Rosengarten Via Ferrata Safari
Guided Hut to Hut in the Dolomites

If you are travelling by train, Bolzano is the natural arrival point, with excellent connections from the main cities in northern Italy and beyond. From here, however, you have several possibilities depending on the kind of experience you are looking for.

You can stay in Bolzano and enjoy its beautiful historic centre, cafés, restaurants and lively atmosphere, with the mountains already rising above the city.

Or, with a private transfer, you can head to Eppan (Appiano) on the South Tyrolean Wine Road, just outside Bolzano, and spend your first evening among vineyards, castles and quiet country villages, enjoying a more relaxed atmosphere.

Alternatively, you can already move closer to the mountains and stay in Nova Levante, at the foot of the Catinaccio/Rosengarte. Here the atmosphere changes immediately: the vineyards give way to forests and mountain landscapes, and you can already feel that your Dolomite adventure has begun.

There is no single right starting point. We will recommend the best option for you according to your itinerary, interests, travel plans and the kind of experience you want from your DolomiteSafari.

Evening briefing with your guide before your adventure starts!

Accommodation: Hotel

If you have chosen to stay in Nova Levante, the morning is particularly easy: we will take the König Laurin cable car, which brings us directly to the starting point of our hike at Rifugio Fronza.

If you have chosen to stay in Bolzano or Eppan (Appiano on the Wine Road), Nova Levante is only about a 30-minute private transferaway, making it easy to reach the mountains in the morning.

From Rifugio Fronza, the route traverses beneath the impressive West Face of the Catinaccio until we reach the real start of the Santner Via Ferrata. Climbing exposed rock, the route enters the heart of the mountain, winding its way between high spires and narrow gullies until we reach Santner Pass.

After the excitement of the climb, we can enjoy a well-deserved lunch with the spectacular Vajolet Towers right in front of us, before settling into the mountain atmosphere of Rifugio Re Alberto or Rifugio Santner.

The afternoon is yours to relax, explore the area around the refuge and simply enjoy being high in the heart of the Rosengarten. And if the conditions are right, we may witness one of the most famous spectacles of the Dolomites: the Enrosadira, when the walls of the Rosengarten turn pink and orange in the evening light.

Read more about this via ferrata in our article in the DS Journal!

Accommodation: Rifugio Santner or Rifugio Re Alberto

Today is a longer day!

From the refuge, we descend into the Vajolet Valley along a rocky, partly protected trail before climbing again towards Rifugio Principe (approx. 2/2.5 hours from the start of the day). Here we can take a short break and prepare for the next part of our adventure, as the Antermoia Via Ferrata begins right near the Rifugio!

The route climbs through the mountain along a series of exposed, protected ledges and rocky sections, gradually gaining altitude until we reach the spectacular final ridge below the summit. Here, at more than 3,000 metres, the panorama opens in every direction, with an extraordinary 360-degree view across the Dolomites.

From the high ridge, we cross over to the other side of the mountain and begin our descent towards Rifugio Antermoia, our destination for the night, located in a beautiful spot, close to the famous Antermoia Lake.

Seeing the lake beneath the walls of the Catinaccio d'Antermoia is the perfect way to finish another day deep in the Rosengarten!

Accommodation: Rifugio Antermoia

Today we change scenery completely.

From Rifugio Antermoia, we cross Passo Dona and Passo Ciaregole, leaving the rugged and rocky landscape of the Antermoia massif behind and entering the wide green meadows of Val Duron and the Alpe di Siusi.

As we cross this beautiful landscape, the views open towards the imposing Sassopiatto and Sassolungo, rising dramatically beyond the meadows. It is a completely different landscape!

Our destination is Rifugio Alpe di Tires or Tierser Alpl, the starting point of the Maximilian Via Ferrata, named after the first keeper of the Rifugio. After a short break at the hut, we get ready for the climb, leaving our heavier backpacks behind and setting off with a light pack.

The via ferrata follows the spectacular Denti di Terrarossa, the jagged ridge rising directly behind the refuge. It is an aerial and exposed route, with beautiful views in every direction, but technically never particularly difficult.

After completing the ferrata, we return towards the refuge along a short section of trail part of the Alta Via n.8 of the Dolomites (“The panoramic!”), coming from Rifugio Bolzano. This descent is an experience in itself, showing us the wild landscape of Val Ciamin, with its quiet alpine meadows, marmots and edelweiss.

We spend the night once again at Rifugio Alpe di Tires, one of the most welcoming and beautifully maintained mountain refuges in the Dolomites, where we can enjoy a well-deserved evening after another full day in the mountains.

Accommodation: Rifugio Alpe di Tires / Tierser Alpl

The final day of our traverse takes us into one of the wildest corners of the Rosengarten.

From Rifugio Alpe di Tires, we begin a spectacular descent through Val Ciamin, a narrow and secluded valley enclosed by towering rock walls. The landscape changes once again as the high alpine terrain gives way to steep cliffs, larch and mountain pine forests, and the rushing waters of the valley.

Along the way we pass Rifugio Bergamo, where I like to stop for a moment and share a little piece of my own story: a photograph of Presolana, the mountain at the foot of which I was born and the unmistakable symbol of the Bergamasca and Val Seriana, where I grew up.

Continuing down the valley, the trail becomes increasingly enclosed by the enormous rock walls, with mountain pines clinging to the slopes and crystal-clear pools formed by the river below. On a warm summer day, these natural pools are the perfect place to stop, cool our feet and enjoy the mountain environment.

Eventually, we reach Malga Ciamin, where we can sit down for a well-deserved meal before the final part of our journey.

From here, we make our way back towards Nova Levante, taking the cable car down from the mountains.

A final change of scenery, and the perfect way to conclude our four-day Rosengarten Safari: four days of via ferrata, hiking, mountain huts and constantly changing landscapes, all connected into one journey through the heart of the Dolomites.

End of the Safari and transfer to your Hotel

Or… continue the Safari in the Sassolungo Area! Check it out

Breakfast and departure on your own (private transfert to the airport is possible on request). Or continue with another Via Ferrata Safari!