The Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) is the largest high-altitude plateau in Europe: a sea of rolling meadows stretching over fifty square kilometres between 1,680 and 2,350 metres, presided over by the unmistakable silhouette of the Sciliar and the spires of the Denti di Terrarossa. Walking across it gives a sensation of moving through an infinite landscape, where grass ripples in the wind and historic alpine dairies punctuate the horizon. It has been summer pastureland for centuries.
The plateau belongs to the area of the Sciliar and to the villages of Castelrotto, Fiè, and Siusi, where Tyrolean farming culture is still deeply rooted. Since the Bronze Age these pastures have welcomed cattle, horses, and sheep in summer, and the bond between the people and this mountain has never been broken. The Sciliar in particular has always been shrouded in a legendary atmosphere, linked in popular imagination to stories of witches and their nocturnal gatherings.
On nearby Monte Bullaccia, the so-called Witches' Benches still stand — the destination of a short and evocative panoramic walk that brings this heritage of storytelling to life. The decision to strictly limit car traffic, banning access to the plateau during the middle hours of the day, reflects a deliberate commitment to conservation. In summer the Alpe is the realm of easy, panoramic hiking; in winter it becomes a paradise for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and gentle downhill runs.
