Sexten: Hiking, Winter Trails and Culture

For a trip to Sexten, trails in the Fischleintal, winter activities and the village’s history can be the main focus. If you are looking for a hotel, it helps to first consider which of these aspects of Sexten matter to you during your stay. Options range from tours in the Sexten Dolomites to art, local history and regional cuisine.

Hiking in the Fischleintal

The Fischleintal is located in the Tre Cime Nature Park. It provides direct access to the Tre Cime and is a starting point for numerous hikes and mountain tours in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. One specific point of reference is the nearly 4.5-kilometre trail between Bad Moos and the Talschlusshütte. It runs through the Fischleintal and connects two named points in the valley, while the longer hikes and mountain tours offer further options for planning your excursions.

Climbers will also find a range of options in the Sexten Dolomites: climbing gardens, climbing routes and equipped via ferratas with varying levels of difficulty. The specific route and its requirements are key to making a choice; the difficulty levels mentioned are not a general statement about any one tour. If you are looking for a winter activity, the Dolomitenarena climbing hall offers a climbing area of 1,800 square metres and a height of 18.5 metres. As facility details should be checked again before your trip, it is advisable to check its current status.

Winter trails and ski area

There are numerous groomed winter hiking trails in and around Sexten that can be walked without special equipment. Their grooming depends on snow conditions. This sets them apart when planning from the hikes and mountain tours that use the Fischleintal as a starting point: seasonal grooming matters for winter hiking trails, while tours in the valley have a range of destinations.

The 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski area has several access points in Sexten: the Helmjet valley station, Rotwand, Stiergarten and Kreuzberg Pass. Lift and access arrangements may change from season to season. If you are planning to ski, check the information for the access points that applies to your travel dates. This lets you take a winter sports focus into account when planning your trip, without treating the different trails, climbing options and ski access points as interchangeable.

History and art in Sexten

Sexten was a German-speaking village with a German cultural identity in the former empire and lay directly on the front line during the First World War. The history of the war and its effects on the village are presented through information boards and tours by the Bellum Aquilarum ONLUS association; tour dates may vary. The Anderter Alpe open-air museum is located on the Rotwand at an altitude of 2,150 metres and brings the First World War in the Sexten Dolomites to life. The history of mountaineering is also part of the story of the area: it began with the legendary first ascents between 1869 and 1890.

The Rudolf Stolz Museum displays more than 160 works by the painter Rudolf Stolz in two exhibition rooms. His work can also be seen in Moos: after its reconstruction, the Church of St. Joseph, built in 1679, was decorated with impressive frescoes by the South Tyrolean artist. If you would rather explore a quieter route than art and war history, there is the Path of Reflection. It leads through the forests of Sexten from the parish church of Sexten to the forest chapel at an altitude of 1,552 metres and has 14 stations.

Village landmarks, cuisine and getting there

The Zeitstein marker, made of dolomite stone, is located between the Haus der Berge and Moos. It explains the mountain peaks in relation to the course of the sun. Many old farmhouses are another reminder of local history: their Erbhof signs denote more than 200 years of family ownership. These examples highlight different aspects, from views of the peaks to the history of farming estates.

Regional cuisine includes Schlutzkrapfen, crescent-shaped pasta parcels common in South Tyrolean cuisine. In Sexten, they are traditionally filled with finely mashed potatoes, known as “Eadeipfl,” rather than spinach and curd cheese. To get there, bus route 446 runs from the direction of Innichen to the “Sexten Hauptplatz” stop; check the timetable before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Mühlen in Taufers, Rasen-Antholz, Stern, Pfalzen, Kiens, Gais, Casere-Knappenegg, Sand in Taufers.

For the broader travel overview: Puster Valley.