Ride in the western part of the Alpe di Siusi, Seiser Alm

Departure from the cable car station.

(S/E) Exit the station on the right and cross the village of Compatsch. Cross the road that crosses the plateau, continue straight ahead and follow the huge car park before taking a small road that climbs up in a wide left-hand bend. When you reach the first houses after this bend, turn right (path no. 10, towards Gstatsch, don't ask me to pronounce it!)

(1) After a few houses, you'll be right in the thick of it: there's only one path winding between the barns in the middle of the mountain pasture, with Punta Santner standing out at the end of the Scilliar massif. Continue along this path until the first crossroads.

(2) As you approach the valley that separates the mountain pasture from the foot of the massif, leave trail no. 10 straight ahead and turn left towards Laurin. Leave the first path on the right and continue on the one that climbs to the left. At the next crossroads, find a path that climbs up from the right from Gstatsch (that's just for the fun of making you say it a second time). Turn left towards the arrival point of the chairlift.

(3) Pass under the lift and continue towards the Panorama, a huge hotel on the nearest hill. Turn right at the next crossroads towards Sattler. Go through a few bends downhill.

(4) Leave trail no. 13 on the left, taking the track (trail 13A) that climbs through the mountain pasture towards the Alpe de Tires.

(5) Continue along this trail until you reach a small rocky outcrop (rare in this grassy landscape). Shortly before this, join a first trail to the right and follow it to the rocks. Leave trail no. 2 climbing to the right and take the trail on the left that leads to the Hotel Goldknopf.

(6) Fill up with water if necessary and descend the road that serves this hotel. This is certainly not the most interesting part of the route, but it offers beautiful views of the Alpe di Siusi and the surrounding Dolomites. Continue downhill until you can leave the road on the left.

(7) Take this path that leads to the Panorama Hotel.

(8) Pass the hotel and follow the small road that leads to Risch (trail no. 30).

(9) Pass the Heualm farm (which looks like a nice place to stop for a break) and continue down the track. You will then enter a wooded area. At the end of the woods, you will come to a small road. Continue straight ahead on the path opposite, which leads to Risch and its large hotel complex.

(10) Immediately after the hotel, you will come to the road that crosses the mountain pasture. Follow it to the left for a few dozen metres, then take the path on the right at the first crossroads. Then climb towards Icaro.

(11) Leave this road at the next crossroads and head towards Monte Piz, following the small road that dips to the left through a more wooded landscape. Continue along this very quiet road until you find the Monte Piz hotel (surprising that "Monte" is located in a hollow!).

(12) Pass the hotel on the right, continue downhill for about 200 metres, then take the first path that climbs up to the left. This is followed by a rollercoaster ride with some fairly steep climbs, which takes you back to the mountain pasture, until you pass under the chairlift that leads to Pulatsch/Bullacio.

(13) Pass under the installation, leave the start of another ski lift on your left, then begin the final climb that leads directly to the cable car station (S/E).

There's no point in trying to drive up there. The road leading to the plateau is restricted, and parking is expensive. The cable cars that take you up in about 15 minutes aren't cheap either, but parking at the bottom is inexpensive.

The suggested route is just the one we took ourselves. There are many other possible routes, all well signposted. So don't feel obliged to stick strictly to the suggested route if you feel like seeing other places or going higher up. However, the tracks and paths we took didn't seem to be the most popular.

Except for the final section, from (8) to (12), the route is completely in the sun, which can be intense at this altitude. A hat, sunglasses and even long sleeves may be necessary to avoid getting burnt.

The plateau offers a wide range of places to eat and stay. We didn't do it, but spending a night there must be enchanting.