Why Castelrotto is the Best Town in the Dolomites Italy

Castelrotto is, in my opinion, the best town in the Dolomites.

San Vigilio di Marebbe is a close second for me, but Castelrotto is my favorite.

From the first time I laid eyes on this charming village back in 2011, it was love.

And that love has grown for this wee town with each visit.

Known as Kastelruth in German, this town has it all — small town charm, loads of accommodation choices, an array of restaurants, stunning views, accessibility by public transport, lots of trails, good winter activities and plenty of things to do, see and experience in the surrounding area.

Whew!

I know.

That’s a lot.

So let’s get this party started.

 

Where is Castelrotto? And why is it also known as Kastelruth?

Castelrotto is located in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy.

And specifically it’s in the Alto Adige part of the region.

This town sits in the mountains about 26km from the main town of Bolzano (Bozen).

It lies in a valley just below the famous — and breath taking — Alpe di Siusi, the highest alpine meadow in Europe.

Castelrotto is also known as Kastelruth.

This is because the Alto Adige — also known as Südtirol — was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI.

So this piece of Italy is very Germanic — language, food, architecture, and other traditions.

It’s neat and tidy here with things running more on time. 😉

You’ll find that the people here easily speak both German and Italian.

English?

Some folks do, some don’t.

Be prepared to know at least some words in either Italian or German (or both) to help you out.

Also there are some folks who are part of the Ladin ethnic group.

These folks comprise about 4% of the Südtirol population so you’ll see them scattered about in this area, including Castelrotto.

They have their own language and their own unique culture.

So if you hear something that’s not Italian or German, it’s probably Ladin.

Okay…now let’s get to all the good reasons why Kastelruth is the best town in the Dolomites.

 

Why Castelrotto is the best town in the Dolomites

A wide array of accommodation

One of the great things about Kastelruth is the many different kinds of accommodation.

You can find self-catering apartments/houses, simple guesthouses/B&B’s and high end luxury hotels — and most everything in between.

And there’s something for every budget as well.

I stayed at a lovely hotel right in the heart of the village, Hotel Cavallino d’Oro, on my first visit.

I’d call it a mid-price hotel.

It’s a wonderful place that I highly recommend.

Friendly and helpful staff!!

Then for my next 2 stays, I stayed at what is known as a garni which is close to a B&B.

Both stays were great with simple rooms and a plentiful breakfast.

The garni I stayed in 2014 is now called something else as it was bought by another family.

So I won’t comment on what it’s like now as it’s definitely different.

On my last visit I stayed at Garni Doris.

It’s wonderful and quite affordable with a fabulous location and a full breakfast buffet to fuel you for your day.

If you want a self-catering option, there are lots of choices.

And if you want to splurge you’ll have plenty of options with some very nice hotels, many of which will have spa facilties.

Seriously, Castelrotto has something for everyone!

Booking.com

 

Delicious food

First of all, I want to point out that if you choose the self-catering option, you have a couple of markets to shop at.

There is a Eurospar market as well as Coop market.

So you can pick up all your food for breakfast, lunch and dinner at these supermarkets.

I found gluten free choices at the Eurospar as well as wine.

There are also some specialty markets in town that sell cured meats, cheeses, olives, peppers in jars, oils, vinegars, wine and beer.

Naturally, there are some superb restaurants that run from simple to higher end.

Zur Alten Schmiede is a pizza place that also serves up some Italian and Südtirol dishes.

The pizzas are really good and as big (or bigger) than you head!

Restaurant Saalstuben offers up some delicious Italian/Südtirol dishes.

It’s a bit more expensive than the above but the food is excellent.

And they have a nice wine list!

Restaurant Liftstüberl might be my favorite.

Located up on the hill a bit, it’s a fabulous restaurant if you want to sit outside and take in the stunning views.

You often get to sit at a picnic table with others — especially if you are a solo traveler like me — so you can make some new friends.

The food is tasty and affordable — not as inexpensive as the pizza spot but a good value.

Some of the hotels such as Hotel Mayr, have restaurants as well.

Often these restaurants are just for guests so double check on this.

But there are other restaurants and even take away places.

Restaurant Cafe Bachler, Pizzeria Sporthütte and Toni’s are a few other spots to check out.

I can promise you won’t go hungry!

 

Charming as hell

Really.

Castelrotto is the best town in the Dolomites because it is so damn charming.

Look a it!

There’s a cute little town square with a gorgeous church and bell tower.

The buildings are beautiful.

In fact, some of them have these gorgeous paintings on the sides.

The narrow pedestrian lanes are just begging you to wander about.

And it’s all wrapped up in a wee town that you can easily navigate by foot.

No there aren’t a lot of sites.

But you’re here for the outdoors.

Which brings me to the next reason why Kastelruth is the best town in the Dolomites.

 

The Great Outdoors

If you’re going to this piece of Italy then really you’re here for the nature — the great outdoors.

Even if you’re not an active someone but just a someone who appreciates rugged peaks and beautiful valleys then do travel to Castelrotto.

Because you can simply sit at your hotel and take in breath taking scenery.

But if you love to get out in nature, then Kastelruth is the best town in the Dolomites.

You can easily get out on a trail right from town.

Or you can take a bus or jump in your car and get to another nearby trail.

One of the best things about Castelrotto is that it makes a great base for exploring the trails of the Alpe di Siusi.

You can drive, take a bus or take the cable car up to this incredible high altitude meadow and hike on a plethora of trails.

You can also rent a mountain bike to tackle some of the trails or try one of the easier e-bikes that help propel you up the hills.

If road cycling is your thing then get out on some of the mountain roads via 2 wheels.

In winter, the area is a great destination for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or cross county skiing.

And there are even some winter hikes you can make.

Into horse riding?

Yup, that’s an option as well.

You will not be bored in Castelrotto!

 

Kastelruth is accessible by public transportation

One of the best things about Castelrotto is that you can reach it by bus from Bolzano.

And once in Castelrotto there are buses that you can take to some of the other nearby towns in the area.

The bus system is pretty good here especially if you are going to stay mostly in Castelrotto, Siusi allo Sciliar, San Costantino and Fié allo Sciliar or if you are going to visit the Val Gardena and its towns.

If you want to go further afield, then yes, a car is preferable.

However, you can definitely use public transportation and get to a lot of places.

 

 

So much to do in the area

What makes Castelrotto the best town in the Dolomites is that the location lends itself to experiencing other things near town.

There is soooo much to do in the surrounding area.

I’ve already mentioned the Alpe di Siusi which is simply gorgeous and has loads of trails for hiking and biking and is a wonderful winter sport destination.

The Val Gardena is the next valley over from Castelrotto.

The towns of Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva di Val Gardena are all just a car ride or bus ride away.

From there you can actually access Alpe di Siusi as well as other trails and ski lifts that lead to more mountain fun.

You can drive over Passo Gardena as well or pick up a trail near the top of this pass.

If you take the road back toward Bolzano you’ll come to the towns of San Costantino and Fié allo Sciliar — more charming villages in the area.

There are loads of trails around here as well as some beautiful churches.

One of the Dolomite parks, Parco Naturale Sciliar-Catinaccio, borders Alpe di Siusi so you can certainly explore all that is has to offer — trails, lakes, mountain scenery.

Castel Prösels is near the town of Fié allo Sciliar and worth some time if castles are your thing.

And, one of my favorite spots, is Pflegerhof where you can see all kinds of flowers in bloom in summer and buy the teas they make from all these flowers and herbs.

Their shop is adorable and the views from the garden are stunning!

Golf Club San Vigilio Siusi/St Vigil Seis has views of the iconic Sciliar/Schlern peak for those who love golf.

Then there are places like Val di Funes about 45 minutes by car to the north and the main Alto Adige city, Bolzano, 45 minutes to the West.

Castelrotto is the best town in the Dolomites because of all that it has to offer — not only in the town and immediate vicinity — but all the experiences within an hour drive.

 

Stunning views

There’s simply no bad view from Kastelruth and the surrounding area.

You have views of the Sciliar to the south and Dolomite mountains in every direction.

The valleys are green in summer and covered in snow in winter.

Cows, goats and sheep dot the hillsides.

Onion-domed churches — unique to this area — pop up here and there in the most picturesque spots.

The views are amazing.

 

 

My favorite thing to do in Castlerotto

I think my favorite thing to do in Castlerotto is to take the trails just above town.

There are trails that simply roll through the fields and provide views of the town and to the Schlern or Sciliar peak which is one of my favorite peaks.

In fact, the best trail to take — and is my favorite thing to do — is the trail that leads over toward San Valentino Church.

This is the church that sits on a hill in front of the Schlern.

The trail is easy with part of it paved, part of it gravel and part of it through the grass.

And it’s incredibly scenic, not to mention it’s not too far.

At the end of the section through the grass, you’ll come to a road which you cross.

Walk between a farm and an albergo (simple hotel), walking into a field.

It’s okay.

You’re allowed here.

And then you come to this view that I never grow tired of.

Tip: Make this walk late in the day, toward sunset to get the best light.

Sit down in the grass and just listen to the sounds of nature around you.

There are goats and horses at the farm, so you may hear them.

In summer, the insects will be buzzing about.

It’s a beautiful spot to simply be for a while.

 

The best town in the Dolomites?

You know me, I find this all to be very subjective.

I’m partial to Kastelruth as it was my first Dolomite town.

But I do think it’s the best town in the Dolomites for the reasons I mention.

Are other towns just as beautiful or have as much to do?

Yup.

But I’m staying true to my first love.

 

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