Hiking from Seiser Alm to Rosengarten

On the first day, you arrive on your own in Val Gardena and check-in at one of our base camp hotels. We use hotels located in Ortisei, Selva and Santa Cristina. Having collected your trip package in the hotel, you can study the itinerary on the maps and enjoy the afternoon in Val Gardena. It is one of the most characteristic valleys of the Dolomites, historically inhabited by the Ladins, now a small ethnic group. The Ladins are, presumably, descendants of the Retes, who in pre-Roman times inhabited a significant area of the Alps. After the period of Romanization, followed by the movement of barbarian tribes from the north, the Ladins retained very small territories - primarily the most remote valleys, which at that time were not of interest to the conquerors. Today, these are the most picturesque valleys in the Dolomites. The Ladins have been able to preserve their language, culture and traditions over the centuries despite being surrounded by very influential cultures. This fact, combined with the splendid scenery, makes Val Gardena and the other Ladin valleys some of the main attractions of the Dolomites. Since the 1600s, Val Gardena has been famous for its woodcarving tradition. Walking through the streets of the resort towns and villages of Val Gardena, you will see many wooden sculptures and decorations.

You will start the hike with a crossing of Alpe di Siusi or Seiser Alm, the Alps’ largest plateau. On the plateau at an altitude of 1700 to 2200 meters, the landscape is predominantly meadow with rare groups of pines, firs and larches. Seiser Alm was cleaned from forests hundreds of years ago and has been used as pastureland since then by the inhabitants of the villages at the foot of Seiser Alm. There are many tiny wooden chalets in the meadows. They are an important integral part of the landscape, not currently used for their main purpose, but carefully maintained. Several larger chalets are run as summer restaurants serving the local specialities. They are the right place to taste dumplings before you start ascending Schlern.

It will take you 3 hours to cross the plateau and approach Sсiliar, which rises 700 meters above Seiser Alm. Leaving behind the green meadows, you will begin the ascent to Schlern, which will take about 2 hours. Your hut for the night is in an open and exceptionally picturesque location, just 100 meters below Monte Pez, the summit of Schiliar. Monte Pez is known as the Castle in the Clouds because of the relatively frequent atmospheric phenomenon when low clouds cover the lower part of the Schiliar but do not reach Monte Pez, which in such cases looks like a castle standing in the clouds. Monte Pez is easily reachable in 20 minutes from your hut on a normal trail. It opens a 360-degree panorama with a dozen mountain groups including Adamello, Ortler, Otztal, Stubai, Latemar, Catinaccio, Odle, Sella and Marmolada. The most impressive view from Monte Pez is towards Antermoia and Rosengarten, especially at sunset - not to be missed!

The descent from Schlern to Alpe di Tires offers an incredible view of Antermoia, a mountain group that you will reach a little later on your route. Today, you will have the opportunity to see Antermoia at a distance, from which it looks like a cluster of towers. Another highlight of today’s crossing is a large formation called Alpe di Tires on the edge of Schlern and Seiser Alm. It rises vertically above the meadows of Seiser Alm and is best known for its iconic symbol, the 300-meter high Denti di Terrarossa or Teeth of Red Earth. The locals, mostly German-speaking, call it Rosszahne or the Horse’s Teeth. This is a very precise description of its appearance. Rosszahne is a series of sharp towers with a wildly jagged profile, a bit like a horse's teeth. Leaving the Alpe di Tires behind, you will walk for a couple of hours along Cresta di Siusi. It is a very pleasant and non fatiguing hike along a crest separating Seiser Alm and the slopes facing the Fassa valley. There are many excellent photo opportunities with views of Plattkofel, Sella and Marmolada. You will finish this daytime crossing at the foot of Plattkofel where there are a couple of nice mountain huts.

The panoramic trail around Langkofel and Plattkofel mostly runs near the edge between meadows and higher rocky terrain. This fact makes today's crossing scenic and enjoyable because the trail is very open and offers breathtaking views of the neighboring Dolomite mountains - Puez Odle and Sella. For a short time at the beginning of the hike, you will still see Antermoia and Shiliar at a distance, but soon you will go down into the sparse woodlands of black pine. Pinus Nigra or black pine is a relict tree of preglacial origin. In the Dolomites, black pines grow on large limestone rocks, wrapping their roots around them and thus reaching a fertile layer. Black pines are not uncommon in the Dolomites, but at the foot of Plattkofel, they complete the beautiful landscape, making it incredibly picturesque. Plattkofel is one the the two main mountains of the Langkofel Group. The other one bears the name of the group - Langkofel. The Langkofel Group is a gigantic limestone rock formation that rises dramatically in the middle of the meadows. That is why its name is translated as Long Rock in all languages of the region. The Langkofel and Plattkofel are separated by a narrow gorge with almost vertical walls. The trail through this gorge is an alternative route for experienced and trained hikers, as it passes through demanding high mountainous terrain. At the foot of the Langkofel and opposite to the Sella Group, there is a truly magical place you will hike through called Citta dei Sassi or The Stone City. This area is characterized by thousands of large rocks and small pine trees growing between them. In addition, the impressive view of the Sella Group from the Stone City makes it spectacular to hike through.

Today, you will hike from Langkofel to Antermoia through highly varied landscapes. The panoramic trail that skirts the Langkofel group from the south is now naturalistic, but it was built for a different purpose. In 1911, in anticipation of the First World War, Austrian soldiers built this trail on the orders of Frederick Augustus III, the last king of Saxony, to provide quick access from the Passo Sella pass to the Seiser Alm plateau. The trail is completely open to the south, southeast and southwest, allowing you to enjoy spectacular views all the way until you start descending into the high valley of Val Duron. The tranquility of Val Duron and its idyllic scenery with occasional pine trees scattered across the meadows will allow you to relax in less than an hour of walking up the valley. On the ascent from Val Duron, the landscape will change again. You will go through a coniferous forest to reach Antermoia, a rocky high-altitude region of the Rosengarten group. The landmarks of Antermoia are its dense clusters of high peaks and Lake Antermoia in a lifeless lunar landscape at an altitude of 2495 meters. The lake is all that remains of the glacier that occupied this rocky amphitheater several hundred years ago. Unlike many lakes of glacial origin, Lake Antermoia does not dry up in summer but it is constantly fed by springs. Many Ladin legends mention Lake Antermoia. Even its name comes from a legend and is associated with Antermia, a beautiful nymph who lived in the waters of the lake in the rose garden (Rosengerten in German) of the mythical King Laurino. Dwarves who populated these mountains admired the nymph from top of the peaks that surround the lake. Lake Antermoia and its rocky amphitheater are a great place to rest and take photos until the peaks hide the sun in the late afternoon.

The final hiking day starts with a steep and demanding ascent to the Passo d'Antermoia pass. For two hours you will be walking on rocky terrain. Here you will reach the highest altitude of your itinerary, 2770 meters. Passo d'Antermoia is a magical door to the prehistoric world that Rosengarten was once a part of. A petrified coral reef 230 million years old, Rosengarten stretches for 10 km from north to south. It has been preserved from the Triassic period to this day with minimal damage. In Rosengarten, you can see the reef’s inner lagoon and the cliffs along its edges. The vertical outer cliffs of the reef rise above the deep sea for more than a kilometer. The outer cliffs are the most famous view of the Rosengarten, one of the hallmarks of the Dolomites. Rosengarten is home to another emblematic landmark - Torri del Vajolet. It is a cluster of three peaks in the remote inner area of Rosengarten. You can explore this part of Rosengarten and reach Torri del Vajolet on an optional side hike, but you will need at least two hours for it, and you will hike along a steep path secured for safety. Your hike will end in the late afternoon at Karerpass, from where you can walk or travel by bus to your base hotel - in the area of the pass or in the Val di Fassa.

Your Seiser Alm - Rosengarten hike is over. After a breakfast at the basecamp hotel, you can start your way to the airport.

In 3 hiking days you will cross Seiser Alm and reach Schlern and Rosengarten on the main trail. The starting and finishing locations are the same, but this itinerary bypasses the Rosengarten Group.