming old hut serving good food, spectacular views, closed Wed), located where the road starts to switchback down. Bus #11 stops at various points along this route (including Rauchhütte and Ritschhütte)—making it easy to do as much or as little of this by foot as you like. (Saltria is not a good destination on its own: It’s a steep walk below Rauchhütte and has hotels, trail heads, and a bus stop, but no shops.)
This two-hour loop trail—past the legendary stone “witches’ benches” (Hexenbänke)—is popular with first-time visitors and can be crowded in peak season. You’ll enjoy ever-changing views as you get a handy 360-degree panorama of the peaks and valleys that ring Alpe di Siusi. It’s mostly downhill all the way around, with a few brief uphill stretches.
First, ride the €6 cable car from Compatsch up to Puflatsch Berg (6,952 feet). A two-minute walk above the lift, an engraved map at the Engelrast (“Angel’s Rest”) observation point identifies the surrounding mountains. The counterclockwise hike follows PU/Puflatsch signs around the rim of the Puflatsch plateau. First you’ll have Langkofel and Plattkofel on your right. Eventually you’ll hit a little cross overlooking the valley village of St. Ulrich (far below in Val Gardena), then hook left and trace the dramatic rim of the valley. Soon tiny Castelrotto pops into view, you’ll pass Arnikahütte (with a café), and finally you’ll head back toward the Schlern. Near the end of the loop, you can either hike steeply back up to the Engelrast/Puflatsch Berg cable-car station, or—better and easier—keep going downhill all the way into Compatsch, with fine valley views the entire time.
Note: If you’re here when the upper lifts aren’t running (or even in the early evening, assuming you’re staying in Compatsch or have a car for returning to the valley after the main lift stops running), this is your most realistic and rewarding option. But be ready for a very steep 30-minute uphill hike to the Puflatsch Berg cable-car station to begin the hike.
This walk on well-marked trails is a great introduction to Alpe di Siusi. While it starts and ends at about the same altitude, it includes plenty of ups and downs. It comes with fine vistas, changes of scenery (meadows, woods, and high valleys), fun stops along the way, and lifts up and down on each end. Though signs rate it at three hours without stops, allow five or six hours (including the lift from Compatsch, lift down to Saltria, and bus back to Compatsch) so you’ll have time to dawdle, yodel, and eat.
Start by riding the €6 lift from Compatsch to Panorama (6,600 feet). From Panorama, follow trail #2 across the meadow to the paved road and then join trail #7. You’ll pass the rustic Edlweishütte (snacks only), and the Almrosenhütte (hot food); after about 1.5 hours total you’ll reach the Mahlknechthütte (6,739 feet, hot food). From here, you’ll cross two streams (one on stepping stones, another by bridge). After the bridge, you can take an uphill scenic detour off trail #7 (20 minutes) to climb briefly to the highest point of the walk, a small wooden church (Dialer Kirchl, 7,037 feet) that makes a good picnic spot. Continuing on trail #7, you’ll go gently downhill through woods for another hour and a quarter to Zallingerhütte (6,683 feet). From here it’s a 10-minute climb to Williamshütte (6,890 feet, full restaurant), where you catch the €10 Florian lift to Saltria and the shuttle-bus stop (return to Compatsch on bus #11).
For shorter versions, you can ride either lift up, stroll around, and hike or ride the lift back down.
Note: Local hikers often skip the Compatsch-Panorama lift, as you need to hike five minutes down from Compatsch just to catch it, and it’s only a brisk 20-30 minute climb from Compatsch to the top of the Panorama lift.
For a more thrilling, demanding version of the previous hike—longer by two hours—branch off at the wooden church (Dialer Kirchl) following trail #4B and then the high #4 ridge trail, with commanding views both left and right, to Plattkofelhütte (7,544 feet). Then descend steeply to Zallingerhütte and Williamshütte (6,890 feet). No special experience or gear is needed for this trail, and it richly rewards those who take it.
Consider these tips: The hut on the ridge serves excellent lunches (Schutzhaus Plattkofelhütte/Rifugio Sasso Piatto, tel. 0462-601-721). You could do an abbreviated version of this hike by side-tripping from the wooden church a half-hour to the ridge for the view, then returning to trail #7 to continue the lower walk to Zallingerhütte. Serious hikers can hike a steep and satisfying hour from the Plattkofelhütte to the peak of Plattkofel/Sasso Piatto.
Another dramatic but medium-difficulty hike is the 10-mile, six-hour circular walk around the dramatic Langkofel and Plattkofel peaks, partly on what’s called the Friedrich August (Federico Augusto) trail. The trail can be narrow (vertigo-inducing) and has sections of loose rocks; good shoes are essential, as is a proper map. Get details and advice from the TI before you start. To reach this trail, ride the bus from Compatsch to Saltria, take the €10 Florian chairlift to Williamshütte, and walk 10 minutes to the Zallingerhütte (one of several possible starting points). On the far side, at Sellajoch Haus, you can ride a lift high up to the ¢ Toni-Demetz-Hütte (8,790 feet, food and simple beds, www.tonidemetz.it) and back down again. (A path from this hut actually crosses the saddle between the Langkofel and Plattkofel, but it’s often icy and impassable without technical equipment—even in summer.)
Consider overnighting at the 15-room $$$ Zallingerhütte before this walk—you’re allowed to drive to the hut if staying there (dorms and private rooms, tel. 0471-727-947, www.zallinger.com, info@zallinger.com).
For a serious 12-mile (six-hour) hike—with a possible overnight in a traditional mountain refuge (generally open mid-June-Sept)—consider hiking to the summit of Schlern (Sciliar). This route is popular with hardy hikers; some call it the best hike in the region.
Start at the €6 Spitzbühl chairlift, a 20-minute walk below Compatsch (5,659 feet, free parking, Castelrotto-Compatsch bus stops here), which brings you up to 6,348 feet. Trail #5 takes you through a high meadow, down to the Saltner dairy farm (6,004 feet—you want the Saltner dairy farm at Tschapit, not the one near Zallingerhütte), across a stream, and steeply up the Schlern mountain. About three hours into your hike, you’ll meet trail #1 and walk across the rocky tabletop plateau of Schlern to the Schlernhaus mountain “hut,” really a simple restaurant and 120-bed hostel (7,544 feet, called Rifugio Bolzano in Italian). From this dramatic setting, you can enjoy a meal and get a great view of the Rosengarten range. Hike 20 more minutes up the nearby peak (Monte Pez, 8,400 feet), where you’ll find a lofty meadow, cows in the summer, and the region’s ultimate 360-degree alpine panorama. Unless you’re staying overnight, hike back the way you came.
Overnight Option: To do the Schlern summit hike as an overnight, either sleep at the ¢ Schlernhaus (bunks and private rooms, cash only, open early June-mid-Oct, no hot water, summer-only tel. 0471-612-024, off-season tel. 0471-724-094, can reserve by email before hut opens in June, www.schlernhaus.it, info@schlernhaus.it) or walk two hours farther along the Schlern to the hut at ¢ Tierser Alpl, at 8,006 feet (bunks and private rooms, open late May-late Oct, tel. 0471-727-958 or 0471-707-460, mobile 333-654-6865, www.tierseralpl.com, info@tierseralpl.com). From Tierser Alpl, you can descend to Saltria or Compatsch by any of several different scenic routes.
The Running Park Seiser Alm includes 46 miles of signed running trails in the meadow. The clean air and high mountain altitude attract many international runners/masochists. During a one-day, scenic half-marathon on the first Sunday of July, they invite the public to run with them...or at least try. Contact the Compatsch TI for trail info and maps, or go to www.seiseralm.it and click on “Summer,” then “Running.”
Bikes are easy to rent (including electric ones—see “Helpful Hints,” earlier), welcome on many lifts for free or a small fee, and permitted on many of the trails and lanes in Alpe di Siusi. The Compatsch TI has a good information flier that lists the best routes. You can also go to www.seiseralm.it and click on “Summer,” then “Bike,” then “MTB Trails.” Get local advice to confirm difficulty levels and your plan before starting any ride; the TI hands out helpful bike-route cards. Those with a bike don’t need to worry as much about lifts shutting down early.
For a fairly easy, 2.5-hour ride that gives you the same scenic thrills as the “Panorama to Zallingerhütte” hike recommended earlier, try this: Start from Compatsch (6,048 feet), bike or ride the lift to Panorama (6,600 feet), and take road #7, which runs generally uphill to Goldknopf and then follows a series of hills and dips to Mahlknechthütte (6,739 feet). Then take road #8 downhill to Saltria (5,544 feet) and back to Compatsch (6,048 feet). About 60 percent is paved and 40 percent is gravel lanes.
Between Venice and Bolzano, most drivers just take the expressway through Verona. But going across the mountains gives you the definitive Dolomite experience. You’ll take the Venice-Belluno autostrada, then this route: Belluno-Cortina-Pordoi Pass-Val di Fassa-Bolzano (about 125 miles). If you aren’t traveling in summer, check road conditions before you depart (call 0471-200-198, in Italian or German only).
You could spend a day from Bolzano or Castelrotto driving a loop over the scenic Sella Pass (Sellajoch, Passo di Sella)—it’s about 70 miles on windy roads, so allow four hours. Going clockwise, you drive first through a long valley, the Grödner Tal/Val Gardena, which is famous for its skiing and hiking resorts, traditional Ladin culture (notice the trilingual road signs), and woodcarvers (the woodcarving company ANRI is from the town of St. Cristina). You’ll pass through the large town of St. Ulrich (with the base station of a different cable car up to Alpe di Siusi—used for more challenging hikes). Within an hour, you’ll reach Sella Pass (7,349 feet). After a series of tight hairpin turns a half-mile or so over the pass, you’ll see some benches and cars. Pull over and watch the rock climbers. Over the pass is the town of Canazei, with nice ambience and altitude (4,642 feet). From Canazei, lifts (mid-June-late Sept daily 8:30-12:30 & 13:45-17:20) take you to Col dei Rossi Belvedere, where you can hike the Bindelweg trail past Rifugio Belvedere along an easy but breathtaking ridge to Rifugio Viel del Pan (check with the Canazei TI for lift info: tel. 0462-609-500, www.fassa.com). This three-hour round-trip hike has views of the highest mountain in the Dolomites—the Marmolada—and the Dolo-mighty Sella range. Leaving Canazei, you can either follow very twisty roads (via St. Zyprian and Tiers) back to Castelrotto, or take the easier and slightly faster route via Welschnofen and Birchabruck back to Bolzano and the main valley highway.
This charming small city (pop. 20,000), on the highway between Bolzano and Innsbruck, is a worthwhile pit stop (park at garage P2 and take the pedestrian underpass into the old town; the main square is a 5-minute stroll away). With an illustrious history of powerful bishops—and a sleepy present—Brixen feels like a charming, mini Bolzano with a bit more Germanic character. It has a sprawling, traffic-free old town; a big main square with two stately churches (connected by a fine cloister); arcaded shopping streets; and plenty of al fresco cafés and restaurants. Explore the lanes beyond the main square to find a beautiful waterside walking and biking path.
Near Brixen: More impressive than any sight in Brixen itself, the Kloster Neustift (Abbazia di Novacella)—just two miles north—is an Augustinian monastery complex that’s open to the public. The centerpiece is a basilica with the region’s most glorious Bavarian-style Baroque interior—slathered with decadent white and pink stucco, frilly curlicues, twisty columns, and pudgy winged babies everywhere. While a quick stroll through the grounds and a look at the church interior is plenty satisfying, you can also take a guided tour or try the monk-made wines in the enoteca (tel. 0472-836-189, www.kloster-neustift.it).
Reifenstein Castle, with one of my favorite castle interiors in Europe, is just off the highway at the town of Sterzing/Vipiteno. While easy for drivers, it’s not worth the trouble for those without wheels—it’s unique and interesting but only open for a few non-English tours a day. The castle is privately owned and has not been developed for tourism (no gift shop, no café). Its layout and decor have changed little since the 15th century, when it passed into the hands of the Teutonic Knights. Since 1813, a branch of the noble Thurn and Taxis family has owned the castle. The current heads of the family (an elderly brother and sister) live in Innsbruck, and have chosen to keep the castle just as it was when they spent summer vacations here in the 1940s as children. On your tour, you’ll see most of the building, including bedrooms with original wall paneling and decorations, a real dungeon, wooden boxes knights slept in, and a medieval kitchen with a roof that is black with centuries of soot.
Cost and Hours: €7, open early April-Oct; tours Sun-Fri at 10:30, 14:00, and 15:00, late July-early Sept also at 16:00, closed Sat; show up punctually at these times at drawbridge, ideally call ahead to confirm tour, minimum of four people needed for tour to run—but if fewer people show up you can pay the extra admission prices, mobile 339-264-3752 (call between 8:00-10:30, 11:30-14:00, or 17:00-20:00), visit www.sterzing.com, click “Culture,” and then “Castles.” Frau Steiner, the castle guide and caretaker, can do one-hour private tours in English by appointment for a reasonable price.
Getting There: By car, the castle is about 45 minutes from Bolzano, Castelrotto, and Innsbruck. Exit the Innsbruck-Bolzano expressway at Sterzing/Vipiteno (just on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass and Austrian/Italian border), and carefully follow brown Reifenstein signs. Park at the base of the castle’s rock and hike up the castle drive (10 minutes). Of the two castles here, Reifenstein is the one to the west of the expressway.
Between the Dolomites and Lake Como, the scenic high road (SS-38, via Meran and Bormio) is only a half-hour slower than the expressway through Verona. On the way, you can eat lunch or spend the night in the amazing little town of Glurns (Glorenza in Italian, 45 minutes west of touristy Meran, www.glurns.eu). Glurns still lives within its square wall on the Adige River, with a church bell tower that has a thing about ringing, typical Tirolean arcaded streets, and real farms rather than tourist boutiques. The arcades’ short arches seem to cause the locals, whose families go back eons, to take on a Quasimodo-like posture. Far off most tourists’ itinerary, the only disappointing thing about Glurns is that the center isn’t traffic-free. There are several small hotels in the town, but I’d stay in a private home (such as $ Family Hofer, 4 rooms, discount for 4 nights or longer, cash only, 100 yards from town square, near church, just outside wall on river, Etschdammweg 1, tel. 0473-831-597, privatzimmer.hofer@rolmail.net).