Do you know of San Vigilio di Marebbe, Italy?
Maybe you’ve heard of Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park — one of the Dolomite parks.
Or maybe not.
Well…
You’re in luck because I’m going to tell you about this amazing part of Italy …
Where I rarely — if ever — run into Americans or Canadians.
And I can’t understand why.
Because this is an absolutely gorgeous destination.
Okay.
So let’s start with those logistics because I hear you asking, “Where the hell is this San Virgilio place?”
Ummm…that’s San Vigilio.
San Vigilio di Marebbe in the morning. Beautiful!
Location of San Vigilio di Marebbe
San Vigilio (no “r”) di Marebbe is in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy and specifically in the Alto Adige piece of the region.
Alto Adige, often referred to as South Tyrol or Südtirol, is in the far northern part of Italy and borders Austria.
This region once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire but was awarded to Italy after WWI when Italy switched sides from the Axis to the Allies.
So, this portion of the Trentino-Alto Adige region is definitely more Germanic/Austrian.
And San Vigilio di Marebbe is no different.
This town is located just 17km south of Brunico or Bruneck in German.
It sits in a gorgeous, narrow valley surrounded by mountains.
San Vigilio di Marebbe from the trail that take you to the settlement of Torpei.
The Italian and German … and the Ladin
San Vigilio di Marebbe is a wonderful mix of Italian, German and the local Ladin.
The Ladin folks are an ethnic group you’ll find in various parts of northern Italy.
They developed their own identity in the early 19th century.
They have their own language which is similar to the Swiss Romansh language and their own unique traditions.
San Vigilio di Marebbe is one town that has a strong Ladin culture.
In fact, you’ll see signs in Ladin first.
For me this mix makes this town exceptionally appealing.
It’s a bit of a melting pot!
So the 2nd sign for San Vigilio di Marebbe is posted in Ladin first, German second and Italian third.
Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park
The visitor center for Fanes-Senes-Braies Dolomite Nature Park is actually in San Vigilio di Marebbe.
So this village makes a great base for exploring the park.
Now, Fanes-Senes-Braies is not a park you’re going to be driving through like Yellowstone.
This is a park that you’ll see on foot.
You need to be in pretty good shape to tackle most of the trails in the park — at least the ones I’ve been on.
However, there are some easier hikes around Lago di Braies which is a short drive from San Vigilio di Marebbe.
I can’t say enough about how stunning this Dolomiti park is.
I love it.
The Senes Alpe, the Fanes Alpe, and the peaks that surround the town and that are in the park.
There are lakes and forests and mountain streams to go along with all those mountains.
This is a park that you must see.
And San Vigilio is the perfect town to base yourself so you can spend time in the park.
Trail leading to Croda del Becco / Seekofel which is the mountain on the left.
The trail that leads from Fanes Rifugio to Gran Fanes Alpe. Stunning!
Lots of trails
There are quite a few trails around town and in the park for walkers, hikers and cyclists — road and mountain.
The trails around town tend to be more accessible and less demanding.
Often you’ll find yourself walking on small roads versus dirt/rock trails.
And these routes are often shorter.
The trails in the park are definitely more challenging — rocky and uphill.
However, they’re not always particularly long so this is a bonus.
If you do want to tackle longer distances, you can certainly do so as there are peaks you can climb and lakes and high alpine valleys you can hike to that require more time and stamina.
I think this is what makes San Vigilio di Marebbe and the area around it a great place to visit — there are trails to fit your fitness level as well as your time constraints.
On this recent visit I saw families out with kiddos on mountain bikes or walking some of the easier paths.
And I encountered the more adventurous folks climbing the mountain peaks.
The other nice thing is that there are mountain huts, rifugio, along some of the trails.
And these huts have restaurants.
So you can hike up to Fanes Rifugio, which is about a 5km hike with 600m of elevation gain, in the morning, arrive in time for lunch, then hike back down to the starting point at Pederu.
How civilized is that?
Trail that lead to Senes Rifugio in Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park.
This trail leads from San Vigilio to Pederü so it goes for about 12km. I walked about half way on it. It’s an easy trail and many folks bike it as well.
Senes Refugio. You can hike about 5.5km, up 600m and have a nice lunch here. Or you can actually stay a night or 2 here!
Trail to Fanes Rifugio. Such a gorgeous hike!
There’s a zipline
And I was tempted to do this.
But I just didn’t feel like spending the money on it.
However, this zipline is the largest in Europe.
It begins at an altitude of 1600m, goes for 3.2km and drops 400m.
I was hiking on my first day and saw people on it, having a blast, whooping and wee-ing all the way down.
I may regret not riding the zipline.
Next time!
San Vigilio di Marebbe and the mountains late in the day. See the moon?! Such a beautiful place!
Great places to stay and eat
San Vigilio di Marebbe is first and foremost a ski town.
As such there are a plethora of places to stay — from simple guesthouses to multi-bedroom apartments to luxury hotels.
You can definitely find a place to fit your tastes, needs, wants and budget.
I’ll be writing more about the 2 places I stayed in town — Garni Erna and Hotel Olympia.
Both are fabulous.
For summer, just note that some places may not open until mid-June.
This holds true for accommodation and restaurants.
As for places to eat, most of the hotels will have restaurants and you can often get a half board option.
Hotel Olympia has this choice and the food is really good.
If you are staying in a simple guesthouse, you’ll have choices of simple pizza places to a restaurant like Fana Ladina.
I was hoping to try this restaurant but it wasn’t open yet for summer.
There are also some nice cafes with tasty baked goods, good coffee and gelato!
*Please note that I was given a discount at both Garni Erna and Hotel Olympia.*
My room at Hotel Olympia — comfy bed, fabulous views and great attention to detail. Love this place!
Hotel Olympia is my favorite place to stay in San Vigilio di Marebbe!!
Garni Erna had this little lounge room where you could help yourself to a cup of coffee or tea at any time and sit with friends.
Why I love San Vigilio di Marebbe
My first visit was in September 2014.
It was quiet at this time of year with mostly hikers and mountain bikers.
I loved how the town looked — nestled in the valley between the mountains.
I met warm, welcoming people.
And I took some awesome hikes to the Senes Rifugio and then Fanes Rifugio.
I really fell in love with San Vigilio di Marebbe and Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park.
I knew I would return.
Unfortunately it took 5 years.
This trip — in mid-June — meant visiting at a slightly busier time.
But I met more wonderful people — locals and other travelers.
And I took more hikes and easy walks.
Moonrise over San Vigilio di Marebbe. Stunning!
I discovered more about this beautiful town, its people and the surroundings.
There isn’t much here in the way of shops or sites — although the town church is a must for your time as it’s lovely.
And there is a small market to buy food if you’re staying in self-catering accommodation or in need of snacks for the trail.
San Vigilio is really about the outdoors — skiing and snowboarding in winter and hiking and biking in summer and early autumn.
So if you love the outdoors — mountains in particular — then this charming town is for you.
