Autumn hiking tours from Selva: 3 insider tips
Some people love it when the sun is high in the sky, making the rock faces glow red. Others prefer the Dolomites in white: snowy and dreamy, yet full of adventure. Me? I’m right in the middle, because I simply can’t get enough of hiking the Dolomites in autumn. When the paths become quieter and the thousands of footprints start to fade. When the pale mountains are at their most impressive, it is time for my hiking holiday in Selva.
The Granvara is exactly the right place, offering everything from walking stick hire to hiking guides. I come back here every autumn yet I never run out of hiking destinations. I’ve summarised my top 3 autumn hikes in Val Gardena for you here:
#3 Cirspitze V (kleine Cir-Spitze)
Via ferrata for beginners: Warning, you may become addicted!
I’m a fan of hiking, but I’m not a climbing pro. Despite this, I enjoy the high – the kick you get – when climbing over narrow rock edges.
I discovered the Cirspitze V two years ago during a hiking holiday in Val Gardena. It’s at the end of a short but unbelievably beautiful mountain hike that leads from the Passo Gardena over an easy via ferrata. Holding onto that steel rope, climbing nearer and nearer to the sky, you may find yourself breaking out into a sweat. Because while the climb is not complicated, it is steep and exciting. Perfect for beginners – and definitely with the potential to get you addicted!
#2 The Stevia chalet
Higher and higher to your dream viewing point
The best thing about my favourite hiking tours in Selva is that I can start directly from the Granvara.
Last autumn I joined a guided hike in the Dolomites. Moritz, the hotel guide, is simply phenomenal. Even during those first kilometres through the forest, up to the Juac chalet, he had plenty of anecdotes and motivation to offer. This meant that the next climb over the Silvestersteig to the Stevia chalet was quite easy. And I must say: it was worth every drop of sweat. Because up there, at 2,312 m, there’s a panorama that you’ve only ever seen before in films. The Chedul, Cir, Sella, Sasso Lungo, Pic and Sas Rigais peaks encircle one another and it’s hard to tear your eyes away from the view. After replenishing our energies at the chalet, we had to leave the view behind, but were rewarded with many further eye-catching vistas while making the descent back to the Granvara.
#1 The BURNING DOLOMITES
Sunset hike – like a Hollywood film set
Why do I choose autumn in particular to go hiking in the Dolomites? Because that’s the only time you can experience one of the most impressive displays of nature: the Burning Dolomites.
In autumn, the sky is bluer than ever; the air is clearer and the sun’s rays are particularly low in the sky. This creates a small natural wonder in the “loveliest mountains in the world” that, once seen, is never forgotten: the Dolomites light up a fiery red, and seem to glow as if they have been bewitched.
You can observe this wonder on a hike from St Christina to the Sëurasas viewing terrace. This year, it is part of the comprehensive SELVA ACTIVE programme – which I can take part in free of charge as a guest of the Granvara.
I am definitely looking forward to my next hiking holiday in Selva – and now everyone understands why.
The Granvara is exactly the right place, offering everything from walking stick hire to hiking guides. I come back here every autumn yet I never run out of hiking destinations. I’ve summarised my top 3 autumn hikes in Val Gardena for you here:
#3 Cirspitze V (kleine Cir-Spitze)
Via ferrata for beginners: Warning, you may become addicted!
I’m a fan of hiking, but I’m not a climbing pro. Despite this, I enjoy the high – the kick you get – when climbing over narrow rock edges.
I discovered the Cirspitze V two years ago during a hiking holiday in Val Gardena. It’s at the end of a short but unbelievably beautiful mountain hike that leads from the Passo Gardena over an easy via ferrata. Holding onto that steel rope, climbing nearer and nearer to the sky, you may find yourself breaking out into a sweat. Because while the climb is not complicated, it is steep and exciting. Perfect for beginners – and definitely with the potential to get you addicted!
#2 The Stevia chalet
Higher and higher to your dream viewing point
The best thing about my favourite hiking tours in Selva is that I can start directly from the Granvara.
Last autumn I joined a guided hike in the Dolomites. Moritz, the hotel guide, is simply phenomenal. Even during those first kilometres through the forest, up to the Juac chalet, he had plenty of anecdotes and motivation to offer. This meant that the next climb over the Silvestersteig to the Stevia chalet was quite easy. And I must say: it was worth every drop of sweat. Because up there, at 2,312 m, there’s a panorama that you’ve only ever seen before in films. The Chedul, Cir, Sella, Sasso Lungo, Pic and Sas Rigais peaks encircle one another and it’s hard to tear your eyes away from the view. After replenishing our energies at the chalet, we had to leave the view behind, but were rewarded with many further eye-catching vistas while making the descent back to the Granvara.
#1 The BURNING DOLOMITES
Sunset hike – like a Hollywood film set
Why do I choose autumn in particular to go hiking in the Dolomites? Because that’s the only time you can experience one of the most impressive displays of nature: the Burning Dolomites.
In autumn, the sky is bluer than ever; the air is clearer and the sun’s rays are particularly low in the sky. This creates a small natural wonder in the “loveliest mountains in the world” that, once seen, is never forgotten: the Dolomites light up a fiery red, and seem to glow as if they have been bewitched.
You can observe this wonder on a hike from St Christina to the Sëurasas viewing terrace. This year, it is part of the comprehensive SELVA ACTIVE programme – which I can take part in free of charge as a guest of the Granvara.
I am definitely looking forward to my next hiking holiday in Selva – and now everyone understands why.
