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Loving the photos! The views on the walk from Seceda to Col Raiser are just amazing. One of my favorite areas. I now want to see it in the winter!
We spent a week in Selva on that trip - tried to go back for a visit when we were in the area in 2019, but it was pouring rain. |
The mountains and the Christmas markets - Italian Tyrol is definitely my type of place. Only if it is not so hard to reach.
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Gorgeous photos, Mel! Seceda Alm really looks pretty in the snow, too. Ah, the torrone and panettone ... yummy!
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tripplanner - we didn't find Sud Tirol hard to reach...we'd not been before so there was the usual first trip bumbling, but one figures it out pretty quickly on the ground. I'd love to see the area in summer, but crowds and hot weather puts us both off.
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Dec 10 -
More sun was predicted for today, so we walked to the S. Cristina - Monte Pana chairlift and bought tickets to Monte Pana (€18 each return). It had snowed overnight, the streets of S. Cristina were a bit icy and fully shaded; it’d be awhile before the sun would reach the valley. There was only one other person using the chairlift; I think most skiers drive. We were in the shade the entire slow crawl up the mountain; it was damn cold, -2c and windy. I’m not a fan of chairlifts in general, but even less so of this one, which was open and exposed (no bubble). I found myself wishing I’d worn taller socks as the wind whipped up my pant legs. Once at the top we popped into Sporthotel Monte Pana to warm up with a hot chocolate - €6.60 for both, and nothing special. The hotel café was busy with likeminded skiers and visitors. We then tried to locate the easy SunPana circular path, drawn in by the ‘sun’ in the name, and the promise of nice views of the Puez-Odle Nature Park, but we found no signs. It was cold and shady up here too (this at 11 am) so we decided to look for it later in the day, hoping the sun would find it by the time we did. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...56ddb731e8.jpg Monte Pana views We then took the next chairlift up to Mont de Sëura, a high plateau at the bottom of the Sassolungo, after asking the operator if the trail down to Sporthotel Monte Pana was accessible and groomed. We were told ‘all is good’. This chairlift moved quite a bit faster and had a bubble so I felt more comfortable (€15 each one way). There were plenty of skiers up here despite the lack of sun. Once at the top, we couldn’t find any trail signs, so we asked the zipline operator for assistance. We were finding winter hike/walk trails at Italian ski areas a bit short on information. He pointed out the trail, telling us to cross the ski piste; so we dodged the skiers, worked our way down the far edge of the very steep ski slope, and then set out on the trail back down to Sporthotel Monte Pana, estimated at 90 minutes. Crossing pistes as a pedestrian always makes me nervous, but it’s very common in the many ski areas we’ve visited in Europe. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1dde52d376.jpg Mont de Sëura https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...35e93f9578.jpg Mont de Sëura Most of the walk was in the shade. I got very excited when we reached a slice of sunshine here and there; I was freezing and desperately needed some sun. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...658366d1ad.jpg Mont de Sëura to Monte Pana trail The trail led right past the Sassolungo, offering some nice views. There were quite a few backcountry skiers, going uphill as we went down, and crossing over to an area closer to the Sassolungo that we were unable to reach due to the very deep snow. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71948666a9.jpg Mont de Sëura to Monte Pana trail https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20ca62b39b.jpg Mont de Sëura to Monte Pana trail About 15 minutes from Monte Pana, the trail became a sheet of thick ice; it appeared to have been driven on, perhaps by logging trucks; there were a lot of cut logs stacked through here. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...469a54a917.jpg We were wearing our traction cleats, but were still leery of all that ice. We tried to cut through the forest to avoid some of it. We finally reached the Sporthotel Monte Pana; it had taken us 1:45 due to the ice, our attempted diversions and photo stops. It was a nice enough trail, but it was definitely not ‘all is good’ towards the end. Great views though. We had lunch at the hotel, which was very busy. Bill had the polenta with cheese, I had spaghetti with buffalo mozzarella and basil cream - both good, but not outstanding (€56 with wine and a slice of near frozen Black Forest cake). https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9508e286f0.jpg Polenta with cheese https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1be38f89b.jpg Spaghetti with buffalo mozzarella and basil cream https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d1b64c7590.jpg Black forest cake https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b2b79dfc0a.jpg Busy place After our autumn visit to Chiavenna and Domodossola I’d been looking forward to the food in Italy, but so far it wasn’t knocking my socks off. After lunch we located and walked the partially sunny SunPana circular path and then watched some littlies get ski lessons; it was hilarious, free entertainment. The instructors had the patience of Job. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...682822a31d.jpg Views from SunPana trail https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9aa706a3b3.jpg Free entertainment Then it was back down to S. Cristina on the Monte Pana chairlift - just us again; in the shade again, cold again. To be continued... |
This a great report. Can’t wait to read more.
Sorry you had trouble finding the trails. We did some similar winter trekking in Alta Badia a few years back with no problems. I’m interested in what kind of clothes you took if you’re willing to share, particularly your boots, pants and base layer. |
goingthere2 -
Our usual winter packing consists of the following: Fleece lined hiking pants (LL Bean, unfortunately they no longer carry the style I like) Silk long underwear bottoms that can be worn under the fleece lined pants (or unlined pants) if necessary (neither of us used them) Waterproof hiking boots Wool socks (and silk sock liners for me so I could layer) Traction cleats - we took two pairs each Winter jackets - mine is water resistant, Bill's is Gortex, so his also served as a waterproof layer. Both have hoods which can be worn over winter hats as a second layer or extra wind protection Gortex jacket (waterproof shell that can be worn over a fleece jacket, didn't use it this time). Fleece jacket that can be worn separately or under the winter jacket (or Gortex jacket) as a second layer Fleece neck gaitors Fleece winter hats Mittens/gloves Hiking poles (seldom used this trip as our hiking was somewhat limited). Bill had a long sleeve base layer or two, but I'm a year round short sleeve person; I tend to wear a fleece instead of long sleeves if I get a chill. We both own nice big down coats, but they take up so much room in our luggage that we never take them. They'd have been nice a few times on this trip, but they'd also have been overkill for walking, so it's a balancing act. We wore our winter hats pretty much all day every day, so we discovered they tend to slide up and expose the bottoms of our ears; I've ordered winter hats with ear flaps for next time. We travel with 24" luggage, so packing winter gear can be a challenge, but smaller is better when using trains and buses. I wish someone would make 4x4 luggage wheels. |
Dec 11 -
Rain, snow and gloom were predicted for today; it was a good day for laundry. My early research for this trip had revealed a lavanderia near the Hotel Oswald in Selva, so we loaded up the laundry, got on a bus and headed that way. We found the place, clearly a laundromat in a previous life, but now deserted. I asked the desk attendant at the Hotel Oswald if they’d moved, but alas, they’d closed permanently. I asked him if there was another lavanderia in the area; he looked online and referred us to Dolomiti Wash at Strada Johann Baptist Purger 30...in Ortisei. Well crap: no idea how I’d missed this, right there online, plain as day. So, it was back to the bus stop, where we waited quite a while for a bus to Ortisei - two buses were due minutes apart, but neither came - and then both appeared at the same time. We were seeing a trend with the buses; late, all at once, or none at all. But free! We’d also encountered many non-working ticket scanners and non-working display screens on buses. Fortunately, we were now familiar with the landmarks around some of the bus stops. We got off at the St. Antonius stop in Ortisei, and then followed my phone GPS, which took us on quite the convoluted meander via a busy road and through an underpass, but we found Dolomiti Wash - and better yet - it was open. After figuring out the payment system, we spent the next 90 minutes washing and drying one load of laundry; €8.50 to wash, €3.50 per 15 minutes to dry (took 30 minutes). Success. Laundry is often a challenge on long trips. I try to find accommodation with washing machines, but I’m not always successful. Note: Dolomiti Wash is situated mere steps from the Sarteur bus stop. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a10ac7ecc.jpg We found our way back to the town center without walking those busy streets; it was quiet on this Monday - a lot of places were closed and it was too early for the Christmas markets, so it felt entirely different than before. We wandered through town looking for lunch, choosing Vedl Mulin very near the St. Antonius bus stop - one of the few open restaurants. It was busy, which was either a good sign, or a sign that nothing else was open. We both chose the risotto - with mushrooms for Bill, with veg for me. We were presented with plates of risotto that looked a bit like cat sick. A bowl would have been more appropriate - and possibly more appealing. It was okay, but a smallish serving and nothing special (€64.50 with ½ liter of house red, sparkling water, €2.50 each coperto and a beer for Bill while I wandered the shops...only to find all were closed between 12-3). It was our most expensive meal so far, and the most disappointing. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e09ea46ca8.jpg Vedl Mulin https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8f2da502b.jpg Wandering quiet Ortisei https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3ae77db922.jpg Ortisei We briefly considered going to Bolzano for the Christmas market, but figured that between waiting for the bus, the one hour each way journey and the cold ick weather, it wasn’t worth the effort. As we stood waiting for our bus back to S. Cristina, an employee was telling many of those waiting that their bus wasn’t coming due to technical issues. Our adventure on Italian trains and buses will resume tomorrow as we head for San Candido in the Tre Cime Natural Park, on the border with Austria. To be continued... |
Thanks for the packing info Mel. Very helpful.
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Originally Posted by goingthere2
(Post 17530258)
Thanks for the packing info Mel. Very helpful.
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It is quite a surprise to me that the food in South Tyrol (Italy!) was only ok mostly. Somehow I had the idea of delicious meals there ...
And the bus system ... well, no surprise there! |
I was surprised about the food too Ingo. Maybe my expectations were too high.
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Dec 12 -
We said arrivederci to our hostess, and took the 9:19 am bus (360) from S. Cristina towards Brixen to Waidbruck, a journey of about 40 minutes, the bus blissfully quiet. In Waidbruck we hunkered down in the small shelter on the train platform, hiding from the cold wind, while we awaited our tardy train to Franzensfeste, so named for the Franzensfeste Fortress. Once in Franzensfeste we caught a train to San Candido/Innichen. The train practically empty; our entire journey free with the Sud Tirol Mobil card, which was never checked. We’d booked an apartment at Silvia Residence, which is part of Hotel Post, and they’d told us to call them upon arrival for a free pick up from the bahnhof. We did, and they were there within minutes. Sweet. We were offered a new Sud Tirol Mobil card which we happily accepted; the card is good for 7 days; our card from S. Cristina would be expiring soon. Very nice place this. Our apartment was spacious, clean, well equipped and came with an infrared sauna in the bedroom. There was an elevator, a big shower and a bidet. We were offered the services of the Hotel Post should we need them. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b00990d891.jpg And the best bit - location! Situated right across the street from the tourist office, the pedestrian square and the Christmas Market. We found three grocery stores within a five minute walk, plentiful coffee shops and cafes and a bus stop right in front. Our apartment was quiet for the most part, but above the Café Silvia, so we would occasionally hear music, but it’d stop early in the evening. Hungry, we went out looking for lunch, stumbling upon Bar Café Kastro, which turned out to be a very good choice. Bill chose the polenta with cheese and speck, I had a very good spicy salami pizza, washed down with Aperol Spritzes and wine, Bill really liking the Kerner white, €46. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e0aaa670a6.jpg Polenta with cheese https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...308376ca9f.jpg Spicy salami pizza We then walked through town; it was love at first sight. Quiet, calm and pretty with lots of interesting shops, bakeries and a few wine bars that we’d need to check out. It also seemed to be predominately owned by the Wachtler family, whose name was found on hotels and apartments, (including ours), shops, bistros, cafes and even a museum. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6d3f3d68d.jpg Hay bale couch, San Candido https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e8805dc380.jpg San Candido https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cccfc1e06d.jpg San Candido I went out later to explore some more while Bill read. I picked up a map at the tourist office, wandered the streets and zeroed in on the cozy looking Bistro Botanic Wachtler, which we returned to later (ridding my coin purse of 19 pieces of shrapnel, €8.50 for one glass of wine each). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...977786af91.jpg Wandering, San Candido https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...876321a1ba.jpg Wandering, San Candido https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bba3db9d60.jpg Wandering, San Candido https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c4a08b62af.jpg San Candido https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fa7f3dbab8.jpg San Candido Afterwards we poked through a few Wachtler owned Christmas kiosks, then shared a pizza at Theatrecafe Central, which, as the name suggests, is housed in a former theatre. We had a nice chat with our waiter from Belarus, who brought us the wrong pizza - we didn’t mention it to him, we just ate it, not knowing what it was until we got the bill - a Delizia instead of a Diavola - no worries - €24 including €2 coperto each, sparkling water and a shared ¼ liter of wine (€4, wow). We walked back to the apartment through the quiet streets, nicely decorated for Christmas. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ec01da5b52.jpg My soon-to-be favorite place https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8c3d2872cb.jpg San Candido https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a1c54b2ecd.jpg San Candido https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...238d17d20c.jpg San Candido https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b09034b9b4.jpg San Candido To be continued... |
San Candido looks like a perfect place, and not on the tourist circuit. How did you land on going there?
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Just got caught up on your wonderful report. San Candido does look pretty spectacular. We loved the Dolomites and want to return.
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San Candido/Innichen is my kind of town! Wow, an apartment with your own sauna ... :-)
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So glad you liked San Candido, Mel.
We had 8 nights there and could easily have stayed longer. Just walking to nearby Sesto and Moos was a delight. The lakes, the Drei Zinnen, the villages. I really would like to return. |
Of all the places we visited this trip, San Candidio was our hands down favorite.
tripplanner - when this trip was first researched a few years ago, I spent a lot of time waffling on where to base, We were looking for two areas somewhat different from one another. We'd considrered Cortina d'Ampezzo as our second base, but I got the distinct impression that it was the St Mortiz of Italy (not a fan). After Ingo confirmed this, we switched gears. We landed on San Candido with the help of Ingo and Adelaidean, who both know what we like - quiet and laidback. We also considered availability of winter public transportation, etc. If everyone says 'go to Cortina' that usually means it'll be too busy for our tastes, and that we'd probably rather visit as a day trip just to check it out from somewhere else. In this case everyone said 'go to Orteisi' which told us we'd probably prefer S. Cristina or Selva. Which we did. |
....and people for who Val Gherdeina is too touristy go to neigbouring Vilnoess Valley.
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Thanks neckervd, I'll have to look that up.
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