Few places turn geography quite so literally into a measuring tool. Looking out from Moso and the meadows of Sesto in the Upper Pustertal, Ladin farmers named the big peaks facing their homes after the numbers on a clock: Cima Nove, Cima Dieci (everyone knows it as Croda Rossa di Sesto), Cima Undici, Cima Dodici (the famous Croda dei Toni, the tallest in the group at 3,094 metres), and Cima Una. When the sun lined up over each summit, the villagers knew what time it was. This isn't a tourist legend: the system served generations, so much so that the Sundial of Sesto is now a recognised natural monument.
The good thing about it is that it shifts with the seasons and with where you stand. Around the winter solstice, from Moso, the sun passes over Cima Dodici at noon and over Cima Una around one o'clock. To watch it you need nothing more than the valley-floor pastures or a short climb toward the Val Fiscalina and the Rifugio Fondovalle: no special gear, just patient eyes. The best hours are still the autumn sunsets, when the air turns clear and the walls light up with enrosadira, giving the sundial the rosy frame that's put it in thousands of photos.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a sundial?
Because the peaks lined up above Sesto carry the names of the hours (Nove, Dieci, Undici, Dodici and Cima Una) and the sun crosses them one after another. Watching from Moso, you could tell the time by which summit the sun was over.
Where is the best place to observe the sundial?
The historic spot is Moso, where the alignment is most exact, but it reads well from all the meadows around Sesto and on the way up toward the Val Fiscalina. Clear days and the light of sunset, especially in autumn, are ideal.