Why I Love Walking to the Gorgeous Gran Fanes Italy
Gran Fanes is one of my favorite trails in Italy.
Actually it is one of my favorite trails anywhere.
Period.
Mostly because of where it ends — in the stunning Gran Fanes.
This valley just makes me smile.
So I want to share this hike with you — in pictures and in words.
Plus I’ll offer some tips for this trek.
Let’s start by placing Gran Fanes and the trail that gets you there on the map.
Where is Gran Fanes and what is Gran Fanes?
Let’s start with what Gran Fanes is.
It’s a high altitude plateau/valley.
And it’s gorgeous!
We’ll get to more of that in just a bit.
Gran Fanes is located in Fanes-Sennes-Braies Dolomite Nature Park.
This park can be accessed from towns like San Vigilio di Marebbe, Badia and San Cassiano.
This is one of my favorite Dolomite parks.
Where to start the walk
The way I access and walk this trail is to start at Pederü.
Pederü is 12km from San Vigilio di Marebbe.
There are regular busses that take you to Pederü (which is a valley and a hut/rifiugio) from San Vigilio di Marebbe.
Or you can drive if you have car.
Depending on the time of year, you may have to pay to enter the park itself.
And I noticed this time that the parking area at Pederü hut is now pay and display parking.
It’s €5 for the day so it’s not too pricey.
You can get to Gran Fanes from “the other side” meaning more near San Cassiano and Badia.
But I’ve never walked that side so we won’t go into that option here.
Starting up the trail
From Pederü you will see signs point left for Sennes Hut or more straight/ slightly right for Fanes Hut.
The trail takes us first to Fanes Hut.
Get on the single track path that begins to climb.
And, yes, there is a lot of climbing up to get out of the Pederü valley.
But stop and turn around and take in the views as you climb higher.
Once out of Pederü valley
As you get out of the valley, the path rolls a bit with a wee more uphill.
But you come into this bowl-like area with interesting vegetation all around as well as some cone-like peaks.
If there has been enough rain, you’ll see a little lake as well.
I find this spot to be a bit awing as you look up at all the peaks.
Onto Fanes Hut
One thing I want to point out is that there is also a gravel road that leads to Fanes Hut.
And you’ll probably see it more as you get through the section I just mentioned.
Stick to the path.
It begins to climb again as you make your way from this bowl-like area up to Fanes Hut.
You’ll go through some trees, but then get more onto a rocky path that is out in the elements.
But you’ll be looking up at the peaks.
It’s not the prettiest part of the trail, but it does inspire those feelings of awe as you look at what time and the elements have done to the peaks and this narrow valley.
The single track path will dump out onto the gravel road which you will follow to Fanes Hut.
There is a stream running through a gorge here.
And you may run into cows grazing on some of the green meadow.
This is where the Gran Fanes hike begins to get more beautiful.
You’ll come to one hut, then another before hitting a fork in the road.
The right fork takes you to Lavarella Hut.
The left fork takes you Fanes Hut then onto Gran Fanes.
Fanes Hut is a good place to stop and use the bathroom and/or grab something to eat or drink.
I typically have enough water and my own snacks.
So I just use the bathroom if need be and continue on.
But do stop and take in this protected valley.
It’s almost like an amphitheater here.
And in summer it’s very green.
It’s beautiful!
Onto Lago di Limo
You’ll once again have some steep climbing from Fanes Hut.
But I promise, it’s not that long.
Take the single track path through some trees.
It will dump you out on the gravel road which you’ll take up just a bit further before it begins to level out.
I highly recommend stopping along the road as you climb up the gravel road.
This is where you get some absolutely magnificent views to the peaks of Fanes-Sennes-Braies.
Seriously.
I love the views.
You can see down to Lavarella Hut and Fanes Hut.
And you can see to the peaks around the Sennes Plateau.
As the road curves and levels out, you come to Lago di Limo — a wee lake at the base of a peak.
In summer, folks will swim here.
It’s a lovely spot for a stop — take some pics and have a snack.
As you look down the path though, you’ll see more intriguing Dolomite peaks pulling you on.
The final push to Gran Fanes
It’s from Lago di Limo to Gran Fanes that the trail mellows out.
You’ll walk on the gravel road for a while, rolling along, no more climbing.
At some point there is a single track path that heads right that will say “Malga Gran Fanes”.
Follow that single track as you begin to head downward.
This path then dumps you back onto the road which you will follow down toward the hut.
You’ll probably see the hut off in the distance.
Once you reach the hut, the road heads right.
And that’s when you see the beauty of Gran Fanes.
The stream running through the green valley.
The crazy shaped peaks around the valley.
Cows and horses milling about.
Be sure to walk as far as the wooden bridge that crosses over the stream.
You can walk out along the stream if you want.
And yes, the trail continues on.
But I stop here and drink it all in.
I have my snack, take lots of photos and relish in the beauty of this stupendous valley.
Then I turn around and head back.
The return trek
Typically as I return I follow the same path until I reach that bowl-like area just above the Pederü valley.
At this point, I just take the gravel road the rest of the way to Pederü.
I’ve stopped at the lake a time or 2.
And, here’s a fun thing about taking the road, there are wooden posts with face carvings on them.
So I love to look at those as I make my way down toward Pederü.
Some of them are very funny!
What is it about Gran Fanes that I love?
This is a good question.
It’s something that’s difficult to explain.
But I love the odd-shaped peaks around Gran Fanes.
I love the green meadow with the stream flowing through it.
Gran Fanes is just very picturesque and feels like a place where you could sit and just ponder life for a while — especially on a warm, sunny summer day.
And the trail to it has such an interesting array of scenery.
This is a fabulous hike in summer and in early autumn.
Put it on your list!
PS If you want to make this trek with a small group of like-minded travelers, then join one of the Wander Your Way Adventures tours going to this area in 2025.
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