In autumn the delicate larch-dotted meadows light up in golden yellow as the sun slowly loses its strength. Snow has already started to settle on the peaks, stark white against the deep blue of the sky. Amidst this spectacle of colour, I would love to show you some of the most beautiful places in Martelltal/Val Martello and Schnalstal/Val Senales, on Tschögglberg/Monzoccolo, or in the upper Passeiertal/Val Passiria or Ultental/Val d’Ultimo.
The Schnalstal/Val Senales, with its mighty three-thousanders and its distinctive side valleys, is also known as the “Larch Valley of South Tyrol”. The steep sunlit rocky slopes are dotted with larch woods, which have often also been infiltrated by junipers and barberries.
In autumn, Martelltal/Val Martello, around Zufrittsee/Lake Gioveretto, glows with a unique pattern of colours, intensifying the magic of the glaciers at the head of the valley.
A beautiful circular walk to the refuge briefly enters the Stelvio National Park and the domain of the Cevedale massif.
I will also show you the mighty centuries-old larches in the most remote part of Ultental/Val d’Ultimo, in an autumnal hike to the oldest larches in Europe, where we can also pay a visit to the Lahnersäge National Park Visitor Centre.
Info:
Route rating/description: easy hike
Mountain range: Schnalstal/Val Senales, Martelltal/Val Martello and Ultental/Val d’Ultimo.
Ideal time of year: from early October