Seiser Alm - Hiking Europe's Largest Alpine Plateau

Seiser Alm (in Italian Alpe di Siusi) is a plateau covering an area of 62km2 and is the largest alpine meadow in Europe. It is part of the Dolomites and belongs to the Schlern-Rosengarten nature park. Standing guard over it, Schlern, despite its relatively modest height (by Dolomite standards), is the landmark of South Tyrol.

The Seiser Alm plateau is located at an altitude from 1650 m.a.s.l. to 2350 m.a.s.l., approximately 20 kilometers northeast of Bozen - the capital of South Tyrol. Well-known tourist towns in the valleys around it are - Seis am Schlern, Kastelruth and St. Ulrich im Gröden. On the plateau itself we'll find two settlements - the larger, better connected Kompatsch starting at the largest gondola lift, as well as the paved road which you can drive up (during specific hours). The second, quieter settlement located a few kilometers further, at the foot of the impressive Plattkofel peak is Saltria. Between these places runs a regular bus line, and there's also a beautiful, short trail - Hans & Paula Steger Weg with a length of 4.65 kilometers. Seiser Alm is surrounded by beautiful peaks, in addition to the previously mentioned Schlern massif (highest point, Petz - 2563 m.a.s.l.) we'll encounter the characteristic Langkofel group, which includes several summits exceeding the magical 3000 meter mark (the highest Langkofel has 3181 m.a.s.l.). The next post will show them to you in more detail

The best way to get to Seiser Alm by car (from Poland), due to cost and flexibility. However, this is not the only way to reach this beautiful place. Here are the options:

Getting to the plateau from below can be done in several ways. Each of them has a similar price - around 15 euros for a round trip (parking 15 euros per day):

Like many areas of the Dolomites, the vicinity of Seiser Alm is also filled with echoes of ancient myths and fairy tales. The most popular characters in local legends are the Witches of Schlern. This distinctive peak was a place for regular sabbaths, which were blamed for violent weather phenomena in these areas. The most famous legend tells of a dwarf who, from the Rosengarten group area, noticed dark, stormy clouds on Schlern. He decided to sneak in and eavesdrop on the council of the unpleasant old ladies. During his secret mission, he heard about plans to bring about a huge weather cataclysm and cause enormous destruction in these areas. He also managed to overhear that the effects of their nefarious actions could be mitigated by ringing the church bells with a specific melody called "Wetterstroach". He hurried to the nearest village, found the bell ringer and told him to play it. Thanks to this, the violent storm was mitigated and the area was saved.
The witches' revenge
However, the witches did not remain indebted. One day the parish priest from Völs am Schlern went on a hike through the surrounding forests, during a break in the march he fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the night. While looking for a way out he got lost and unexpectedly found himself near the place where sabbaths were held. The witches were just lighting a large bonfire and noticed the unexpected guest. The priest died in terrible torment, his devastated body was found the next day by a search party led by the vicar.

We have two options here. We can either sleep in one of the tourist towns below, or up on the plateau. In the first option, it will certainly be easier to find affordable accommodation. However, by staying on the plateau, we save the cable car price (15 euros/person) and can drive right up to the parking lot at the hotel. That's why during my visit to Seiser Alm I chose the second option. And since it was practically peak season and a spontaneous decision, the range of options was not very large. We decided on the 4-star hotel Brunelle (WWW) with a beautiful view of Plattkofel and trails starting right at the door. It wasn't the cheapest fun - for accommodation with breakfast buffet and half-board consisting of 4 meals you have to pay about 85 euros per person. The meals were very plentiful and tasty, and the standard of the facility was high, from 15 to 20 hours available to guests is a swimming pool and saunas. However, if you book accommodation earlier (which I encourage), you can find a more favorable option. While hiking I found, for example, such apartments - Römerschwaige (WWW). From 3 nights you can rent an apartment for 2 people for about 60 euros. I encourage you to search, because these are not the only accommodation options at Seiser Alm. Although a significant part deters with prices, however, early enough you can find gems :)

Unfortunately, this is the end of our today's journey to Seiser Alm. Fortunately, this is not the last adventure in this unique place. In the next post I will tell you about the most interesting peaks and trails at Seiser Alm. And there's a lot to talk about, because the area offers over 350 kilometers of hikes of varying difficulty. I'll warn you right away that most of them are technically simple - ideal for a family trip, or simply relaxation in the mountains. Lovers of mountain challenges will also find something for themselves - there are several via ferratas and hidden gems, but about that next time! If you're looking for more inspiration in those areas, I invite you to my other posts from the Dolomites: Falzarego Pass - a pass-museum in the heart of the Dolomites Falzarego Pass - the most important peaks