Seceda cable car

The Seceda cable car is one of those lifts that go beyond getting you uphill and become an experience in their own right: a secular pilgrimage to one of the most sublime views in the Alps.

The top station, at 2,518 metres, sits at the foot of the famous Geisler ridge, the group called Odle in Ladin and Italian. Its sheer walls of pale dolomite rise like blades into the sky, with an elegance no other mountain range quite matches. It is no surprise that this is one of the most photographed views in the Dolomites, and that it regularly appears in the world’s leading mountain and travel magazines.

Starting in Ortisei

The ride starts in Ortisei, St Ulrich in German, the main town of Val Gardena and the beating heart of Ladin culture in South Tyrol (Alto Adige). The village has a centuries-old woodcarving tradition: for generations local craftsmen have made statues, nativity scenes and decorative pieces of outstanding quality that are sold all over the world.

Stroll through the centre of Ortisei before you ride up and you will feel this unique identity, shaped by three languages, Italian, German and Ladin, and three traditions that live side by side in harmony.

The ride and the view from the top

The cable car was built in 1983 by Doppelmayr. It climbs steeply through spruce and larch woods up to the summit plateau.

The view that opens up at the top is a revelation. On one side stand the Geisler with their forbidding rock towers. On the other, the vast Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), the largest high-altitude pasture in Europe, stretches for kilometres to the east, soft and green in summer, white in winter.

In the distance you can make out the Sassolungo, the Sasso Piatto, the Catinaccio and, on the clearest days, even the Marmolada with its glacier.

Skiing at Seceda

In winter Seceda has some of the most scenic slopes in Val Gardena, part of the huge Dolomiti Superski area. The runs down towards Ortisei are technically varied, with steep sections for experienced skiers and long, gentler traverses for every level.

From the other side you can reach the cross-country network of the Alpe di Siusi, the highest cross-country ski area in Europe, where dozens of kilometres of groomed trails welcome skiers of all levels in picture-postcard scenery.

Walking and sunsets in summer

In summer Seceda is a paradise for hikers. Many trails leave from the top station, from easy panoramic walks along the ridge, with routes suitable for families with children, to via ferrata climbs up the sheer walls of the Geisler.

Sunset at Seceda is legendary among landscape photographers. As the sun sinks in the west, the dolomite rock turns red, orange and purple in the natural show that local mountain people call enrosadira, the ‘fire of the Dolomites’. Reaching the viewing terrace at the top station in the last hours of daylight is one of the most memorable moments the mountains can offer.

Tips for your visit

For the best experience, go up early in the morning, when the light is softer and the crowds have not yet reached the top. In July and August, and in the busiest weeks of the ski season, book your ticket online to avoid queues at the Ortisei station.