Short and spectacularSeceda crest
Lift from Ortisei
- Walking
- About 1 hour
- Climb
- Almost none
- Good for
- First day, any group
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Guide · Best hikes
Best hikes in the Dolomites, from Seceda to the Brenta
The best hikes in the Dolomites are not all long or hard. Here are walks for every kind of day in Val Gardena and the Brenta, with official times, lifts and the huts where you can stop for lunch.
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Editorial team, hikingdolomitesitaly.comUpdated October 25, 20267 min read56 sources
The short list
How to choose a walk in a range this big
The Dolomites are not one chain of peaks but nine separate mountain systems split by valleys, and together they cover 142,000 hectares of World Heritage land.7 That is the first thing to understand when you plan: the best walk depends on which valley you sleep in, because moving between groups takes time. This page covers two bases, Val Gardena in South Tyrol and Molveno in the Brenta group of Trentino, and the walks that start from them.
Every walk below follows marked Dolomites hiking trails and comes with the official walking time from the local tourism office or the lift company. Treat those times as moving time without long breaks. Add lunch at a hut, photo stops and the queue at the lift, and a route of a few hours easily fills most of a day. If you are new to mountain walking, pick a route rated easy for the first day and see how your legs and lungs feel at altitude.
Lifts change everything here. Many of the best walks start at a top station, so a hike that would mean 1,200 m of climbing from the valley becomes a gentle stroll along a crest.8 The flip side is that lifts have seasons. The Seceda cable cars, for example, run from 22 May to 2 November in 2026, and outside that window the same walks start in the valley.9
Seceda and its two easy loops
If you only have one day in Val Gardena, many people spend it on Seceda. Two cable cars lift you from Ortisei to a top station just below the summit cross at 2,519 m, and the famous crest walk from there is about 1 km long.101 On your left the grass ends in a sheer edge and the Odle towers stand across the gap. It is the view on half the posters in the valley, and in good light it lives up to them.
From the same top station the lift company describes an easy loop over Pieralongia to the Odles hut: about 5.8 km in 1.5 hours, starting at 2,500 m and finishing at 2,100 m.211 After about 45 minutes you pass the Pieralongia hut below the rock towers called the stone teeth.12 A shorter loop via Trojer covers 4.2 km in about an hour.13
Both loops make good easy hikes in the Dolomites for families, because they lose height rather than gain it and pass family-run huts. In the Seceda and Col Raiser area alone there are 18 huts and alpine restaurants.14 Lift fares, the turnstile on trail 6 and the longer ways up on foot all change the plan, so check them before you go.
Compare at a glance
The walks with their official times
| Walk | Start | Time | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seceda crest | Seceda top station | About 1 hr | Short1 |
| Pieralongia loop | Seceda top station | 1.5 hrs | Easy2 |
| Trojer loop | Seceda top station | 1 hr | Easy13 |
| Resciesa | Ortisei funicular | 2 to 3.5 hrs | Easy17 |
| Sëurasas & Pic | Col Raiser | 2.5 hrs | Not graded15 |
| Stevia loop | Selva | 4 hrs | Medium16 |
| Sassolungo circuit | S. Cristina or Selva | 5.5 hrs | Medium3 |
| Alpe di Siusi crossing | Ortisei | 5.5 hrs | Medium18 |
| Puez hut | Dantercëpies | 6 hrs | Long6 |
| Croz dell'Altissimo | Pradel, Molveno | 1 hr | T, easy5 |
Walking times without long breaks, as Val Gardena tourism, the Seceda lift company and Visit Trentino give them.135
Pick a kind of day
Short, classic or long
Short and spectacular
The classicSassolungo circuit
From Santa Cristina or Selva
- Time
- 5.5 hours
- Grade
- Medium
- Good for
- Fit day walkers
Refuge lunchesBrenta refuges
From Pradel above Molveno
- First hut
- 1 hour on path 340
- Second hut
- 40 minutes more
- Good for
- Walls up close
Decision helper
Which walk fits your day?
Pick the line that sounds most like you
It is one of the most beautiful, yet at the same time one of the most demanding mountain passes in the Dolomites
Round the Sassolungo and through the Stone City
The Sassolungo is the block of rock that rises over the head of Val Gardena, and walking all the way round it is the valley's classic day. Val Gardena tourism starts it in Santa Cristina at 1,428 m or Selva at 1,564 m, rates it medium and gives 5.5 hours in total.3 With the lifts it shrinks to about 3 hours; without them it takes about 4 hours.4
The highlight is the Stone City on trail 526, a field of huge fallen blocks that leads you to the Sella pass.20 It feels like walking through a ruined town, with paths winding between boulders the size of houses. Beyond the pass the route swings round the far side of the group, where the views open out over the Alpe di Siusi meadows.
The lifts that make the short version possible open later than Seceda's. In 2026 the Mont de Seura chairlift runs from 1 June and the Ciampinoi gondola from 6 June, both to 11 October.22 Plan this circuit for summer or early autumn, start early, and carry water: much of the way is open rock with little shade.
Map
Seceda, Val Gardena, the Brenta above Molveno and the way in
The Seceda crest up close, the villages and lifts of Val Gardena, the refuge path from Molveno into the Brenta, then the airports and stations you arrive at.
1Seceda summit2Furnes3Pieralongia4Fermeda hut5Col Raiser6Forcella de Mesdì
7Ortisei8Santa Cristina9Selva10Resciesa11Sassolungo12Compatsch13Puez hut14Passo Sella
15Molveno16Pradel17La Montanara18Croz dell'Altissimo19Selvata20Tosa and Pedrotti21Lake Molveno
22Venice airport23Verona airport24Trento25Bolzano26Ponte Gardena27Innsbruck airport
- 1Seceda summit
The summit cross at 2,519 m, reached on the Ridge Line trail from the top station.1023
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Furnes
Middle station between Ortisei and Seceda: a 2,500 m gondola below, a 2,050 m cable car above.24
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Pieralongia
Hut at the foot of the stone teeth, about 45 minutes on foot from the Seceda top station.12
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Fermeda hut
On the Trojer loop, near the Fermeda chairlift, which runs 20 June to 20 September in 2026.2526
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Col Raiser
Gondola top station at 2,106 m above Santa Cristina; 1 to 2 hours on foot to the top of Seceda.2728
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Forcella de Mesdì
Steep pass at 2,597 m on the long traverse from Resciesa.29
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Ortisei
Village at 1,236 m and start of the Seceda cable cars and the Alpe di Siusi gondola.3031
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Santa Cristina
Village at 1,428 m with the Col Raiser gondola.15
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Selva
Highest village of the valley, with the Dantercëpies gondola towards the Puez plateau.6
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Resciesa
Funicular top station above Ortisei at 2,103 m; easy walks along the ridge.2917
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Sassolungo
The circuit round the group takes 5.5 hours, about 3 with the lifts.34
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Compatsch
Top of the Seiser Alm cableway from Seis, a 15-minute ride.32
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Puez hut
Refuge at 2,475 m on the Puez plateau.33
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Passo Sella
End point of the Stone City section of the Sassolungo circuit.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Molveno
Lake village and start of the cable car to Pradel.34
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Pradel
Lift terrace at 1,350 m above the lake and start of the refuge paths.3435
In Google Maps ↗ - 17La Montanara
Family-run refuge on the Pradel plateau, open daily from late May.36
In Google Maps ↗ - 18Croz dell'Altissimo
Refuge at 1,435 m below a 900 m rock wall, 1 hour from Pradel on path 340.37385
In Google Maps ↗ - 19Selvata
Refuge at 1,630 m, open 1 June to 20 September.3940
In Google Maps ↗ - 20Tosa and Pedrotti
Huts at 2,449 m close to the Bocca di Brenta, open mid-June to late September.41
In Google Maps ↗ - 21Lake Molveno
Placed first among lake destinations in the 2026 Legambiente and Touring Club guide.42
In Google Maps ↗ - 22Venice airport
About 270 km from Val Gardena.43
In Google Maps ↗ - 23Verona airport
About 190 km from Val Gardena, with an AltoAdigeBus link.4445
In Google Maps ↗ - 24Trento
Main station for Molveno; the Paganella bus runs every 30 minutes.4647
In Google Maps ↗ - 25Bolzano
Station 40 km from Val Gardena; bus 350 runs up the valley.48
In Google Maps ↗ - 26Ponte Gardena
The closest station to Val Gardena, 18 km away.48
In Google Maps ↗ - 27Innsbruck airport
About 120 km from Val Gardena.44
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before any of these walks
01
Plan
- Lift dates checked for your week
- Official time plus breaks
- Local forecast read in the morning
02
On the trail
- Follow the numbered white and red signs
- Turn back if the weather turns
- Water for the open stretches
Video
Day hikes in the Dolomites, with travel tips
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The Alpe di Siusi crossing and Resciesa
For long, rolling walking with big views and little exposure, cross the Alpe di Siusi. The official route starts in Ortisei at 1,236 m, takes the gondola to the top station at 2,005 m and wanders across the high pasture by Tirler at 1,741 m; it is rated medium and takes 5.5 hours.3018 The plateau covers 56 square kilometers and is called the largest high alpine pasture in Europe.49
Closer to Ortisei, the Resciesa funicular gives one of the easiest good walks in the valley. Val Gardena tourism rates it easy: about 2 hours if you ride the funicular back down, 3.5 hours if you walk down.17 The path runs along a broad ridge with the Odle on one side and the valley on the other, and in 2026 the funicular runs from 16 May to 11 October.31
Resciesa is also the start of the hardest walk on this list, the traverse to Seceda over the Forcella de Mesdì at 2,597 m, 6 to 7 hours in all.2950 The tourism office calls that pass one of the most demanding in the Dolomites, so it belongs at the end of a holiday, not the start.21
Puez, Sëurasas and Stevia for longer days
The Puez plateau north of Selva is the place for a big, quiet day. From the Dantercëpies gondola at 2,298 m the route crosses the Cir pass to the Puez hut at 2,475 m, a 6-hour walk that the tourism office calls exhausting simply because of its length.6 The ground up there is stony and bare, a high plateau that feels nothing like the green meadows below.
Shorter but still rewarding is the Sëurasas walk from Santa Cristina. You ride the Col Raiser gondola, cross the Mastlé pastures on trail 2 and climb to the Pic at 2,363 m, about 2.5 hours of walking.15 The view down onto the villages of the valley is the reason to go.
From Selva you can also walk straight out of the village to Stevia, the local mountain on the sunny side. The loop over the Forcella Piza back to the valley takes 4 hours and is rated medium.16 It needs no lift at all, which makes it a good choice on the first or last day, when the lifts may still be closed.
The Brenta refuges above Molveno
The Brenta group is the westernmost part of the Dolomites, a separate island of rock on the western edge of Trentino.51 Its peaks are carved into jagged spires, unlike the smoother lines elsewhere, and the walks from Molveno lead straight towards them.52 The cable car from the village climbs to the Pradel terrace at 1,350 m, the usual start.34
From Pradel, path 340 reaches the Croz dell'Altissimo refuge in about 1 hour, rated T, the easiest grade.5 The hut sits at 1,435 m below a rock wall of 900 m, one of the highest in the Brenta.3738 About 40 minutes on, across the valley, Rifugio Selvata stands at 1,630 m.1939 Beyond it the path climbs about 2.5 hours to the Tosa and Pedrotti huts and on to the Bocca di Brenta pass.53
This refuge chain is what our guided day from Molveno is built around: the listing names Pradel, La Montanara, Croz dell'Altissimo and Selvata, then the walk back down to Molveno, over 6.5 hours. It costs from $35 with a guide in Italian and English, and needs a moderate level of fitness. Each hut keeps its own season, so check the dates before you set out.
Further afield, and how to read the signs
Other groups have famous walks of their own. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop belongs to the eastern Dolomites, a long way from both bases described here. From Lake Garda or Venice, guided day trips run into the range by coach or van, and are a way to see the scenery when you have no car and only one day.
Wherever you walk, the signs work the same way. Paths carry a number and a destination, and the route is marked with white and red paint, which you should follow rather than shortcuts.54 Always carry a map, paper or on your phone, and download the route so it works without signal.54 Trentino's mountain rescue puts it simply: if you get tired, unsure of the way or the weather turns, go back the way you came.55
The map below shows how the walks fit together. The Seceda panel shows the crest and its huts, the Val Gardena panel the villages and lifts, and the Brenta panel the refuge path from Molveno. Treat it as a Dolomites hiking map for planning, not for navigation: carry a proper walking map on the trail.
Your Brenta day
Walk to the refuges under the Brenta walls.
Pick a date, meet at the ticket office, and cancel free if the forecast turns.
You ask,we answer.
What is the easiest good hike in the Dolomites?
The Resciesa ridge or a Seceda loop. Resciesa is rated easy at about 2 hours with the funicular; the Pieralongia loop is 5.8 km downhill from Seceda.172
How long is the walk round the Sassolungo?
About 5.5 hours in total. Using the lifts it takes about 3 hours; without them about 4.34
Which walk has the best view for the least effort?
The Seceda crest. Ride up from Ortisei and walk about 1 km along the edge, roughly an hour with stops.1
What is the hardest walk on this list?
Resciesa to Seceda over the Forcella de Mesdì. It takes 6 to 7 hours and crosses one of the most demanding passes in the Dolomites.5021
Can I hike in the Brenta without a car?
Yes, from Molveno. The cable car climbs to Pradel at 1,350 m, where path 340 starts towards the refuges.345
Do I need to book the lifts?
For Seceda, yes. The Seceda cable car runs on fixed 30-minute slots booked online.56
What do the red and white marks mean?
They show the marked route. Follow the numbered signs and the white and red trail marks, and carry a map.54
Sources
Sources and evidence
- 1Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Seceda Ridge Line↩
- 2Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiHiking in the Puez-Odle nature park↩
- 3Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 4Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 5Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Croz dell'Altissimo mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 6Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 7UNESCO Dolomites Foundation (Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO)The nine Systems of the Dolomites↩
- 8Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The way to the Seceda↩
- 9Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiSummer: lifts, opening hours and prices↩
- 10Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Seceda↩
- 11Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiHiking in the Puez-Odle nature park↩
- 12Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiHiking in the Puez-Odle nature park↩
- 13Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiHiking in the Puez-Odle nature park↩
- 14Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Activities on Seceda↩
- 15Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 16Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 17Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 18Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 19Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Croz dell'Altissimo mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 20Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 21Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 22Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Lifts in Val Gardena: summer opening times↩
- 23Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Seceda Ridge Line↩
- 24Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiSummer: lifts, opening hours and prices↩
- 25Seceda AG cableways (Funivie Seceda), OrtiseiHiking in the Puez-Odle nature park↩
- 26Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Lifts in Val Gardena: summer opening times↩
- 27Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 28Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The way to the Seceda↩
- 29Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 30Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 31Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Lifts in Val Gardena: summer opening times↩
- 32Dolomites Region Seiser Alm tourism (Seiser Alm Marketing)The Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway in summer↩
- 33Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 34Molveno Holiday, the Molveno tourism consortiumTake the cable car to see the lake from above↩
- 35Molveno Holiday, the Molveno tourism consortiumHiking in the Brenta Dolomites↩
- 36Molveno Holiday, the Molveno tourism consortiumRifugio La Montanara↩
- 37Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Croz dell'Altissimo mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 38Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Croz dell'Altissimo mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 39Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Selvata mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 40Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Selvata mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 41Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Tosa Tommaso Pedrotti mountain hut↩
- 42Molveno Holiday, the Molveno tourism consortiumThe most beautiful lake in Italy↩
- 43Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Arrival by plane or helicopter↩
- 44Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Arrival by plane or helicopter↩
- 45Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Arrival by plane or helicopter↩
- 46Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)How to get to Trentino↩
- 47Molveno Holiday, the Molveno tourism consortiumHow to get to Molveno↩
- 48Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)Arrival by train↩
- 49Dolomites Region Seiser Alm tourism (Seiser Alm Marketing)Access to the Seiser Alm↩
- 50Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The 7 most beautiful hikes↩
- 51UNESCO Dolomites Foundation (Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO)Brenta Dolomites: the 9th System↩
- 52UNESCO Dolomites Foundation (Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO)Brenta Dolomites: the 9th System↩
- 53Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)Selvata mountain hut, Molveno↩
- 54Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)What to do during a mountain hike (10 rules)↩
- 55Visit Trentino (Trentino Marketing)What to do during a mountain hike (10 rules)↩
- 56Dolomites Val Gardena tourism (Val Gardena Marketing)The way to the Seceda↩
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