I have a fear of heights. Standing at the cable car station in Bolzano/Bozen and staring up at the impressive mountain I was about to ascend made me a little queasy, but I hadn’t come all this way to miss out on a hike in the Dolomites. Specifically, a hike to see the earth pyramids of Renon/Ritten.
We boarded the red gondola along with a group of young men laden with picnic provisions and camping gear and up we went. I choked back my apprehension and concentrated on the incredible views as we climbed higher and higher up the mountain toward SopraBolzano/Oberbozen.
It’s possible to take a bus or drive up the steep switchbacks to reach the town, but the cable car is much faster and easier. It departs every four minutes and takes less than 15 minutes to reach the top– 1221 meters above Bolzano/Bozen.
The cable car deposits you right across the street from the historic narrow- gauge Renon/Ritten Railroad. Be sure to buy a round trip combo ticket for the cable car and the railroad when you purchase your ticket at the Bolzano/Bozen station.
Trains run every 30 minutes during peak daytime hours. Climb aboard and enjoy the mountain views on the 20-minute ride from SopraBolzano/Oberbozen to Collalbo/Klobenstein. We passed farms, cows, hikers and traditional Alpine A-frame homes as we whizzed by to the end of the line.
It’s a short walk from the station through a residential neighborhood to the center of Collalbo/ Klobenstein where lunch can be had a several restaurants. Most seemed to offer the same traditional South Tyrol dishes but the two we had our eye on were closing shortly and wouldn’t seat us.
It’s a pleasant stroll from the train station and fun to see all the carefully tended gardens along the way.
It was disappointing to be turned away from several restaurants because we arrived too close to the kitchen closing, but we kept searching!
We were directed to Zentral by a harried hostess and off we went in search of sustenance. We were not disappointed and were soon tucking into a perfectly prepared weiner schnitzel and a tasty mushroom and polenta dish. We had a crisp local white wine with the meal and finished up with some house made gelato.
Menus in the Sud Tirol usually feature Austrian and Italian influenced dishes and are always seasonal.
Save room for dessert! Cakes and gelato are always on offer.
There is a mix of Austrian and Italian influences in this autonomous area of Italy, which was a part of Austria until the end of World War I. German is the predominant and preferred language in the Sud Tirol, though signage and menus are generally printed in German, Italian and sometimes English. You’ll find many people speak English, particularly in hotels, shops and restaurants here.
After a satisfying lunch we headed off towards our destination—Longomoso/Lengmoos and the earth pyramids of Renon/Ritten. It’s an easy 30-minute hike from town to see these natural wonders, said to be Europe’s highest and most perfectly shaped examples of the boulder- topped pillars.
Paths are well-marked and part of the way to the earth pyramids is paved.
The views just get better and better as you continue your hike!
Called erdpyramiden in German or piramidi di terra in Italian, the conical pillars were formed 25,000 years ago from the moraine clay soil left behind when the last of the Ice Age glaciers covering the Valle d’Isarco melted away. It takes thousands of years for earth pyramids to form and the process is a dynamic one.
In dry weather, the soil is rock hard, but rain softens the earth and carries away the soil. The rocks left behind in the mud protect the clay soil beneath them, which rises from the earth to form the pyramids—capped by the boulders that allowed them to develop. As older earth pyramids collapse, new ones form. They really are spectacular to see!
These are some of the most impressive earth pyramids in the world and some of the oldest!
At the end of the trail from Collalbo/Klobenstein, there is a large viewing platform with panoramic vistas over the valley to the earth pyramids in the nearby gorge, with maps and helpful information in German, Italian and English. We were lucky to have the platform to ourselves much of the time, though during busy summer months the popular site draws crowds.
Keep going– enjoy the views and pose for a silly picture at the top.
Many natural sites in this area have maps that include highlights of the area and give a sense of place.
After enjoying the sensational view of the earth pyramids for quite some time, we began the hike back. We came upon the Café Erdpyramiden along the way.
The cafe is a handy stop since there are no facilities at the viewing platform or along the trail to reach it.
It’s a great place to enjoy the view, have a drink and a snack and use the facilities!
A pleasant stroll back past historic buildings, churches, homes, a pond and grazing cows took us back to town and the train station.
Enjoy the walk back– it’s an easy trek.
Our timing was perfect and five minutes later we were chugging along toward home.
We wandered around SopraBolzano/Oberbozen, admiring the views and checking out lodging for a future trip before heading back down to Bolzano/Bozen on the cable car.
We popped in the the Gloriette Guesthouse to check it out for a return visit to the area.
We will definitely return to this spectacular area and its natural wonders and suggest you add it to your list, too. In the meantime you can enjoy the virtual view here.
Very cool. I’d never heard of this phenomenon. Going to share with Julie. They hope to go to Germany in September if Europe will let them in!