Sesvenna hut and Schlinig

The area around Schlinig Pass was opened up for mountaineering early on. This includes the Pforzheimer Hütte, a former Alpine Club hut from the days when the Sesvenna area was first developed. It did not reopen after the war; it is no longer used and stands by the Pforzheimer See, and you pass it on the way to the Sesvenna hut.

The Sesvenna hut itself is a mountain hut of the South Tyrol Alpine Club (AVS) and is looked after by the Mals section. Sources give different years for its construction, most often around 1980. It was renovated recently and offers around 80 beds in rooms and dormitories. For how it is run, ask the hut directly.

On the Swiss side of Schlinig Pass lies the Alp Sursass. Farmers from Mals have taken young cattle there to graze for about 500 years. If you continue over the pass you reach the Uina Gorge; it has a page of its own.

The trail starts in Schlinig on a wide, almost level track and leads into the open Schlinig valley, with meadows, larches and the mountains at the head of the valley. The Schlinig alp, also called Alp Planbell, is the first stop. After that you continue on a forest road until a hiking trail branches off and climbs at a moderate gradient to flat grassy terraces.

On the way you will notice the Schwarzwand waterfall, where the trail becomes steeper. Higher up you pass the old Pforzheimer Hütte and the small Pforzheimer See before walking almost level to the Sesvenna hut. The last section is fairly steep. From the hut the view opens onto the Sesvenna group with its three-thousand-metre peaks, for example the Föllakopf and Piz Sesvenna.

You hike to the hut in summer and early autumn, when the trail is free of snow. In early summer there are often still patches of snow on the slope, and in autumn the first snow can come early. Choose a day of stable weather and check the conditions beforehand.

In winter Schlinig is a starting point for cross-country skiers: the Schlinig cross-country centre and the Schlinig alp lie on several trails in the valley with names such as Sesvenna, Rasass, Fölla and Monterodes. Current trail reports are available from South Tyrol Marketing. In winter the hut lies in the ski-touring area of the Sesvenna group.

With children the Schlinig alp is worthwhile, an almost level alpine track with play stations. To the hut the last section is steep and the route long; it suits practised children better.

Dogs are possible on the trail. Livestock graze on the alps, so please keep your dog on a lead. Whether dogs are allowed inside the hut, ask the hut warden.

You can stop at the Schlinig alp, at the Sesvenna hut and at the inns in Schlinig. The alp and the hut are not open all year; ask each business for its opening times. If you want to stay overnight at the hut, book directly with them.

The hut is also the first major point on the way to the Uina Gorge and on to Sur En in the Engadine, a long hike for experienced walkers. On a quieter day the Pfaffensee lakes above the hotel fit well, as does a visit to Burgeis with Marienberg Abbey or a trip to Glurns, the smallest town in South Tyrol.

The Ferienhotel Kastellatz is in Prämajur above Burgeis, at the foot of the Watles. Schlinig is about a 10-minute drive. If you want to start without a car, take the Watles cable car to the Plantapatschhütte and walk from there on trails no. 8A and no. 8 to the hut; whether the cable car is running is posted on watles.net. A bus from Mals also goes to Schlinig.

After the hike the panorama indoor pool and the sauna await you at the hotel.

By car: From the hotel in Prämajur drive down to Burgeis and then up the Schlinig road to the car park at the end of the village. Trail no. 1 to the hut starts there.

By bus and train: According to Watles, bus line 277 runs to Schlinig; timetables are on suedtirolmobil.info. With the Reschensee Guest Pass, bus and train are included during your stay.

On foot: If you prefer to start without a car, take the Watles cable car to the Plantapatschhütte and walk on the panorama trails no. 8A and no. 8 to the Sesvenna hut.

Parking: Car park at the end of Schlinig village