The Valle San Silvestro leads into the Villgraten Mountains, home to hiking destinations like the San Silvestro in Monte Chapel
Image gallery: Valle San Silvestro
Past the church of Dobbiaco, a small road winds northwards to the hamlet of Valle San Silvestro (Wahlen). The village, which in Italian is called Valle San Silvestro just like the valley, is located at the entrance to the Valle San Silvestro (Silvestertal). There is no trace of hustle and bustle here - instead, the natural landscape of the Villgraten Mountains begins right at the edge of the village.
The hamlet itself consists of old farmhouses and newer buildings, grouped around the Church of St. Nicholas and the primary school. The Villgraten Mountains are a relatively gentle mountain range with no three-thousand-metre peaks, but their alpine pastures are all the more beautiful.
These include the Steinberg Hut and the sunny San Silvestro Hut with the San Silvestro in Monte Chapel. A hike in autumn is particularly appealing, when the blueberry bushes in the forest change colour, such as the one on the Cornetto di Confine passing by the San Silvestro Hut. Further into the valley lie the settlements of Gandelle, Franadega, and Fienili, which can also be reached on foot or by mountain bike. For good reason, the Südtirol Dolomiti Superbike, one of the toughest mountain bike races in the Dolomites, also passes through here in high summer.
As early as late autumn, the first snow often falls in Valle San Silvestro, covering the landscape in a white blanket. Horse-drawn sleigh rides with the Noriker horses from the Altmessnerhof farm through the snowy scenery are a wonderful experience. During these months, the Valle San Silvestro can be easily explored on a snowshoe hike. Popular ski tours also lead from Gandelle to the Bonn Hut on the Corno di Fana di Dobbiaco, or from Franadega up to the Monte Calvo.
