We hiked Adolf Munkel Weg, also known as Via delle Odle, during our roadtrip across the Dolomites. The trail became rather famous in recent years, mostly thanks to the scenic Rifugio delle Odle or Geisleralm.
We headed to the Val di Funes where the trail is located after visiting the famous Seceda ridgeline.
I found it fascinating that now we were actually hiking in the valley below Seceda, which is not visible from the trail though. But you can see the other peaks belonging to the same Odle mountain range.
While you won’t find any fascinating lakes, such as Lago di Carezza or Lago di Sorapis along the trail, those views and picturesque mountain huts are well worth a visit.
We had an amazing time here and we also appreciated how easy this trail was after hiking the Dolomites for a few days in a row. So if you’re searching for an easy day hike in the area, look no further.
In this guide we’re gonna cover how to get there, the details about the hike, step-by-step instructions, what to pack, and more.
Key Highlights
⭐️ Best time to visit: summer
⭐️ How to get there: 1.5 – 2 hour hike
⭐️Where to stay: Santa Magdalena
⭐️Visit nearby: Alpe di Siusi, Santa Magdalena, Seceda
⭐️ What to pack: raincoat, camera, sunscreen, water
Where is Adolf Munkel Weg & Rifugio delle Odle
The Adolf Munkel Weg is located in the Italian Dolomites in a 24-km-long valley called Val di Funes.
On the way here you’ll pass the picturesque village of Santa Magdalena. You need to follow the Zanster Strasse from the village for about 6 km to reach Parcheggio Malga Zannes, where the trail to Rifugio delle Odle starts.
The area is surrounded by the Odle mountain range, which belongs to Puez Odle Nature Park. The most famous peak of these mountains is definitely Seceda. You can also see Furchetta and Sass Rigais peaks while lounging in the famous Geislerkino near Rifugio delle Odle.
What is Geisler Alm & Rifugio delle Odle
You might notice that many places in the Italian Dolomites have two names – one is in German and one is in Italian. The Adolf Munkel Trail is also called Via delle Odle. Geisler Alm and Rifugio delle Odle are both names for the same mountain hut in two different languages.
Rifugio delle Odle is a charming hut offering panoramic views of the Dolomites range and surrounding meadows. It’s actually a mountain farm where you can see various animals. It lies at an altitude of 1996 meters.
It became quite famous mostly thanks to its beautiful Geislerkino – lovely wooden benches with stunning views of the surrounding Odle mountains. When coming during the peak season, this area is full of people relaxing in the sun while laying in chairs.
It can be reached both during summer and winter months but closes between mid-March and mid-May as well as in November and December. The mountain hut is run by a local family. You can also enjoy hearty South Tyrolean meals.
Where to stay
If you plan to visit Val di Funes and Rifugio delle Odle, we recommend staying in Santa Maddalena village. It’s near trail Adolf Munkel Weg trailhead, but it also offers a few other incredible hikes and day activities nearby.
Best hotels in St Maddalena
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How to get there
By car
In order to get to the Adolf Munkel Weg trailhead, we needed to reach “Parcheggio Malga Zannes“.
The parking lot is located close to the mountain hut Malga Zannes / Zanser Alm. We drove along Val di Funes and passed Santa Maddalena village on the way. From the village, we followed Via Zanser to reach the parking spot.
Parking
Once we arrived at the parking lots, we were navigated by staff to the right spot. Two different parking areas are available.
The car parking fee is 8€/day. The parking lot fills up very quickly, so make sure to be there as early in the morning as possible (before 9 am!!). Another option is to come in the afternoon, when the parking is not as full anymore.
However, make sure to take into account the hike duration.
One of them is also suitable for campers. If you plan to spend the night here, park at the lower carpark for the night, since it’s flat. The upper carpark which allows van parking has a sloped terrain, which is not great for sleeping. Campervan is 16€/day (00:00-24:00).
Since you pay for the exact day only, we recommend paying in the morning if you plan to spend the night there to avoid paying twice.
We found a bistro serving some drinks and food at the parking lots, but it’s closed on Monday. The toilets are open all week.
By public transport
You can easily reach the trailhead by catching bus number 330. It starts in Bressanone/Brixen and ends in Malga Zanser, only 5 minutes from the start of the trail. The bus is scheduled approximately every 30 minutes. The journey from Santa Magdalena takes around 18 minutes.
Check the bus timetable and route on suedtirolmobil.info.
About Adolf Munkel Weg
Adolf Munkel Weg hike stats
Duration: 3:20 h
Elevation: 340 m
Distance: 8.9 km
Difficulty: easy
The whole Adolf Munkel Weg is approximately 8.9 kilometers long and takes around 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete. This is the duration without any breaks. We spend around 5 hours on this whole loop, enjoying different viewpoints and taking photos.
Overall, it’s an easy trail that is perfect for anyone, including families with kids and beginner hikers. The trail is mostly flat, with a few slight uphill walks. But we didn’t even notice the elevation gain. It was a very pleasant walk.
Read the paragraphs below for step-by-step instructions.
Trail Facilities on Adolf Munkel Weg
Right at the start of the trail, you can find a bistro serving some food and drinks. Keep in mind that it’s closed on Mondays. Public bathrooms are also available. Malga Zannes (Zanser Alm) is also near the parking lots.
We passed three different mountain huts along the way – Rifugio delle Odle (Geisleralm), Malga Casnago (Gschnagenhardt Alm), and Malga Dusler (Dusler Alm). Their distance from the trailhead depends on the direction in which you hike.
All the huts are situated towards the end of the trail when hiking clockwise.
Malga Casnago is only open from mid-June till October, and Geisler Alm is only open in the summer and winter months. They close between November and December, and then again from mid-March till mid-May.
Check their rest days before coming, the mountain huts often close for two days during the week.
Toilets are only available at the mountain huts. But we loved the number of beautiful drinking water fountains we found along the trail.
Trail instructions
Part 1 – Hike to Ridugio delle Odle
We started early in the morning, at around 7 am. At the parking lot, we saw the first hiking signs sending us in the right direction. We followed trail number 6 heading toward Geisleralm. Both Italian and German names of the trails were written on the signs. It was supposed to take around 2 hours.
We were happy to find out that the trail was easy and wide. We followed the lovely path through the forests and passed a few rest spots and water fountains along the way. Since we left the parking so early, we only met a few people.
Soon, we reached a wooden “bridge” leading over grass. We were getting close to the mountain huts! The views along the trail were so lovely, with Odle range standing next to us all the time.
Before long we got to a spacious meadow with few trees and mountain huts Rifugio delle Odle and Malga Casnago. We were welcomed by a surprising amount of people. The famous Geislerkino was crowded and so was the restaurant’s terrace.
Geisleralm is also a small farm. They have beautiful horses in the meadows. Kids will appreciate a playground. We had our lunch here and enjoyed strolling around and enjoying the views. Definitely plan to spend at least 1 hour here.
Part 2 – Dusler Alm and back to the parking
We moved on to the last part of the hike, which is returning back to the parking lot. We followed the trail signs toward Dusler Alm. Some sections were slightly downhill. Before long, we reached the smaller mountain hut, which was also way less crowded.
We only passed around and made our way back to the parking lot.
The whole trail is well marked and it’s impossible to get lost. Since it’s such an easy walk, you’ll do just fine wearing sneakers.
Best time to visit Rifugio delle Odle
Best months
You can do this hike all year round. The best months for clear views are definitely the summer months, especially July and August. It’s also the peak season, so expect more crowds.
If you’re looking for a less crowded time, spring or autumn are great. But keep in mind that mountain huts are gonna be closed. Autumn also brings beautiful hues of orange and yellow, which makes it perfect for photographers.
Hiking to Rifugio delle Odle in the winter months has a completely different vibe.
Best time of the day
In order to avoid crowds and long waits at the parking lot we recommend starting your hike to Rifugio delle Odle early in the morning. We started our hike at around 7 am and we only met a few people along the trail.
If Rifugio delle Odle and Geislerkino are your main goals, and you wish to have that place all to yourself, do the hike counterclockwise. This way you’ll reach the hut way faster.
Where to eat
- Malga Zannes (Zanser Alm) – Close to the parking lot, also available for stay.
- Rifugio delle Odle (Geisleralm) – Serves authentic regional specialties and homemade cakes.
- Rifugio Casnago – Uses local farm products to prepare traditional South Tyrolean meals
- Rifugio Dusler (Dusleralm) – Great stop for food and drink towards the end of the hike. Less crowded than other huts.
What to pack
- Reusable water bottle – You’ll find a few water fountains along the trail. Avoid buying plastic bottles.
- Sunscreen – Must have on any hike in the Dolomites.
- Layered clothes – The weather can change quickly, so we always have some layers and raincoats.
- Snacks
- A bag for your trash – Leave nothing on the trail behind you, and dispose of all your trash properly. We always carry one small plastic bag for all the trash we produce along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Adolf Munkel Weg is approximately 8.9 kilometers long. It’s a circuit hike taking you through Malga Zannes, Rifugio delle Odle, and Dusler Alm. It takes 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete without any breaks. We spent around 5 to 6 hours on the trail.
When done counterclockwise, between parking and Geisleralm the trail is mostly flat, which makes it great for strollers. It probably won’t be very comfortable and slightly bumpy, but it’s doable. We’ve seen people hiking here with strollers. While the incline is small, there are a few uphill sections. But you can’t do the whole Adolf Munkel Trail with a stroller.
Dogs are more than welcome, but should always be kept on a leash.
Flying drones is forbidden in all the national and nature parks in the Dolomites, including Puez Odle Nature Park. Since this trail is a part of it, you can’t fly your drone in the area.
The trail is open all year round, but the mountain huts aren’t. However, Rifugio delle Odle is also open during the winter months. It’s a perfect destination for snow-shoe hiking. Make sure to also check the opening hours of the mountain hut.
Most people, including us, would do the hike clockwise. This way we ended up by the huts towards the end of the hike. It was great to get the well-deserved beer and a cake after almost being finished. But if you want to avoid people at Geislerkino and Rifugio delle Odle, start early and hike counterclockwise.
Best day tours to Dolomites
If you want to have the perfect holiday but don’t have time or energy for all the planning and preparation, we listed some of the best Dolomites tours below.
- Private Dolomites roadtrip from Bolzano – A day packed with the best highlights such as Pordoi Pass, Marmolada Glacier, majestic Sassolungo, or cable car to Sasso Pordoi. But that’s not all!
- The best of Dolomites in one day from Bolzano – This tour covers all the best spots such as Karersee, Passo Pordoi, Cortina, Dobiacco, and Lago di Braies.
- Dolomites day trip from Venice – Visit Dolomites easily from Venice. Stop at Lago di Auronzo, Cortina, Lake Misurina, and more.
Final thoughts on Adolf Munkel Weg & Rifugio delle Odle
Adolf Munkel Weg and Rifugio delle Odle are a beautiful destination in Val di Funes. The easy and spectacular trail took us through the forests, across the alpine meadows and along the mountain huts.
We had an absolutely great time visiting the Puez Odle Nature Park and we can only recommend this hike. Thanks to starting early in the morning, it was not too crowded so we had an amazing and relaxing trip.
