An Artistic Hike, stage 2: Sella - Caldaro

From Sella we take the asphalted and low trafficked road which proceeds steeply uphill to the plateau of Castelvecchio/Altenburg (no. 11). Here a panoramic path branches off to the right which rejoins the road shortly before Castelvecchio where you can find three restaurants. Two among them are the "Waldschenke" (closed on Mondays) and the "Sonnegghof" inn (closed on Mondays, possbility of overnight stay). The walking time from Sella to Castelvecchio is approximately 45 minutes and 180 metres in altitude from the Plattenhof in Sella. If you start the hike from Termeno instead, you will need to cover 310 m in altitude. In the village centre of Castelvecchio you can find the St. Vigilius Church with frescoes from the 15th century on the external wall. A stone's throw from the church (50 m) you can enjoy a gorgeous view on Lake Caldaro and the Bassa Atesina area.

From this viewpoint we descend and walk across a wooden bridge to the St. Peter Church Ruin (reachable within 20 minutes from the "Sonnegghof") and down into the Rastenbachklamm gorge and past two waterfalls, before the path continues in a broadleaved wood. If you decide to walk to the Rastenbachklamm gorge, it is fundamental to be sure-footed and free from vertigo. Also, in case of rain, the path becomes very slippery. Children should be secured with a rope. Those who prefer not to walk to the Rastenbachklamm gorge, can take the Friedensweg path (no. 11), which runs on shady forest paths from Castelvecchio to Caldaro. Hikers coming from the Rastenbachklamm gorge can choose several routes to Caldaro:

• possibility no. 1: Continue downhill until you reach a road, then follow the main road until the turnoff to Lake Caldaro. From the lake you reach Caldaro by walking along some asphalted paths, otherwise you can take the bus.
• possibility no. 2: Kardatscher Hiking Path no. 10 mainly in the wood and therefore more shaded.
• possibility no. 3: Follow the sunny paths no. 12/13 (Weinweg, Barleiterweg), from the junction Kardatscher Weg approximately 200 m downhill, then to the left. This route offers fantastic views on Lake Caldaro. In summer, however, it can be very exhausting due to the sun.