Hike to the Pieralongia mountain pasture

The Pieralongia is an impressive 60-metre high menhir located directly below the unique Odle peaks at Seceda. The Pieralongia is easy to reach from Col Raiser and there is plenty for children to discover all around. Right beside it is the Pieralongia Hut, featuring various farm animals, a swing and beautiful meadows to play in. If you want, you can also extend the excursion to the Troier Hut.

The starting point for this hike is the Col Raiser cable car in S. Cristina, which can be easily reached by public transport. Bus line 350 runs every half hour from Ponte Gardena or Chiusa to S. Cristina in Val Gardena. Here, you can get off at the Maciaconi bus stop in the village centre. Note: The bus does not go through the village centre, but makes a diversion through the tunnel of the village bypass. This means that for a short time you'll travel in the opposite direction. At the Maciaconi stop, change to the city bus, which goes directly to the valley station of the Col Raiser cable car. Timetables are available via SüdtirolMobil.

If you arrive by car, drive through Val Gardena to S. Cristina and park directly at the valley station of the Col Raiser cable car.

The Col Raiser cable car takes you up to the beautiful Mastlé alpine pasture in no time, directly into the Puez-Odle Nature Park. The alpine pastures reach to the foot of the steep rock faces of the Odle peaks and from the cable car, you'll have a wonderful view of the unique Dolomite peaks towering high into the sky.

For families, the Odles Hut just behind the mountain station is a great place to spend some time, as there are many ways to enjoy yourself and watch the chickens, rabbits, goats and cows. There is also a playground with a sandpit and trampoline.

To reach the Pieralongia alpine pasture, continue along the wide path that leads to the Fermeda Hut. This path starts behind the Odles Hut and at the beginning of the path, you'll have the opportunity to make a small detour to the UNESCO viewing platform, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the majestic Dolomites of Val Gardena.

Initially, the trail to the Fermeda Hut leads through the sparse forest followed by a turn-off to the left (trail No. 4A). From here, you have to hike 200 metres up to reach the Pieralongia alpine pasture. The trail leads in a north towards the soaring Fermeda peaks, which rise majestically into the sky above the alpine meadows. The people of Val Gardena call these towers "Odles" in Ladin, which means "needles". Seen from the south, these towers look relatively broad, but from the east, they are very narrow, which explains the origin of their name.

The path to the unusual-looking Pieralongia leads through beautiful alpine meadows where countless flowers bloom. After the first climb, you'll turn right into a shallow valley and enter a pasture of young cattle, whose bells ring peacefully across the mountains that are characteristic of the area.

The path continues slightly upwards and soon the day's destination appears: Pieralongia means "Long Rock" in Ladin, and as soon as you see it, you'll know why. The Pieralongia is a sixty-metre high menhir with a completely overhanging rock face that slopes down towards the south.

There is still a climb up to the Pieralongia Hut, but when you arrive, you'll know it was well worth the effort. The hut is small and traditional and right beside it is a barn with a stable where several cows are kept for milk. There are also other animals to admire, like donkeys, rabbits, chickens and goats.

Around the hut, which is also called Malga Pieralongia, there are more large rocks and just behind them rise the peaks of the Fermeda. If you let your gaze wander southwards, the massive Sella Group appear behind the Stevia (towards the south-east) and further to the right the local mountain of Val Gardena: the 3181-metre high Sassolungo.

The Pieralongia Hut is a simple cooking hut that was formerly used by farmers to prepare meals during the strenuous haymaking and mowing work in summer; in the past, people would normally sleep in the barn on the hay. Today, the Hofer family offers their guests simple but refined dishes and drinks such as homemade yoghurt, cheese, bacon and sausage or even just a fresh glass of milk from their own cows, which feed on only the lush grasses of the meadows.

For children, the Pieralongia Hut is a real paradise; the flat meadow is an ideal playground and the farm animals that live there can be watched or petted. There is also a swing and a small play hut.

The Mastlé and Pieralongia pastures are popular excursion destinations and are particularly busy during the high season in August. If you want to have lunch at one of the two huts, you should expect to wait for a table. Alternatively, you can take something to eat with you and enjoy your lunch in one of the beautiful meadows.

Return to the Col Raiser cable car along trail No. 1, which leads past one of the highest mountain lakes on the Mastlé pasture: the "Lech da Iman". You should definitely stop here to take it all in. If you take a look along the shore, you might even be lucky enough to spot one of the beautiful fire salamanders. But fair warning: a secretion found on the skin of these amphibians is somewhat poisonous and can cause a burning sensation on the skin.

Continue along path No. 1, which soon leads you back to the path you used to ascend, and thus back to the mountain station of the Col Raiser cable car.

There are many other hiking trails around the Pieralongia Hut, so you can extend and lengthen the trip as you wish; you'll find there's something for every great family outing in the mountains.

If you feel like it and still have some strength left, you can extend the hike a little further, because not far from the Pieralongia Hut is the Troier Hut. To reach it, follow trail No. 2B to the west and descend a short distance behind it. The Troier Hut is larger than the Pieralongia Hut and as a result, has more choice when it comes to the menu. The Troier Hut is also run as a family business and, because there are also several animals to admire here, you'll get a true sense of the alpine atmosphere. The view from here is unparalleled.