Woodywalk family walk
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Whether you’re taking the little ones out for an afternoon of play in the fresh mountain air or spending a whole day on the mountain with all your gear, the Woodywalk family trail offers hours of fun for the whole family. This varied trail is short, entertaining, educational and offers countless opportunities for play.
The first section of the Dolomites Panorama Trail is suitable for pushchairs and can also be accessed by wheelchair users with an electric motor. Several benches offer magnificent views of the Dolomites, including the Peitlerkofel and the Villnösser Geislerspitzen. Along the trail there are numerous attractive stops that provide variety and invite you to play and rest, such as the Ploseblitz, the little Glockensee, the ‘Don’t Touch the Ground’ trail or the forest telephone.
Tip: Bring a change of clothes for your children. Experience shows that children can’t pass the many water features without getting wet.
Accessibility
From Bolzano, take the A22 Brenner motorway to Bressanone (Klausen/Val Gardena exit), where, shortly after entering the town, turn right at the roundabout towards St. Andrä/Plose. Via a winding panoramic road, we first reach St. Andrä and shortly afterwards the Plose mountain railways, where we park in the large visitor car park (2 reserved spaces). We then take the Plose cable car (1,067 m) to reach our starting point at Kreuzjoch (2,050 m): To board the gondola cabins, a height difference of around 35 cm must be negotiated. To facilitate this, the lift is stopped for passengers with walking difficulties. The cabin door and interior have a clear width of 58 cm, which means wheelchairs must be foldable.
Description
Starting from the Kreuzjoch mountain station (2,050 m), we follow the signposted, narrow, gravel-surfaced Woodywalk trail (marker no. 17). Passing two play areas for children, the path runs flat for a while until it reaches a small gate, from where it descends noticeably, only to climb again shortly afterwards towards a wooden figure in the shape of an owl. This stands, along with a few benches, on a small hill offering a wonderful view of the Geislerspitzen. From here, the route continues temporarily on level ground before descending with a steady gradient of 13.5% and a bumpy surface to the next children’s play area: this consists of a slide over 15 metres long, known as the ‘Ploseblitz’, which starts in the middle of a tree. A short while later, via a wide cart track, we also reach the fenced-off “Glockensee”, another fun play area. Beyond this, however, the hiking trail climbs steeply and is virtually inaccessible to visitors in wheelchairs. Passing further play areas for children, we eventually reach a fork in the path. The path on the left (trail marker no. 6) is not suitable for pushchairs and leads steeply up to the Rossalm mountain inn, which is why we follow the path on the right (trail marker no. 17) through the sparse mountain pine forest. Our walk now continues at a leisurely pace over gentle ups and downs before we turn back and return to our starting point.
Sure-footed walkers can continue along the trail to the nearby ski slope, which leads down an extremely steep descent to the Berghotel Schlemmer restaurant (black-marked section of the trail). From there, a bus service (line 321 – Skihütte-Plose) runs back to the car park at the valley station of the Plose cable car.
Information about the walk
Suitable for:
Families. The first section of the trail is suitable for pushchairs and the Swistrack, but the rest is too steep and steeply sloping. The final section of the trail crosses a ski slope and is only suitable for sure-footed walkers.
Road surface:
Gravel surface and uneven stones
Bars/Restaurants:
Bergrestaurant Kreuzjoch, Bar Restaurant Skihütte Berghotel Schlemmer
Public transport:
Accessible via the Plose cable car
WC:
Accessible toilet at the Kreuzjoch mountain station
Sun/Shade:
At first very sunny, then through a cool mixed woodland.
