This 4-hour hike with an altitude difference of 1,100 m leads you from the village of Castelrotto to Mt. Bullaccia on the Alpe di Siusi
Image gallery: Hike from Castelrotto to the Witches’ Benches
From the centre of Castelrotto (Kastelruth), we follow trails no. 6 and 4A through some beautiful meadows until we reach the alpine pasture of Marinzen, from where we continue on trail no. 9 to Schafstall Mountain Hut (1,470 m a.s.l.) and afterwards steeply upwards through the forest until we reach the Arnika Mountain Hut, which lies at 2,000 m a.s.l. on Mt. Bullaccia (Puflatsch).
After a short rest we continue our tour along the northern boarder of this beautiful high plateau full of alpine meadows towards the famous Panche delle Streghe (literally: Witches' Benches). The Witches Benches are very particular stone formation that have the form of seats with armrests and backrests. According to a legend, in the Middle Ages the witches of the Alpe di Siusi region danced and celebrated here hilariously.
Today, this place is a very popular view point, where hikers can enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Val Gardena valley, the Puez-Olde Group, a part of the Sella Group and the Dolomites of the Alpe di Siusi area: Mt. Sasso Lungo, Mt. Sasso Piatto and the mighty Sciliar. On very clear days you can even see the east-central Alps, King Ortles, the Stubai, Oetztal and Sarentino Alps.
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- Starting point:
- Castelrotto
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- Time required:
- 06:20 h
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- Track length:
- 17,5 km
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- Altitude:
- from 1.058 m to 2.150 m
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- Altitude difference:
- +1132 m | -1132 m
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- Signposts:
- 6, 4A, 11A, 9, 8, 24
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- Destination:
- Hexenbänke at mount Bullaccia
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- Resting points:
- Marinzen, Schafstall Hütte, Arnika Hütte
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Hike from Castelrotto to the Witches’ Benches
If you want to do this hike, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
