Schlern and Alpe di Siusi
In the heart of South Tyrol, among the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, the Sciliar and Alpe di Siusi area brings together Castelr...
Updated 20 July 2026
Schlern and Alpe di Siusi
This season · July · Summer
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The story
The story of Schlern and Alpe di Siusi
Geography and location of the area
The Sciliar and Alpe di Siusi area lies in South Tyrol, in the autonomous province of Bolzano, on the north-western side of the Sciliar-Catinaccio (Schlern-Rosengarten) dolomite group. It includes the municipalities of Castelrotto and Fiè allo Sciliar, together with the locality of Siusi allo Sciliar, stretching from valley floors around 900 metres up to the roughly 2,450-metre summit of the Sciliar. It borders Val Gardena to the east and Val d'Ega to the south, occupying a plateau suspended between the Isarco and Adige valleys, a landmark of the entire Dolomite region.
History and identity of the territory
The Sciliar is among the first Dolomite mountains to be described and painted, and already in the nineteenth century it drew German-speaking naturalists and mountaineers, helping make this area one of the cradles of Dolomite tourism. German-speaking South Tyrolean culture lives on here alongside a strong bond with mountain farming tradition: scattered farmsteads, high pastures and religious processions still mark the local calendar. Castelrotto, with its distinctive baroque bell tower and frescoed houses, preserves the look of a historic Tyrolean village, while folk legends about witches associated with the Sciliar remain part of the area's alpine folklore.
Landscape and nature
The Alpe di Siusi is Europe's largest alpine meadow, a sea of green pastures dotted with wooden huts and small chapels, set against the backdrop of the Catinaccio (Rosengarten) and Sassolungo (Langkofel) peaks. Most of the area falls within the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park, established to protect its rock walls, coniferous forests and high-altitude pastures, and it forms part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sciliar massif, with its vertical walls and famous rock towers, dominates the landscape and is visible from much of the Isarco valley and the Bolzano basin, making it one of the most recognisable mountain profiles in the Dolomites.
Villages and places to see
Castelrotto is the area's main village, known for its central square, bell tower and painted facades of Tyrolean houses. Fiè allo Sciliar, at the foot of the massif, is a starting point for hikes and for the historic Sciliar cable car. Siusi allo Sciliar, a hamlet of Castelrotto, connects the village to the plateau via the cable car up to the Alpe di Siusi, where the small settlement of Compatsch serves as the plateau's main hub, with trails radiating out to mountain huts and viewpoints over the Catinaccio. The surrounding area is also dotted with historic alpine dairy farms and small chapels scattered across the meadows, classic stops on plateau walks.
Food, wine and traditions
The area's cuisine combines South Tyrolean farming flavours with alpine dairy products: speck, mountain cheeses, canederli dumplings and rye-based dishes fill the menus of mountain huts and farmsteads offering typical meals. The dairy farms on the Alpe di Siusi produce butter and cheese made in traditional style during the summer alpine grazing season, while some farmsteads still keep ovens for drying rye bread in the Tyrolean way. Among the events marking the year is the traditional transhumance, with cattle driven up to and down from the high pastures, a moment of identity for the communities of Castelrotto and Fiè allo Sciliar tied to the mountain farming cycle.
Not to be missed
- The Alpe di Siusi plateau, Europe's largest high alpine meadow
- The Sciliar massif and the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park
- Castelrotto's historic centre with its bell tower and main square
- The cable car from Siusi allo Sciliar up to the Alpe di Siusi and Compatsch
- Views of the Catinaccio and Sassolungo peaks from the plateau's trails
To see
What to see in Schlern and Alpe di Siusi
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Routes in Schlern and Alpe di Siusi
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