Val di Funes and Monastero di Sabiona

-

 

This post is a combination of two hikes in Südtirol, the German-speaking region of Italy. The first is a scenic stroll around Santa Maddalena in Val di Funes, while the second is a hike to the Monastero di Monte Sabiona in Chiusa (Klausen), located just 20 minutes away at the entrance of Val di Funes. We did both on the same day, making for a great mix of nature, history, and culture.

Overview of the Two Hikes

1. Santa Maddalena Hike

  • Starting point: Small parking lot near the San Giovanni in Ranui chapel
  • Highlights:
    • Famous Instagram-worthy view of the chapel
    • Visit to a lesser-known chapel along the way
    • The Santa Maddalena Church with views of the Odle ridge
  • Distance: 3 km
  • Elevation gain: 150 m
  • Highest point: Santa Maddalena Church (1400 m)
  • Duration: 1h30 (including photo stops)

2. Monastero di Monte Sabiona Hike

  • Starting point: Klausen (Chiusa), behind the historic Gassl Bräu brewery
  • Highlights:
    • Lunch at Gassl Bräu (highly recommended)
    • Marienkapelle chapel with frescoes
    • Visit to Santa Croce Church within the monastery
  • Distance: 2.5 km
  • Elevation gain: 200 m
  • Highest point: Monastery (720 m)
  • Duration: 1h30 (including photo stops, with a small child)

Santa Maddalena Hike

We started our hike from a small parking lot, just 100 meters from the iconic San Giovanni in Ranui chapel—one of the most photographed spots in the Dolomites. Although the chapel is behind a fence, there’s a designated viewing platform perfect for capturing that classic Instagram shot.

From there, just another 100 meters forward, before arriving to the chapel gate, we turned left onto a grassy hill. Midway up, we found another excellent viewpoint of the chapel from above.

The path continues past a few houses and leads to a small, lesser-known chapel that is actually open for visitors. Continuing on, we reached the main road and followed it left until a T-junction, where the hiking path resumes downhill just in fron the road you came from. From here, we got a clear view of the Santa Maddalena Church, which gives the village its name.

Upon reaching the valley floor, we ascended to the church itself. This larger church is also highly photogenic, offering fantastic views of the Odle ridge—though on our visit, the peaks were partly covered by clouds.

After exploring the church, we descended via a zigzagging path into the village and then crossed it to return to our parking spot. The entire loop took us 1 hour and 30 minutes, covering 3 km with 150 m of elevation gain.

Monastero di Monte Sabiona Hike

The second hike started in Klausen (Chiusa), a picturesque town at the entrance to Val di Funes. Before hiking, we stopped at the Gassl Bräu brewery, a historic spot known for its beer and local dishes—highly recommended for lunch or a break.

The hike begins right behind the brewery, where a stone staircase under an archway leads up through a narrow corridor. After a few minutes of climbing, the stairs meet a steep road going left toward the monastery.

At midway, we reached the Marienkapelle, a chapel with frescoes—a perfect spot to rest and admire the artwork. After this point, the ascent becomes less steep, and soon we entered a tunnel carved into the rock, leading to the monastery.

Inside the monastery complex, stairs lead to the Santa Croce Church, which features impressive paintings.


For the return, we had two options:

  1. Go back the way we came
  2. Take the alternative scenic path, which does a larger loop around the hill (our choice)


On the other side of the monastery, the trail starts as a wide road, but signs soon direct hikers down a steeper trail to the right. This narrower path features multiple zigzags before leveling out along the hillside. The last section descends steeply again, finally reconnecting with the original stone staircase, which we followed back down to Klausen.


The hike took 1 hour and 30 minutes, covering 2.5 km with 200 m of elevation gain—manageable even with a small child.

Final Thoughts

Both hikes offered a great mix of landscapes, history, and picturesque views. Santa Maddalena provided classic Dolomites scenery, while Monte Sabiona added a cultural and historical touch. Doing them in the same day was very doable, and we highly recommend this combination if you're visiting Val di Funes!

Location: Val di Funes, 39040 Funes BZ, Italy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Capanna Margherita: highest building in Europe

-
Image
Overview Starting point:  Staffal (1800m) Arrival point:  Capanna Margherita (4554m) Lift dropoff:  Punta Indren (3200m) Altitude gain:  1300m Time:  2 days (at least for normal people like me) Difficulty:  Difficult (especially due to the altitude) Technical difficiulty : Easy Download GSP file If you love mountaineering, you can't miss  Capanna Margherita . At  4,554m , it’s the highest mountain hut in Europe and, surprisingly, accessible to anyone with  average fitness . I went with a friend, joining a  guided tour  organized by  MonteRosaBooking . It cost us  €420 , and I can say— worth every cent! You can start your ascent from  Staffal (Gressoney)  or  Alagna . Either way, you take the lifts (included in our tour in our case)  up to Passo dei Salati (3,000m).  There we met our guide, Fabio. He immediately made us feel at ease, provided the necessary gear ( crampons and harnesses ), and then....
Read more

La croix de Châtel

-
Image
🗺️ Overview Starting point : Col du Mollendruz (1180 m) Summit : Châtel Cross (1442 m) Distance : 7.8 km round trip Ascent : ~270 m Time : ~1h30 with a brisk pace or 2h30–3h round trip with kids Difficulty : Easy Suitable for : Families, beginners, snowshoes in winter Download GPS file The hike to the summit cross of  Châtel , above Montricher, is one of my all-time classics. It’s easy, scenic, and family-friendly—perfect even with a 4-year-old, who managed (almost) the entire walk. Whether in  summer   or  winter , this route works beautifully—snowshoeing in the cold months or hiking under a clear June sky, as you can clearly see in the pictures below 🤣 . Bonus: there are cozy mountain huts along the way for tea, cake, or even fondue. The Trail While there’s a longer route starting from Montricher , I usually begin at Col du Mollendruz (1180m) , where the snowshoe trails are marked in winter. There’s ample parking, but it can fill up on sunny...
Read more

Pilatus Kulm and Esel

-
Image
Overview Starting point:  Alpnachstad Station (450m) Summit:  Pilatus Kulm (2070m) + Esel (2118m) Highest point:  Esel Distance:  1,680m of elevation gain incuding Esel Duration:  around 4-5 hours up Optional shortcut:  Take the funicular to Ämsigen mid-station (1350m) to cut the hike in half Descent:  Funicular down (or same way on foot for an even bigger adventure!) Download GPS file I started from  Alpnachstad Station  at 450m, right at the base of the Pilatusbahn funicular. Parking can fill up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early or avoid weekends if you can. From the base, you backtrack slightly through town to find a sign pointing uphill to  Pilatus Kulm . Within minutes, you rise above the houses and get sweeping views of the lake below. The first stretch follows the funicular tracks across green pastures—an idyllic start! Eventually, you pass underneath the funicular and enter the forest. A short road section follows, until a pa...
Read more