From mountain boots to high heels

Did you know that Bolzano is not at all far from the Eggental Valley? To be precise, it only takes 20 minutes from Deutschnofen, Welschnofen and Steinegg to get to the urban heart of South Tyrol - from the Rosengarten and Latemar mountains to the arcades, from alpine huts to the bistro on Waltherplatz, from ski chalets to shopping in the city! After all, seen from the other side, the gate to the Dolomites is also the gate to the provincial capital.

07:00 WAKE UP

The day starts early for my friend Dani and me. We want to have the hiking trail all to ourselves, so after breakfast it's time to pull on our hiking boots and head out into the mountains! We want to hike the Planets Trail and set off for the observatory and solar observatory in Obergummer, where the trail begins. 

08:30 OFF WE GO

The blue sky heralds a picture-perfect hiking day. Morning dew is still fresh on the ground as we set off. The trail begins in the Star Village of Obergummer and takes three hours to complete. It is a 1:1 billion replica of our solar system, taking us not only through the wonderful nature of Val d’Ega but also on a galactic journey from Mercury to Pluto!

10:00 WONDERFUL VIEWS

With eye and camera we capture the beautiful, peaceful impressions of the surroundings and also learn a lot of new things about our solar system. After Mercury, Venus and Earth, which all come in quick succession, the Planets Trail takes us along a varied route via trail marker number 5. Saturn is the next planet, located near the Malgeierhof, a traditional farmstead – from here we can take in the view of the Dolomites particularly well.

11:00 TIME FOR LUNCH

Between forests, biotopes and meadows we take our time. After a visit to Uranus, located next to the Landgasthaus Lärchenwald, we move on to the highest point of the hike. A little further down the trail, Neptune awaits us. Last but not least is the dwarf planet Pluto at the Tschigghof farmstead, another magnificent view of the mountains awaits. We then settle down for a lunch of typical South Tyrolean delicacies at the Gasthof Unteregger before returning to the starting point on foot.

14:00 REST AND RELAXATION

After noon we head back to the hotel for a shower and a rest. A little later we are planning to do a little shopping in the nearby provincial capital Bolzano.

16:00 DOWNTOWN IN BOLZANO

By bus, Dani and I leave the mountains behind us for the time being and set off – in high heels and summer dresses – to the provincial capital Bolzano. The bus from Val d’Ega runs once an hour and takes just 27 minutes to reach the city. We spend two leisurely hours shopping under the arcades, strolling through the fruit market and letting ourselves be carried away by the hustle and bustle of the city.

18:00 CHEERS!

To end the day in style, we catch a little evening sun on the Waltherplatz square in the centre of the city – with a refreshing glass of Aperol Spritz in hand, of course. Cheers!