Seceda with the most dramatic mountain view is one the must-see place in the Dolomites. I have been planning to visit this place for a long time and has been my dream to stay overnight by doing camping at the top and wake up to the incredible view of Seceda.
I visited Seceda with one of my friends and we stayed overnight at the top by camping to see the sunrise. This blog has all the information that you should know before visiting this incredible place.
How to Get There
The starting point to explore Seceda and the surrounding mountains is a beautiful tiny village of Ortisei with its picturesque perfect location. It is less than an hour drive from Bolzano which is the biggest city in the Dolomites and 3 hours drive from the nearest Airport in Treviso. The best way to explore the Dolomites is by renting a car. The village is also well connected through public transport and the details of all the bus connections can be found on the Val Gardena tourism website.
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How to Visit Seceda
There are two possibilities to visit Seceda either by taking the cable car or hiking.
Cable Car to Seceda
This is probably the most convenient and easiest way to reach the top. From Ortisei, the cable car goes to Furnes and from there you have to change and take the Gondola to Seceda. The ticket costs 25€ one way or 34€ return and include the cablecar Ortisei - Furnes and the gondola Furnes - Seceda. You can purchase the ticket from the counter or online on the cable car official website.
The opening hours are:
- Winter Season (06.12.2019 to 14.04.2020): Daily between 08:30 and 16:15
- Summer Season (29.05.2020 to 18.10.2020): Daily between 08:30 and 17:30
There is also free parking but during the school holidays it will be hard to find a parking. For more more details and actual information please visit the official cable car website.
Hiking to Seceda
There are two hiking trails to reach the Seceda ridge. The first one starts and ends at the Seceda cable car and is the least scenic trail and the second option is to start from the Col Raiser cable car in Selva di Val Gardena. It is also the most scenic trail. On this trail, you have the option to hike all the way without taking the cable car or alternatively you can shorten it by taking the cable car halfway through to Almhotel at Col Raiser which is probably the best option for a day trip.
With Cable Car
- Distance: 7 km return
- Hiking Time: 4 hours
- Elevation Gain: 500 meters
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Starting Point: Almhotel at Col Raiser Cable Car station
- Ending Point: Almhotel at Col Raiser Cable Car station
- Points of Interest: Geisler Peaks, Seceda
- Parking: Col Raiser cable car parking area (Paid Parking)
The Col Raiser cable car costs 14€ one way or 20€ return. The opening hours change depending on the season
- Between 30.05.2020 and 19.06.2020 from 08.30 to 17.00
- Between 20.06.2020 and 18.09.2020 from 08.30 to 17.30
- Between 19.09.2020 and 11.10.2020 from 08.30 to 17.00
For more details check the cable car official website.
Without Cable Car
- Distance: 17 km return
- Hiking Time: 6½ hours (4 hours up and 2½ hours down)
- Elevation Gain: 1100 meters
- Difficulty Level: Difficult
- Starting Point: Col Raiser Cable Car Parking
- Ending Point: Col Raiser Cable Car Parking
- Points of Interest: Geisler Peaks, Seceda
- Parking: Col Raiser cable car parking area (Paid Parking)
Our plan was to stay overnight at the top of Seceda ridge by camping so we packed everything. My backpack was heavy and I realized immediately after hiking only few minutes. The start of the trail is relatively flat with little elevation gain and well marked.
Follow the trail towards Almhotel which is almost halfway and the Col Raiser cable car station. Due to our heavy backpacks and numerous photo stops along the way it took us 3 hours. I think without heavy backpacks it is almost 2 hours.
The restaurant at Col Raiser cable car station is a nice place for a short break
The path from Col Raiser cable car station to Seceda is busy and you will find a lot of people on the trail. The trail becomes little confusing as there are many different paths going in different directions and to Seceda you should follow the path going towards Rifugio Fermeda and afterwards you will see the Seceda cable car station which is the highest point and near the Seceda viewpoint.
We arrived at the top very late in the afternoon so we decided to pitch our tent first before exploring different vintage points.
During the day it is a very busy location but after the last Gondola there are only a few people around at the viewpoint. For photography sunset is a great time to be here
We slept very well at the top and the next morning woke up to this stunning view of Seceda. Sunrise is a very popular time to visit this place and tourists staying in the nearby Refugio hike up to the viewpoint.
On the way back, we took a different trail instead of taking the same trail we came from. All the trails are visible and you can follow any trail to go down to Almhotel. We hiked all the way down to the Col Raiser cable car parking and here are some pictures from the trail
Wild Camping at Seceda
Legally wild camping is not allowed anywhere in the alps other than designated camping sites but it is still acceptable if you pitch your tent late in the afternoon and pack your stuff early in the morning without leaving behind any trash. It is one of the most beautiful places to stay overnight and a very popular place for camping among photographers. We saw at least a dozen other tents at the ridge.
Where to Stay
If you are interested to stay overnight and go to viewpoint at sunrise then check out Rifugio Fermeda which is the very near to the viewpoint.