Città dei Sassi (City of Stones), Vicenza al Sassolungo Hut and Toni Demetz Hut: The return is via a historic standing gondola lift
Image gallery: Hike to the Rifugio Toni Demetz hut
The starting and finishing point of our July circular hike is Passo Sella above Selva Gardena. Here we join path no. 526. This route leads us past the rocky landscape of the Città dei Sassi to the Emilio Comici Hut in about 40 minutes. From there, the path becomes slightly more challenging.
A narrow trail winds along the steep slopes below the Sassolungo Group in the Dolomites to the scenic Col Ciaulonch. A little further on, we reach the junction for path number 525, which heads up to the Vicenza al Sassolungo Hut. After a lunch break in the mountain hut at 2,253 metres above sea level, the steepest and most strenuous part of the hike begins.
Path number 525 leads right through the middle of the Sassolungo Group up to the Forcella del Sassolungo ridge at almost 2,700 metres a.s.l. Once at the top, we reach our destination, which is also home to the Toni Demetz Hut. To finish the trip, we experience something special. We descend using South Tyrol's only standing gondola lift, often called the "Sarglift" (coffin lift).
Although the ride is neither cheap nor particularly comfortable, feeling as if you are in the post-war pioneer years of tourism has its charm. In addition, you can once again enjoy the timelessly beautiful view over the Passo Sella and the Sella Group.
Author: AT
Experienced: July 2018
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- Passo Sella (2,218 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 03:30 h
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- Total route length:
- 8,7 km
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- Altitude:
- from 2.029 m to 2.685 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +904 m | -398 m
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- Signposts:
- no. 526, 525
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- Destination:
- Toni Demetz Mountain Hut (2,685 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Vicenza al Sassolungo Hut, Toni Demetz Hut (both from June to September/October)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Hike to the Rifugio Toni Demetz hut
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks or stops. On our hike, the return journey takes place via the "coffin lift" down towards Selva Gardena (which also explains the significantly fewer metres of descent).
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this hike!
