Seiser Alm also is known as Alpe di Siusi is the most beautiful and spectacular alpine meadow in the Dolomites. A trip to the Dolomites (Italian Alps) is incomplete without seeing this jaw-dropping place in Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm).
This blog has all the information that you should know before visiting Seiser Alm (Alpe di Siusi)
How To Get to Seiser Alm
There are a few different options to get to this particular location in Seiser Alm and you can choose which one suites you the best.
How to Use This Map: Click the Tab on the Upper left corner of the map to view all places of interest marked in the map. You can show or hide the places by check/uncheck marks. By clicking on the Star in the upper corner next to the name of the map, you can add this map into your Google maps to view it on mobile or computer. It will be saved under "Your Places" under the Menu.
By Cable Car (Ortisei - Alpe di Siusi)
There is a cable car going from the village of Ortisei to Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) and is probably the best option. The ticket costs 13.90€ one way and 19.90€ for return. The opening hours are during the winter season is usually between 9 am to 5 pm and during the summer season between 08.30 am to 6 pm. The actual timetable and price information can be found on their website.
By Bus
Seiser Alm Express (Alpe di Siusi Express) bus runs from the village of Kastelruth (Castelrotto) to Compatch (Compaccio) and from there you can take another bus or hike (approx. 60 minutes). The actual bus timetables and all the connections can be found on this website.
By Car
The road to the small village of Compatch (Compaccio) is opened to traffic before 9 am and after 5 pm. You can drive back whenever you want and park the car near the entrance of the village next to the Hotel Seiser Alm Urthaler (see the map). It is paid parking and costs 18€ but if you come after 6 pm there is no one to collect the money so it's free to park. You are not allowed to drive further since it is a protected area (otherwise you risk a fine of 112€). You are only allowed to drive further if you have a booking confirmation at one of the accommodations located inside the park.
Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) - My Experience
We drove to the small village of Compatch (Compaccio) after 5 pm and parked the car at the parking. I looked around for a few minutes to try to find someone to pay but fortunately, no one was there so we saved 18€. I have already seen some stunning pictures of one particular place in Alpe di Siusi and our plan was to hike to this location, take some pictures and return back after the sunset.
We had the coordinates of this photography location saved in our phone and simply followed the road after the parking. There is no separate hiking path at the start but after a few minutes of hiking you will find a separate hiking path alongside the road and get away from the road. Even though the road is closed to normal traffic, we still found it to be very busy and it was not fun walking on the road.
The paths are marked and we followed the path to Adler mountain lodge which is very close to the classic Alpe di Siusi viewpoint
After the initial 20-25 minutes of the hike, the views are spectacular and we stopped every couple of minutes to take pictures.
It took us more than an hour to reach to this location and that is probably we stopped so often along the way. To be honest, the place is so spectacular there is absolutely no need to rush
You might see some other photographers at the same location and its worth spending few minutes or hours at this place. Here are some of the pictures which will hopefully give you some idea about the beauty of this place.
Best Time to Visit for Photography
Sunrise is the best time to visit and if you are lucky with the weather, the fog will create some powerful composition for amazing pictures. Unfortunately, I was not lucky with the weather and had to cancel my sunrise plans due to heavy rain so I visited for sunset and I was happy with the conditions.
Where to Stay
In my opinion the best places to stay are Adler mountain lodge or Sporthotel Sonne. The views from here are breathtaking and if you can afford it then I would highly recommend staying there.
Camping Seiser Alm
We stayed overnight at the camping Seiser Alm which is one of the best camping site I stayed. The location of the camping is very beautiful and all the facilities (Wifi, hot showers, restaurant, bar etc.) are top notch.
