After the Primiero Dolomiti Marathon: San Martino di Castrozza

The Route: Fiera di Primiero → San Martino di Castrozza → Fiera di Primiero Logistics: The road climbs from the Primiero valley up to San Martino, which sits at about 1,450 metres. Local buses run in the summer season. Check Trentino Trasporti for the current service and the last bus back. Marathon Month: July Duration: Day trip

Fiera di Primiero ──(bus or car, about 25-40 mins)──> San Martino di Castrozza
                                                           │
                              village centre and meadow paths
                                                           │
                                     optional cable car to the plateau

San Martino di Castrozza lies in a bowl of meadow with a wall of rock behind it, and the wall is the whole point. The Pale di San Martino are a cluster of towers and plateaus that glow orange and pink at sundown, a trait shared with the rest of the Dolomites and the reason the range joined the UNESCO World Heritage list. The village is a ski resort in winter and a walking base in summer, with hotels strung along the main road and a church at its centre.

The runners in the race pass through San Martino, so some of what you see on the day after will be familiar from the course. The difference is that you now have the time to look.

July in San Martino: the lifts and huts are open, the meadows are green, and the air is thin and cool even on a bright day. Afternoon storms build quickly over the peaks. A light jacket stays in the bag at all times.

Getting there

Take a bus from Fiera di Primiero, or drive, up the valley road. The journey takes in the order of half an hour, depending on traffic and the stops. Buses on this route can be infrequent, so check the timetable and the last service back before you leave the village.

Walking the village and the meadows

The centre is compact and mostly flat. A network of marked paths leaves the village across the meadows, and some are almost level. Pick a short loop and keep your eyes up. Tourist information in the centre has current path maps and will say which routes are open after snow or rain.

The cable car

From the village, a cable car climbs towards the high plateau of the Pale, a bare, rocky landscape at well over 2,000 metres. Operating dates and prices vary from year to year, and the cable car can close in wind or storm. Check the lift operator's website on the morning. The ride saves the climb, but the top is cold and exposed, and the walking up there is on rough ground. After a marathon, go up for the view and come back down.

Lunch

Mountain huts serve plates of polenta, cheese, cured meats and goulash. In the village, restaurants and bars along the main street fill up by 13:00 in summer, so book or go early. Strudel is on most menus.

Getting back