Day 5 – Castelrotto To The Saltner Hütte

Oct 5, 2022

Today’s Adventure

On Wednesday Cindy and I took an eight mile hike around the Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe. Calling this place a meadow is somewhat misleading because it covers roughly 34 square miles! This area is popular with hikers and bicyclists in the summer and skiers in the winter. The rolling terrain, wide open spaces, and spectacular scenery all work together to make this a ‘must see’ if you’re ever in the area.

We started by catching a Südtirolmobil bus from the Piazza Sant’Antonio in Ortisei that took us to the Busbahnhof in Castelrotto (Kastelruth in German). There we caught another – and rather crowded – bus to the ski resort at Compaccio (Compatsch in German). After a quick pit stop at the resort center we found our trailhead. The trail took us south across the plateau towards the steep face of the Rosengarten, a massive mountain that forms the southern boundary of the Alpe di Siusi. Our lunch destination, the family-run Saltner Hütte, was located at the base of the Rosengarten and just west of the Sciliar formation.

The Saltner Hütte is a Buschenshank, which means that they take part in Törggelen, a celebration of the fall harvest that’s unique to this region. During the celebration the participating farms offer a menu that highlights their own meat, cheese, jam, and even wine products. It takes farm-to-table to a whole new level because almost everything on your plate is sourced somewhere on the property.

After sharing a memorable charcuterie platter on the sundeck at the Saltner Hütte we headed back onto the trail, this time heading north and then east. We enjoyed views of the iconic mountains surrounding the Alpe di Siusi all day long – these include the distinct spire of Sciliar, the massive Rosengarten, the fraternal twins Sassopiatto and Sassolungo, the imposing Piz Boè, and the dramatic ridgeline of Seceda.

After crossing the Alpe di Siusi we arrived at the Sporthotel Sonne and boarded a chairlift that took us back up to the top of Mont Seuc. There were no complaints about being able to skip that final climb on foot. We then boarded the cable car for a scenic ride back down into Ortisei.

To return to the main page for Ortisei click here.

To return to the main page for the entire trip click here.