Discover Ritten: trails, railway and culture

Ritten offers a variety of reasons to stay: hiking trails on the Rittner Horn, earth pyramids, railway journeys and historic sites. Between sunny vineyards and the 2,260 m-high Rittner Horn are extensive hiking areas accessible via hiking trails, e-bike routes and mountain promenades. If you are looking for a hotel in Ritten, your planned excursions can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Getting around by railway and cable car

The Ritten cable car connects Bolzano with Oberbozen in 12 minutes. The Ritten narrow-gauge railway runs year-round and connects Klobenstein, Oberbozen and Maria Himmelfahrt. A journey on the Ritten railway takes 18 minutes; check the timetable before your trip. The railway opened in 1907 and is the last of its kind in South Tyrol. A journey therefore combines a practical connection between the places mentioned with a long history of transport.

Hiking trails, views and earth pyramids

From the Rittner Horn, you can enjoy far-reaching views of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sarntal Alps and the Stubai Alps. If you are looking for a route with specific information about distance and walking time, the easy Sentiero Panoramico on Corno del Renon is 2,863 m long, has an elevation gain of 99 m and takes 45 minutes to walk. The trail is also suitable for strollers.

Other trails offer different highlights. Above Soprabolzano, the easy Sentiero selvaggio delle meraviglie is a family trail about 3.6 km long, passing stations and games about the wild animals of Ritten. “Il mondo favoloso di Toni” is an easy circular trail about 2 km long on Corno del Renon; it starts at the Cima Lago Nero mountain station. The approximate distances provide an initial guide when choosing a route, while only the Sentiero Panoramico also has a stated walking time.

The Ritten earth pyramids can be visited at three locations: Lengmoos, Oberbozen and Unterinn. Another route option is to take the Ritten railway from Soprabolzano station to Klobenstein; from there, follow Trail No. 24 to the earth pyramids in Longomoso. This trail is suitable for strollers.

Wolfsgrubener See and winter experiences

Trail No. 15 leads from the center of Oberbozen to Wolfsgrubener See in about 30 to 35 minutes. You can enjoy a leisurely walk around the lake. Swimming is possible in summer; in winter, ice skating is possible when seasonal conditions are suitable. The lake therefore offers different reasons to visit throughout the year, without implying that the same activity is available at all times.

The Ritten speed skating rink is another seasonal winter attraction: visitors can ice skate at the outdoor rink with views of the Dolomites. If you would rather plan a hike than an activity on the ice, you can focus on the trails on the Rittner Horn or the walking options around the lake.

Culture and history in Ritten

The Plattner Hof is 600 years old and is one of the oldest farmsteads in Ritten. There is a nature trail beside the farm, where visitors can experience the world from a bee’s perspective. This makes it possible to consider a historic farmstead and a nature theme as separate reasons to visit, rather than combining them into a single walk.

The history of the Lengmoos Commandery dates back to the 12th century. It was built at that time as a hospice for pilgrims travelling along the Kaiserstraße and soon became a rural branch of the Teutonic Order. The historic rooms host concerts, exhibitions, symposia and lectures from May to October. The Ritten traditional costume collection also offers an insight into more than 130 years of traditional costume history in Ritten.

Another way to explore the area is the “Rebe” trail: this artistically designed wine-education hiking trail leads from Signato in Ritten to Rencio in Bolzano. This route, the historic sites and the hiking trails on the Rittner Horn differ in theme and character. This can help you plan your stay around the places and experiences that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Sarntal, Völs am Schlern, Kastelruth, Welschnofen, Karersee, Karneid, Klobenstein, Deutschnofen.

For the regional travel overview: Salten-Schlern.