San Romedio, Firmiano Castle and Lake Carezza

The night was very rainy and the morning presented anything but promising conditions, so we immediately abandoned the idea of a walk around Lake delle Malghette. We left shortly after 8:30, returning to Dimaro via Folgarida in order to head east where the road gently descends through beautiful meadows dotted with traditional farmhouses. After Malé, we reached Cles, the detour to Val d'Ultimo (the birthplace of Dominik Paris) and the valley of Non with its orderly rows of apples and vines The season is ideal for harvesting, so the apples have taken on their typical golden or reddish colour, and the bunches of grapes hang from the vines. In the background, there is... Lake of St. Justina and a sky that changes from dark grey to blue depending on the time of day or where you look. While we take a walk along a steep path amidst these man-made and natural wonders, searching for easy photo opportunities, we come across a friendly gentleman who is tending to his crops. After a few exchanges, we ask if there's anything interesting to visit in the area: he tells us that there is.

The Sanctuary of Saint Romedius is a must-see, and it will be. We will explore... the road at the end of a canyon which rarely sees the sun, in fact, the religious building is located in a difficult-to-access position at the time it was built. It certainly wasn't possible to arrive by chance, given its location on a promontory surrounded by yellowish walls that drop vertically into the stream. A suggestive environment, made even more special by the view of Bruno, a bear Lived illegally in captivity and now returned to a semi-natural environment as it would not be able to survive in the wild; it seems that the Saint had some connection with bears, given the paintings depicting him with the animal on a leash. The sanctuary It's interesting and the artworks it houses are remarkable, but its location is what makes it truly special. The small cemetery where the monks were buried, located on another promontory further upstream, was particularly challenging to access for funeral services. While we were heading towards the parking lot, we noticed a suspension bridge embedded in the rocky wall on one side of the canyon; as we return, we drive along until we see the end near the vineyards.

Continuing downwards, we stop to buy some slices of soft salami and Trentingrana cheese (branded Grana Padano, produced locally), which we quickly consume in a small picnic area. We stay in the Caldaro and Appiano area, surrounded by vineyards and apple orchards, as the high Dolomite areas are still expected to have rain today, so we take advantage of the opportunity to visit the

Castle of Firmiano, in the immediate outskirts of Bolzano, which houses the MMM Messner Mountain Museum, where the weather is pleasant. We arrive at the castle after a half-hour walk, leaving our car in a parking lot near the Adige River. It was in ruins until a few years ago, but has since been renovated and now hosts a beautiful exhibition on mountains, mountaineering achievements, and the culture of countries that hold the highest mountains in the world, including objects brought back from extra-European expeditions to essentially showcase… Himalayan civilization and of the Karakoram, but also of all the high lands. The setting is definitely perfect and time flies; seeing all the subjects and objects related to mountaineering together allows for a 360-degree perspective. It's finally time to cross the central valley and take us to the slopes of the classic Dolomites.

We'll take the Autostrada to leave it after a couple of exits and drive through the Val d'Ega: we visit the Lake of Carezza with the Latemar reflecting within, creating a paradisiacal reflection even without the sun. The emerald color makes it look like a jewel nestled among the mountains. We take a walk around to see it from every angle; unfortunately, the view is partially spoiled by numerous pine trees, a consequence of the Vaia hurricane, which in late October two years ago felled vast areas of forest with winds reaching speeds of 190 km/h. The sight of the neatly stacked trunks at the beginning of the Val d'Ega valley provides an answer: the massacre of trees required their removal because their decomposition would have altered the habitat, which will also take more than a century to restore. To reach the lake, you need to enter a well-organized paid parking lot and cross the highway via a nice underpass that leads to the shores of the lake. Time passes, and it's time to head to our evening accommodation in Campitello di Fassa, via Vigo. The receptionist at the hotel suggests a typical restaurant (Ta Mongo) which is less touristy than others in Pozza di Fassa; we leave satisfied both with the quality and the setting, enjoying salted meat (raw beef slices) and pork with sauerkraut and potatoes. As we left, we exchanged a few words about hockey with a gentleman who was involved in the management of Catinaccio, a Pozza team that no longer exists. It's already something to be grateful for that the Fassa is still there.

Canazei. The towns in the area are entirely dedicated to tourism, so a walk through the center leaves you plenty of time, amidst hotels, restaurants and shops aimed at that type of clientele. One could say that the few residents not employed in the tourist sector are the shepherds who manage rare and typical farms.