Why I Keep Returning to the Wonderful Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi
Yes.
I keep coming back to Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi.
This is now my 5th trip to the area.
And I just love it!
I know. I know.
You are probably sick of me talking about it.
But let me give you a few reasons why I keep coming back.
And why I think you will love this part of Italy too.
So where exactly is Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi?
You’ll find this town and high alpine meadow about 35km northeast of Bolzano/Bozen, the main town of Südtirol.
It’s a short yet twisty, curvy — and beautiful — drive up into the mountains to reach Kastelruth.
Alpe di Siusi / Seiser Alm is a further drive, bus ride or cable car ride up into higher elevations.
It’s so worth the effort to get here!
#1 Castelrotto is a charming town
Admittedly I’ve not spent time in places like Ortisei or Santa Cristina over in the Val Garden area.
Nor have I been to Fie allo Sciliar just down the road.
I have wandered about Siusi allo Sciliar which is Castelrotto’s neighbor.
And it’s nice.
But I think Castelrotto — known as Kastelruth in German — is the best.
It has a lovely town square where you’ll find the onion-domed bell tower.
Inside the base of the bell tower is a little sanctuary that is just beautiful.
The parish church is gorgeous!
Be sure to pop in for a bit as it’s truly stunning.
There are some wonderful cobblestone lanes to stroll about the town.
You’ll find some magnificent paintings on some of the buildings.
And if you walk up a bit, you’ll find a little park with fabulous views across the village and out to the Sciliar / Schlern.
There are a few shops and cafes and restaurants.
But no too much.
Castelrotto has more of a village feel to it.
And it’s just delightful!
#2 The area surrounding Castelrotto is bucolic — and very alluring
The landscape around the town of Castelrotto — and Siusi and Fie — is so, so…well, it’s just beautiful!
There are rolling hills, green valleys and soaring mountains as well as these little towns and villages.
And there are easy trails to walk from town to town or to simply walk in the fields above the towns.
This is true especially of Castelrotto where there are some excellent trails just above the town that wend their way through the meadows, giving you some fabulous views of the town.
#3 Alpe di Siusi is special
There is no doubt about it that many people come to this area to spend time in Alpe di Siusi.
Known as Seiser Alm in German, this high alpine meadow is quite special.
Yes, it sees a lot of visitors in summer.
And no, it’s not like being in the middle of nowhere in some US national park.
There are roads and hotels in the Alpe.
But it’s still stunningly beautiful — the Dolomite peaks, the green rolling hills.
*Sigh*
And in summer you get all the color of the wildflowers.
In autumn, golden hues replace all the green.
And in winter, well, I’ve not been in winter yet, but I hear it’s magnificent under a blanket of snow.
The trails run from easy to difficult.
You can take a short, easy to moderate hike.
Or a longer, more strenuous trek.
There are huts to stop for food or refreshments if you want a leisurely day.
Or you can pack your lunch and stop along the way at one of the many benches or grassy areas and sit and take in the view with your PB&J, like I did.
And even though Alpe di Siusi is well-known, I still return because it’s so damn gorgeous!
#4 The friendly locals
So my German is non-existent outside of guten morgen and danke.
My Italian is so-so at this point.
And many of the locals don’t speak English — or at least very very little.
Yet I still find a way to converse with the locals in Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi.
And they are warm, friendly, proud of their home and incredibly hard workers.
I have such respect for the locals of Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi.
They love their beautiful land, work hard to protect it, love sharing it with you and will make you feel welcome.
Note: I didn’t get any good pics of the locals so below are some of the best to fit this section. Plus another kind of friendly “local”.
So there are my top reasons why I return to Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi
Every time I drive up from Bolzano and I start to catch glimpses of the Schlern I get this feeling in my belly.
Sometimes tears well up in my eyes.
But it’s just this feeling of coming home.
Of returning to a place that I fell in love with 12 years ago.
And a place that I am deeper in love with than the first day I laid eyes on it.
Seriously.
It is true love.
I hope that you’ll visit Castelrotto and Alpe di Siusi too.
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