We are planning a fall trip to Italy in 2009 and would love to see the Dolomites. We would arrive mid-to-late September. What experience have you had with the Castelrotto area at that time of year? Will we enjoy hiking the Alpe de Suisse or will it be cold, rainy? Is three nights too long in that area?
Posted by
Campbell River, Canada
361 posts
Laurel, I was on RS tour last Sept. 22-24 at Alpi de Suisi and the weather was very warm and sunny. We all hiked in our shirt sleeves. Castelrotto was lovely but we were there on a Sunday and everything was closed except the gelateria. However, our guide informed us that two weeks prior there had been mostly cloudy skies and a light snowfall. So at this time of year it is always a gamble. I would risk it and go though. The scenery was phenomenal and the stop in Bolzano enroute with the visit to the Utzi (Iceman) museum was really terrific.
Posted by
Elkton, MD, USA
2 posts
We recently spent 3 nights in Castelrotto - Kastelruth: 16-19 September 2008. The weather was mostly sunny with highs in the 60's- 70's and only a little colder in Alpe de Siusi. Check out the webcam and weather at the following website: http://www.seiseralm.it/de/die-seiseralm/kastelruth/ I recommend dressing in layers. We purchased gloves and hats in town before going up to Compatsch thinking it was going to be much colder. We didn't need them at all and had to shed our layers into our day packs. We had incredible views while hiking the trails and horseback riding on a clear day. Three nights was perfect. Please consider staying at Garni Silbernagl. http://www.garni-silbernagl.com/ It was the best lodging we had during our 2 weeks in north Italy. The house is located just south of the town center. Our room and bathroom were so large. Our private wrap around balcony offered beautiful views of the Dolomites and town center. Relax your muscles after your hiking in the indoor pool! Petra, the owner, is so kind and helpful. She spent so much time chatting with us and made us feel at home. German is the first language here, but Petra does a great job with English. The breakfast included eggs to order which was something we never found in Italy. Every one of Petra's recommendations was outstanding: Liftstuberl Restaurant had such excellent meals we had to return a few times (a short walk away) and another horseback trail ride guided by Helmuth/Schieder (within walking distance) offered outstanding views of the region. I would also recommend going to Bachler Restaurant in the evening for live music (join the locals as they really have a great time singing along), fresh pretzels at Trocker's Bakery in addition to all of Rick Steve's recommendations. I would highly recommend a visit here. These four days of relaxation and a slower pace was the highlight of our 2 week vacation that also included Venice, Padua and Verona. We are going back for certain.