Rosengarten hut circuit
Five days around the Rosengarten, the massif above Bolzano that the legend says was once a rose garden. Three nights in huts, over two high passes, and a last evening on the side that turns red at sunset.
Day by day, meter by meter
Each point is where you sleep. Pick a day to see the walking time, the climb and the hut at the end of it.
Arrive in Vigo di Fassa
Transfer from Bolzano, an evening walk through the village and dinner at the hotel.
- Walking
- 1 h
- Distance
- 3 km
- Up
- 80 m
- Down
- 80 m
Up to Rifugio Vajolet
The Ciampedie cable car, then a path through larch and pasture to Rifugio Vajolet, below the Vajolet towers.
- Walking
- 3½ h
- Distance
- 8 km
- Up
- 450 m
- Down
- 200 m
Over the passes to Rifugio Antermoia
Up to the Passo Principe, then over the Passo d’Antermoia at 2,770 m, the highest point of the week, to a hut beside a small lake.
- Walking
- 5 h
- Distance
- 9 km
- Up
- 850 m
- Down
- 600 m
Across to Rifugio Roda di Vael
The long day: back over the Passo Principe, down to Gardeccia and up the Passo delle Cigolade to the west side of the massif, where the walls turn red at dusk.
- Walking
- 6½ h
- Distance
- 15 km
- Up
- 1,000 m
- Down
- 1,200 m
Costalunga and home
Under the Masarè ridge to the Passo di Costalunga, where your transfer waits for the drive back to Bolzano.
- Walking
- 2½ h
- Distance
- 7 km
- Up
- 100 m
- Down
- 630 m
Why this route, and why with us
The Rosengarten, Catinaccio in Italian, is compact: you can walk around and through it in three days without carrying more than a day pack. The paths are grade E, rocky in places, with one steep scree climb to the Passo d’Antermoia.
The name comes from the legend of King Laurin, whose rose garden was turned to stone and still shows its color for a few minutes at dusk. Rifugio Roda di Vael, on the last night, faces west, so that is where you see it.
When the weather turns
If a storm is forecast for the day over the passes, we swap it for the lower path via Gardeccia and you still reach Antermoia. Our planner checks the forecast with you each evening.
Included
- 3 nights in huts with dinner and breakfast
- First night in a valley hotel in Vigo di Fassa
- Transfers from Bolzano and back
- Ciampedie cable car ticket
- Route notes, offline maps, GPX files
Not included
Flights or trains to Bolzano, lunches and drinks at huts (budget €30 a day), travel insurance with mountain rescue cover, tourist tax paid locally.
Where you sleep
Three huts, all reached only on foot. Vajolet and Roda di Vael have small private rooms we book where we can; Antermoia is mostly bunk rooms of six to ten.
2027 dates and prices
Prices are per person, two sharing. Private dates for your own group cost the same; pick any start between 26 June and 14 September.
| Starts | Ends | Hut dormitories | Private hut rooms | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 June | Wed 30 June | €1,790 | €2,090 | Beds held |
| Sat 17 July | Wed 21 July | €1,890 | €2,190 | 4 places left |
| Sat 21 August | Wed 25 August | €1,890 | €2,190 | Waiting list |
| Sat 11 September | Wed 15 September | €1,790 | €2,090 | Beds held |
A 20% deposit holds your place; the rest is due eight weeks before you start. Cancellation terms
Questions about this route
It is steep scree for about an hour, on a marked path with no cables. Walkers who are comfortable on rough ground find it slow rather than difficult.
On a clear evening, yes. The color lasts a few minutes after sunset, and Roda di Vael faces the right way for it.
Yes. Bolzano has direct trains from Verona and Munich, and our transfer meets you at the station.
Your main bag goes from the hotel in Vigo di Fassa to the Passo di Costalunga, where it meets you on the last day.
Still deciding?
Book a 20-minute call. We'll ask about your walking and tell you straight if this route is right.
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