The summer escape is typical of South Tyrol. Or more accurately: for South Tyrolean townspeople, especially the people of Bolzano, who have been fleeing the summer heat of their city and heading into the surrounding heights for centuries. With a sack and a pack, a child and a cone. Deutschnofen and its plateau have always been one of the most popular summer destinations. It was easy here, at 1,350 metres, to bear up well: with lots of sun – more than anywhere else in South Tyrol – and pleasant temperatures.
Nothing has changed about any of that. Deutschnofen is still the place in South Tyrol with the most hours of sunshine, and is still a village that attracts summer holidaymakers. Only that they no longer just come from Bolzano, but from all over the world. This is ensured not only by the walking and hiking trails on the extensive high plateau of the Reggelberg, but also (and above all) by the mountains of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, whose landmarks surround the Reggelberg to the east: the Schlern, the Rosengarten group and the Latemar, above all.
For hikers, mountaineers and climbers, they are a real paradise. More than 500 kilometres of paths and climbs run through the Eggental Dolomites. The range stretches from idyllic alpine and forest paths (for example to Lake Carezza, one of the most photographed subjects in South Tyrol) to more demanding hut-to-hut treks and then to via ferratas. And those looking for a vertical rout will find classic climbing tours here on some of the most famous Dolomite rock faces.
In the south, the Schwarzhorn and Weißhorn border the plateau of the Reggelberg. They, too, are popular hiking destinations, but the real highlight lies at their feet: the Geoparc Bletterbach. On guided hikes, you can explore South Tyrol’s Grand Canyon, where millions of years of the Earth’s history can be read. And so many ancient creatures that have doddered along here have immortalised their tracks in the mud of the gorge.
Speaking of such an eternal age: this is about how long the Dolomites will stick in the memories of motorcyclists. Even just the journey to the Hotel Gasthof Stern takes you through the spectacular Eggental already. This is also the starting point for what is probably one of the most spectacular motorcycle tours ever: the one through the heart of the Dolomites. From Deutschnofen, you first go down to the Eggental valley, then up to the Karerpass, back down again to the Fiemme valley and from Canazei up to pass number two: the Sella Pass. One heavenly curve further along, and you’re in Val Gardena, where motorcyclists can choose between two alternatives: a long circuit across the Gardena Pass to Val Badia, from there to the Puster Valley and through the Isarco Valley to Bolzano, or a shorter one through Val Gardena to Bolzano. No matter how you get there: from Bolzano, the path leads back to Eggental, to the Reggelberg and right up to the Hotel Gasthof Stern.
