San Martino di Castrozza and the Pale

The Pale lit up by the enrosadira

In the far east of Trentino, at about 1,450 metres, San Martino di Castrozza is a historic mountain resort, born around an ancient hospice for travellers, set in a green basin of meadows and forests at the foot of one of the most spectacular groups of the Dolomites: the Pale di San Martino, an immense fortress of pale rock with vertical walls, towers and pinnacles, which at sunset is lit up by the enrosadira with incredible shades of pink and orange. The group is part of the Dolomites UNESCO site and of the Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Natural Park.

The most famous peak is the Cimon della Pala, at 3,184 metres, called the "Matterhorn of the Dolomites" for its slender pyramid shape. Behind the walls that overlook San Martino lies a surprise: the Altopiano delle Pale, a vast lunar plateau of rock at about 2,500 to 2,700 metres, a desert of pale stone, a unique landscape in the Alps, which can be reached with the Rosetta cable car, to about 2,600 metres, and explored on foot to the Rosetta refuge and beyond. North of San Martino, the Paneveggio forest, one of the largest spruce forests in Italy, is known as the "forest of violins": its red spruce, which grows slowly in the cold climate, has an excellent resonance wood, used for centuries to build musical instruments, and according to tradition Antonio Stradivari also came here to choose his wood. In winter San Martino has an important ski area, and in summer it is a base for hikes, climbs and via ferratas.

Tip: go up the Rosetta cable car on a clear day and walk on the plateau; in Paneveggio, the visitor centre has a deer enclosure.

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