Rifugio Firenze and Seceda, balcony overlooking the Odle

Since 2009, the Dolomites have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's not hard to see why. They offer towering rock spires rising almost vertically above lush plateaus dotted with alpine pastures. And if this description might seem exaggerated or stereotypical, it certainly isn't the case with this hike. The Seceda plateau, traversed in its entirety on this itinerary, offers postcard-worthy views at every step — it's no wonder it's one of the most famous hikes in the world.

We start from Daunei (1742m), upstream of Selva Val Gardena. Alternatively, you can also start from the parking lot at the bottom of the Col Raiser cable car (a slightly more tedious walking route) or take the cable car up to Col Raiser.

We immediately venture through alpine pastures, huts, small lakes, on the edge of the forest, with Sassolungo peeking behind us.

At Rifugio Juac (Juac Hütte, 1903m, 40 minutes), we descend slightly to the beautiful Lech de Ciaulonch, then continue on a dirt road to Rifugio Firenze in Cisles (Regensburger Hütte, 2040m, 40 minutes).

From here, now out of the woods, we take trail 13 towards the southern walls of the Odle. Behind us, Sassolungo and Sassopiatto, and around us, a "hilly" landscape dotted with boulders and fir trees. Once we reach the slopes of the Odle, we turn right, passing through an ancient landslide with boulders over 10m high (= pieces of mountain). We pass by the huts of Pieralongia and Troier (refreshment stops with postcard views) to reach Forcella Pana (2447m) and Seceda (2518m, 1.45 hours). Here, the grassy plain of the southern slope of the Odle drops almost 200 meters into the Val di Funes, offering one of the most famous views in all of the Dolomites.

We descend among huts and alpine pastures to Rifugio Fermeda and Ristoro Sangon (1823m), then briefly ascend to Rifugio Juac, reconnecting with the outbound route (2 hours).