How to visit Alpe di Suisi
Alpe di Suisi (Seiser Alm in German, Mont Sëuc in Ladin) is the largest high-alpine pasture in Europe, covering a surface area of 56 square kilometers. In summer, Alpe di Siusi looks like a sea of rolling green waves, dotted with wooden hay huts. In winter, snow blankets the plateau, transforming Alpe di Siusi into the quintessential winter wonderland.
During our roadtrip through the Dolomite Mountains, visiting Alpe di Suisi was at the top of our bucket list. How to visit Alpe di Suisi is another question, as it is one of the more complicated places to see. So, with a bit of digging and researching we figured out the system.
The green alpine meadow, the largest in Europe, covers the land all the way to the base of the Sassolungo mountains. All over the meadows are these wooden huts, used by locals as summer getaways and winter ski cabins. Wherever you go, the views of the meadows and the mountains are amazing. It’s incredibly picturesque, with the cows in the meadows and the sound of their bells ringing it is one of the best places to visit in the Dolomites.
Visiting Alpe di Suisi is less straightforward than we expected. There are strict rules around driving and such, I wanted to share a quick guide on how to visit Alpe di Suisi. It’s somewhere that cannot be missed.
Accessing Alpe di Suisi
You essentially have three options for reaching Alpe di Suisi and each is rather straightforward.
Drive to Compatsch
The most complex is driving as the road into Alpe di Suisi is not open to the public unless you’re staying at a hotel, which there are still other rules that apply. You can drive to the Compatsch parking lot before 9 AM and after 5 PM. This option is perfect for sunset photography or if you want to avoid the crowds.
Staying in Alpe di Suisi
With a few accommodations in the area to choose from, this option is perfect if want to enjoy the sunset here. It means that you don’t have to hike back after witnessing sunset to the parking.
Even when staying at the hotel, you can only drive in one time initially during the hours of 10-5 to your hotel for check-in. After you check in, you can only depart before 10 am or after 5pm. It seems strange, but it will make sense when you see how small the road is and how busy it gets.
Gondola
Most people will opt for the gondola and this is the best option if you’re keen not to have an early start. You can grab the gondola at Ortisei. This gondola is named St. Urich – Seiser Alm. This gondola connects the village of Ortisei in Val Gardena to the Mont Sëuc restaurant atop the Alpe di Siusi Plateau.
Parking at the base: There’s a paid parking garage (240 spaces) at the valley station.
Alpe di Siusi Aerial Cableway is another gondola that connects the village of Siusi allo Sciliar/Sëuc/Seis am Schlern to Compaccio/Compatsch on Alpe di Siusi. It’s also called the Seiseralmbahn in German.
If you are not only visiting Alpe di Suisi, but also making use of other lifts in Val Gardena, check out the ski lift website if a single ticket or the Gardena Card is more economical. We bought a 3-day Gardena Card for €103 per person that gave us access to all the lifts in Gardena.
What to Do in Alpe di Suisi
Hiking is the main attraction and there are a ton of trails. You can’t miss them, we hopped on one and made a loop around the valley. There are also bikes for hire if you want to go this way. During the winter, this is a major ski area as well.
The top 5 hiking trails are:
- Hans and Paula Steger Trail
- Compaccio – Rifugio Bolzano – Rifugio Alpe di Tires Loop
- Compaccio to Rifugio Alpe di Tires
- Alpe di Siusi to Monte Pana
- Alpe di Siusi Meadows Circuit Trail
Not only is Alpe di Suisi a beautiful place to hike, it is also a perfect place to get engaged! Alpe di Suisi will always have a special place in my heart. In the middle of the meadows, Maarten asked me to marry him!!!
