The Legend of King Laurin and the Rosengarten
A timeless Dolomite legend that explains the magical pink glow of the Catinaccio and the mysterious beauty of one of the most iconic mountain groups above Bolzano.
The Vajolet Towers and the Rosengarten
Few mountain groups in the Dolomites are surrounded by as much mystery and legend as the Rosengarten, known in Italian as Catinaccio. Rising above the valleys of South Tyrol, these mountains are famous not only for their dramatic towers of rock, but also for the magical pink glow that colors the cliffs at sunrise and sunset.
The German name Rosengarten literally means rose garden, a name that is closely connected with the ancient legend of King Laurin and his enchanted garden of roses.
The Kingdom of King Laurin
Long ago King Laurin, the mythical king of the dwarves, ruled a hidden kingdom inside these mountains. Above his underground halls he had created a magnificent garden of roses growing high among the rocks where today the peaks of the Rosengarten stand.
The garden was protected by magical silk threads, invisible but incredibly strong, so that no human could enter.
At that time in Bolzano, a great tournament had been organized. Knights from across the region gathered in the city to compete for the hand of the beautiful princess of Bolzano, Similde, daugther of the King of Adige.
But King Laurin had not been invited.
Deeply offended and filled with anger, Laurin decided to take revenge. Using his magical cloak of invisibility, he secretly entered the city of Bolzano. Hidden from everyone’s sight, he reached the princess and kidnapped her, carrying her away into his mysterious kingdom hidden within the mountains of the Rosengarten.
The Knights of Bolzano
When the people of Bolzano discovered what had happened, a group of brave knights set out to rescue the princess. They climbed high into the mountains until they finally reached the hidden garden of roses.
The knights managed to cross the invisible threads protecting the garden and confronted Laurin. A fierce battle followed among the rocks and roses of the mountain.
Laurin possessed magical powers and once again used his cloak of invisibility in an attempt to escape. But the knights noticed the roses moving beneath his footsteps and were able to reveal his position.
In the end Laurin was defeated and captured, and the princess was freed.
The Curse of the Rose Garden
Before being taken away the king of the dwarves turned back toward his beloved garden and cast a powerful curse.
No one, he declared, would ever see the garden of roses again.
”Neither by day nor by night”
But in his anger Laurin forgot about the twilight hours.
And so, even today, when the sun rises or sets over the Dolomites, the cliffs of the Rosengarten turn deep shades of pink and red. For a few magical moments the rose garden of King Laurin appears once again, glowing in the light of the sky.
This phenomenon is known as Enrosadira, one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in the Dolomites.
A Legendary Mountain Above Bolzano
For me the Rosengarten has always been one of the most legendary and mysterious mountain groups in the Dolomites. When you walk among its towers, steep mountain passes and hidden valleys it is easy to imagine ancient stories and forgotten kingdoms!
The legend of King Laurin almost feels like a distant echo of the dwarf kingdoms we know from modern fantasy stories, something not so far from the world of The Lord of the Rings. A hidden people living inside the mountains, guarding their treasures and their secret gardens.
What makes this legend even more special is that the connection between Bolzano and the Rosengarten still feels very real today.
From the streets of the city you can look toward the mountains and watch the sun set directly over the Catinaccio. As the light fades the walls slowly turn pink and red in the same magical Enrosadira that the legend tries to explain.
Follow the Knights into the Rosengarten!
If you would like to step into this legendary landscape, we invite you to follow the same path as the knights of Bolzano, who long ago climbed toward these mountains in search of the hidden garden of roses!
Our journey begins in Bolzano, beneath the very peaks where the legend was born. From the town we set out toward the mountains of the Rosengarten, entering a world of towers, high passes and hidden valleys where myth and mountain adventure blend together!
Like the knights of the ancient story, we will climb into the mountains with our own equipment, moving through the rocks and ridges of the Catinaccio, crossing the entire range in search of the legendary garden of roses.
At DolomiteSafari we offer the Rosengarten Safari, a multi day hut to hut adventure that can last from two to five days, allowing you to discover every corner of this magical mountain group.
In the Via Ferrata Safari version we travel from hut to hut along spectacular ferrata routes, climbing exposed ridges, narrow ledges and airy passages that reveal the most dramatic views of the Dolomites.
For those who love climbing we also offer a mixed Via Ferrata and Rock Climbing Safari, where ferrata routes are combined with classic climbs on the legendary towers of the area, including the Vajolet Towers and the summit of the Rosengarten itself. Explore the King Laurin Traverse program and the story about the adventure we had last year in our journal!
Each evening we reach welcoming mountain huts high among the peaks. Perhaps you too will watch the sunset from Rifugio Fronza, directly beneath the great west face of the Catinaccio, as the walls slowly turn pink in the last light of the day!
And while the mountains glow with the mysterious colors of the Enrosadira, you may feel, just for a moment, that you have truly entered the ancient and magical world of King Laurin, wandering through the mountains in search of his lost garden of roses…
