Tips and suggestions of the author to make the “Artful Hiking” easier and more interesting
The times given in the route description are pure walking times without breaks. If you are travelling with children, you have to plan longer times. The daily stages depend of course completely on the condition of the hiker or the hiking group. The author stayed overnight in Sella (above Termeno), San Paolo, Prissiano and Bolzano. To end the tour with an overnight stay in Bolzano is highly recommended. Especially in summer, the city bubbles in the evening and offers a very special atmosphere. For children the stages Sella – San Paolo and San Paolo - Prissiano would be too long.
In this case the author recommends the following:
- Stage 1: overnight stay in Termeno or Sella
- Stage 2: overnight stop in Caldaro
- Stage 3: overnight stay in San Paolo, then stop in Predonico or Gaid
- Stage 4: overnight stay in Prissiano and then another one in Bolzano (visiting Ötzi the Iceman is a must with children!)
The tour can be easily cancelled anywhere. A good "exit" is San Paolo, as there are best bus connections to Bolzano from here. There are also bus connections from Prissiano and Tesimo to Lana and Merano and from there by train to Bolzano. Remember that you always have something to drink and a snack in your backpack. The restaurants along the route may also be closed outside the rest days described here for some reason.
A last tip that should not be unnecessarily frightening, but nevertheless must be observed: especially in spring and early summer be careful on narrow, sunlit paths: danger of snakes! A watchful, forward-looking view is recommended here. Unfortunately not all snakes are non-toxic in South Tyrol and the author himself has already made some encounters with these shy, but sun-loving animals, especially in the Bassa Atesina area.
Recommended maps:
- Weinstrasse - Strada del Vino, hiking map, Tappeiner no. 108, 1:30.000
- Südtiroler Weinstrasse - La Strada del Vino, hiking and cycling map, Kompass no. 74, 1:25.000
- Meran, hiking map, Kompass no. 53, 1:25.000
© 2008
Günther Hießleitner
hiessg@t-online.de
