Villnösstal: from Zans to Malga Gampen

Depart from the car park at the end of the road that crosses the entire valley, after Santa Madalena

(S/E). Leave Zannes at the UNESCO visitor centre and take the track that climbs to the left towards the Poma Pass and the Genova Refuge. This wide, rolling track winds its way up several hairpin bends, which you can sometimes cut to make the route less monotonous. Pass the Naturerlebnispfad Zand junction. You will reach a bend.

(1) Turn left. As the trail straightens out, it also becomes less steep. Ford the river or cross the footbridge, depending on the water level, and continue straight ahead to a wider area where the view opens up.

(2) While the main path continues towards the pass and the refuge, a signpost points to the right towards Gampen Alm/Malga Gampen. Follow this path, cross the river again, then continue along the trail that climbs the slope between two well-established fences. There's no way to escape! Continue like this until you reach the mountain pasture, which you will reach by crossing a barrier.

(3) Say hello to the cows as you pass, if they are there, then continue straight on towards the Gampen inn, which is quickly visible, slightly higher up on the left. Reach the inn.

(4) From the inn, turn back, go left then right to pass by the small wooden chapel and the nearby oratory. Continue along this track. It descends more or less rapidly depending on the section, approaching the foot of the Odle Mountains cliffs, which overlook the mountain pasture with their impressive mass. After two hairpin bends, you will reach a fork.

(5) Leave the track on the right and take a path that cuts across the hairpin bends. It leads down to a small shaded area with benches. When you reach the track, turn right and continue to a crossroads.

(6) Take a pretty path downhill to the right, which more or less follows a stream. It leads to the Zanser Schwaige inn, which is just before the return to the starting point. To reach the latter, continue straight on to the car park (S/E).

You can fill up with water at the start and eat at the Gampen Alm mountain inn.

-South Tyrol is an autonomous region that became part of Italy in 1919 and has retained many aspects of its Austrian past, starting with the German language. After its integration into the Italian Republic, the Fascist regime sought to impose Italianisation on the region, even going so far as to ban the Germanic language (lingua tedesca). Added to this is the Ladin language, spoken by the Ladins (the inhabitants of South Tyrol). As a result, places often have two or even three different names, such as Zannes (Italian) and Zans (German). This does not make it easy to find your way around!

It is possible to extend this walk to the Genova refuge, which can be seen just above the mountain pasture. Allow 40 minutes for the ascent and 30 minutes for the descent.

On the way to Zannes/Zans, don't miss the Sanct Johan/San Giovanni chapel, which you reach shortly after Santa Magdalena/Profanter Buhel. Although it is one of the most photogenic spots in the Dolomites, there is no point in going to the chapel itself, as you have to pay an entrance fee on top of the parking charge. You can see it from the embankment that runs alongside the road, at the foot of the first hairpin bend leading to Zannes (small car park). It's not so much the chapel itself (which may be closed) as the setting in which it stands that is worth the detour. And with a little distance, that's just as well.