Planning on traveling to the Dolomites at the conclusion of RS Poland tour in September 2025. We have stayed in Castelrotto and have explored the Alpe di Siusi several times, and are looking for another smaller town that we can travel to via a bus. We will have a week or so, and would plan on splitting our time between 2 different areas. Our goal would be to enjoy beautiful scenery with some easier hikes. Would like to avoid huge crowds, if this is even possible. Thank you in advance.
Have you been to the Val Gardena? Try Ortisei. There are smaller towns like Selva, but without a car Ortisei has more bus service.
I have distant relatives in Pozza di Fassa. You can get there by bus from Bolzano. There's hiking and thermal springs.
Towns along the Pusteria valley, that has a railway line with frequent service, are very easy to reach: San Candido, Dobbiaco, Villabassa.
Since you have explored Alpe di Siusi several times, I recommend staying in Alta Badia. La Val is a beautiful village in the region that is the first certified hiking village of South Tyrol. Here's a post about the village and one of the many great hikes in the area: https://throneandvine.com/la-val-alta-badia/. When I visited in late September, I did not encounter any crowds. It was one of the most peaceful places I have been in the Dolomites.