Snowshoeing in the Dolomites and Alta Pusteria
Snowshoeing in South Tyrol allows you to experience the winter landscape in a completely different way. The snowshoe tours lead nature lovers through the untouched, snowy nature of Alta Pusteria and the Dolomites. With every breath, you inhale the crisp mountain air. The snow sparkles in the brilliant sunshine.
The blue sky and the white winter world, framed by the imposing Dolomite mountains, create a picturesque backdrop that you’ll want to capture at every moment. Only solitude, silence, magnificent nature, and the crunching of snow under your snowshoes surround you. Get ready for an unforgettable snowshoe trip through a winter wonderland.
Experience San Candido and the Surroundings on Snowshoes
Just like tobogganing, snowshoeing is one of the traditional ways of getting around in the mountains. Even though people in earlier years depended on sleds and snowshoes for survival and their journeys were often linked to hard labor, there were surely moments they enjoyed while traveling through the wintery nature of their homeland.
As with all winter sports in San Candido, Alta Pusteria, and the Dolomites, there is guaranteed to be the right tour for everyone who wants to explore and experience the winter landscape this way. From easy to challenging, there are numerous snowshoe tours starting right at our doorstep, in San Candido, or in one of our neighboring villages.
Snowshoeing through untouched winter landscapes
Whether for beginners or experienced snowshoers, adults or children – if you enjoy winter hiking, you should definitely give snowshoeing a try. What could be more beautiful than discovering it in the dreamlike winter scenery of San Candido and the Alta Pusteria? You can rent snowshoes directly in San Candido.
Whether you want to set out on your own snowshoe tour with family and friends or prefer to join a guided snowshoe tour is, of course, up to you. During the season, the local mountain schools offer several guided tours per week.
Self-guided snowshoe tours
| Snowshoe Tour | Category | Distance | Elevation Gain | Difficulty | Walking Time | Starting Point |
| San Candido - Sesto | easy path | 8.3 kilometers | 380 meters | easy | 3.5 hours | Baranci valley station |
| San Candido - Wildbad - Riese Haunold Hut | easy path | 6.5 kilometers | 269 meters | medium | 2.5 hours | Baranci valley station (junction San Candido - Sesto - Wildbad) |
| San Candido - Jägerhütte | easy path | 8 kilometers (to Jägerhütte) | 657 meters | medium | 4 hours | San Candido - Via Sesto (Baranci valley station) |
| Three Peaks | round trip | 13 kilometers | 950 meters | difficult | 6 hours | Fischleinbodenhütte parking lot |
| Pfandleck | round trip | 12 kilometers | 670 meters | difficult | 5 hours | Monte Croce Pass parking lot |
Guided snowshoe tours in the Three Peaks Dolomites region
With guided snowshoe hikes, you can explore the mountains and nature on a different snowshoe tour almost every day. Especially for people who have no prior experience with snowshoeing, guided tours are a great way to start. In a group of like-minded people, you can discover this sport without the risk of getting lost.
Fancy a full moon snowshoe hike?
You can rent snowshoes for your tour at fair prices. How about a full moon snowshoe hike? (Only during the time of the full moon, of course :-).
Information about the various guided snowshoe tours is available at the San Candido Tourist Info or in this flyer.
Snowshoe tour San Candido - Sesto
The snowshoe hike from San Candido to Sesto is easy to walk and also very beautiful. Starting at the Baranci valley station, the path leads a short distance along the Via Sesto. At the large bridge, you cross the Sesto stream and hike to the right towards Sesto. Following the "Burg Loop Trail" (marked No. 4) to the "Burg" forest playground at 1,560 meters, a wide, gently climbing forest path leads up along the sunny southern side of the woods.
To the right, the path branches off onto the "Path of Reflection" (Besinnungsweg) towards the forest chapel and continues on trail marker 4D, always slightly downhill, passing Stations of the Cross, mountain farms, and open meadows. Once you arrive in Sesto, you can take the public bus for the return journey, which generally runs every 30 minutes.
Snowshoe tour San Candido - Wildbad - Riese Haunold Hut
For the snowshoe tour San Candido - Wildbad - Riese Haunold Hut, you can also use the Baranci lift parking lot as a starting point or start the hike at the junction towards Wildbad between San Candido and Sesto. Upon arriving at Wildbad, which was a renowned spa resort for the aristocracy for decades, turn right towards the Riese Haunold Hut. If hunger strikes, you should take a 30-minute detour to the Jora Hut, which not only prepares excellent food but is also highly awarded for its cuisine.
The return journey follows the original route back to the Riese Haunold Hut, where you can stop for refreshments if you wish. To get back to the valley station, you can take the chairlift or return via the same path you came. The San Candido - Wildbad - Riese Haunold Hut snowshoe hike takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes and covers a distance of 6.5 kilometers.
Snowshoe tour San Candido - Jägerhütte
This snowshoe tour starts in San Candido heading towards Sesto on Via Sesto (Sextnerstraße). Alternatively, you can also begin the snowshoe hike at the Baranci (Haunold) valley station. The route leads uphill via forest path no. 4 through the "Burg" forest playground. Shortly before the playground, turn right following markers 4 / 5. The trail continues on a wide path, steadily and gently ascending to an altitude of 1,540 meters, always following the sunny southern side of the wooded ridge. The "Fable and Legend Path" (Fabel- und Sagenweg) then takes you via hiking trail no. 4 directly to the Jägerhütte, located at 1,830 meters, which you will reach after approximately 4 hours of walking.
Too tired for the 2.5 to 3-hour return hike? Then continue your walk to Monte Elmo (Helm) and take a comfortable ride back down to the valley to Sesto or Versciaco via the gondola lift. From there, you can take public transport back to your starting point. Alternatively, you can also hike from the Jägerhütte to Versciaco on snowshoes. This is also a dream tour to experience on touring skis.
Pfandleck Snowshoe Tour
On the snowshoe hike to Pfandleck, hikers will discover magnificent nature throughout the tour. Around the Monte Croce Pass (Kreuzbergpass) in Sesto, spectacular views of the peaks of the Sesto Dolomites open up. The snowshoe tour starts at the Monte Croce Pass, where a large parking lot is available. The path towards the Nemes Hut (Nemesalm)—where you can sometimes leave your tracks in fresh powder and at other times follow groomed trails—leads past vast alpine meadows.
Not far from the Nemes Hut (Nemes Alm), where you can indulge in delicious South Tyrolean specialties before the final ascent, the trail continues upward on untouched paths just before the hut, below the Pfannspitze on the Carnic Ridge. You reach the Pfandleck via the Pullbach Valley. This snowshoe tour requires good physical fitness for the 3-hour climb to the Pfandleck. The descent takes approximately 2 hours.
Snowshoe tour Val Fiscalina - Three Peaks
The snowshoe tour Val Fiscalina - Three Peaks requires a certain level of fitness and athletic ability. If you feel up to the challenge, you should definitely embark on this snowshoe hike, as the Three Peaks are a dream to behold and always fascinating, in both summer and winter. The way there leads through the equally breathtaking Val Fiscalina. At the end of the valley, you can enjoy a great meal at the Talschlusshütte (Fondovalle) Hut to recharge your energy before turning right at the end of the valley into the Altenstein Valley, the winter access route to the Three Peaks.
Passing the Cima Una (Einserkofel) and ascending into the high valley below the Sasso di Sesto (Sextner Stein), you will enjoy a wonderful panoramic and distant view. After about 3.5 hours, you reach the Three Peaks Hut (Dreizinnenhütte), situated at 2,400 meters. From here, the view opens up to the legendary north faces of the Three Peaks. Overwhelmed by the impressions of the snowshoe hike so far, you return via the same impressive path back through the Talschlusshütte and Val Fiscalina.
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