Worth experiencing. Winter hiking in the mountains.

Winter magic in San Martino di Castrozza
A dream world of ice and snow, a magical enchanted forest. Discover the winter magic in San Martino di Castrozza.

Giant icicles glisten like precious jewels in the warming winter sunshine. The waters of the Travignolo river thunder with unbridled power underneath the fantastic ice formations that make the winter landscape look touched by magic. The Sentiero Marciò trail whisks you away into an authentic winter wonderland. Along the way, you’ll encounter worlds of frozen water, a mysterious forest full of history and legends, impressive bridges, and magnificent animals.

The circular walk begins at the visitor centre car park in Paneveggio and leads you through enchanting Paneveggio forest. Consisting almost 90% of spruces that have been growing there for hundreds of years, it boasts some glorious examples towering over 40 metres up into the sky. In this enchanted forest, which is also known as the “Foresta dei Violini” (forest of the violins), you can walk in the footsteps of violinmaker Stradivarius. The master himself came here from Cremona many times to search for the ideal wood for his instruments, which have their own, unique sound. At around 3,000 hectares, it’s the largest continuous forest in the Italian Alps, with its vegetation making it a rare example of ecological harmony.

The easy circular trail, which you can complete in an hour, is accompanied by numerous information boards that tell you more about the history and extraordinary flora and fauna of this precious gem. The path leads you over a covered bridge with glass windows on the bottom, through which you can admire the fanciful ice formations that have grown on the surface of the mountain river. You then continue through the tranquil winter forest until reaching the spectacular suspension bridge that extends across the river thundering powerfully through the narrow gorge. Before you return to San Martino di Castrozza, we recommend making a detour to the deer enclosure, where especially proud, magnificent creatures live undisturbed in their natural habitat.

Experience the wonder of nature. Discover winter hiking in San Martino di Castrozza.