Seiser Alm

Geography

It is located in the western part of the Dolomites and has an elevation between 1680 m and 2350 m; it extends for 52 km2 between Val Gardena to the north, the Sassolungo Group to the northeast, and the Sciliar massif to the southeast, which with its unmistakable profile is one of the best-known symbols of all the Dolomites. Given the vastness of the area, from here it is possible to admire a large number of mountain groups: among others, the Sella Group, the Rosengarten group, and the Marmolada.

It is the largest mountain pasture in Europe. It is divided into numerous plots reserved to grazing or from which farmers obtain hay for their farms at lower elevations.

The eastern part has been included in Sciliar Natural Park since 1975.

Surrounding peaks

The pasture offers a panoramic view that includes (from north, in a clockwise direction): Peitlerkofel (Sass de Putia, 1873 m), the Odle and the Puez groups (3025 m), the Gran Cir, the Sella group (3152 m), Langkofel (Sassolungo, 3181 m) and Plattkofel (Sassopiatto, 2995 m), the Marmolada (3343 m), the Pala group (Pale di San Martino, 3192 m), the Vajolet Towers (2821 m) the Rosengarten group (Catinaccio, 2981 m) with the peak of the Kesselkogel (Catinaccio d'Antermoia, 3002 m) and the Schlern (Sciliar, 2450 m).

Climate

|Jan record high C = 9.6 |Feb record high C = 10.1 |Mar record high C = 10.8 |Apr record high C = 13.9 |May record high C = 19.9 |Jun record high C = 25.8 |Jul record high C = 24.0 |Aug record high C = 24.7 |Sep record high C = 19.6 |Oct record high C = 17.1 |Nov record high C = 15.1 |Dec record high C = 11.3 |year record high C =

|Jan record low C = -19.1 |Feb record low C = -21.9 |Mar record low C = -16.5 |Apr record low C = -14.0 |May record low C = -9.3 |Jun record low C = 0.0 |Jul record low C = 0.8 |Aug record low C = -0.2 |Sep record low C = -3.5 |Oct record low C = -7.0 |Nov record low C = -13.3 |Dec record low C = -15.8 |year record low C =

| access-date = August 6, 2024}} | access-date = August 6, 2024}}

History

The area was once a primeval forest used for hunting by Middle Stone Age people. In the Bronze Age, people began to use the forest as grazing land for cattle. A Roman mule path leads up to the plateau from Siusi.

Classification

The SOIUSA system considers the plateau as an alpine group with the following classification:

• Main part: Eastern Alps
• Major sector: South-Eastern Alps
• Section: Dolomites
• Subsection: North-Western Dolomites
• Supergroup: Gardena's Dolomites
• Group: Seiser Alp Group
• Code: II/C-31. III-A.3

It also attributes to the plateau the three following subgroups:

• Subgroup A: Palancia-Cresta di Siusi ridge
• Subgroup B: Dorsal Denti di Terra Rossa-Punta d'Oro-Piz ridge
• Subgroup C: Dorsal Bulacia-Salames-Col di Rende ridge File:Saslonch y Sela da Mont de Seuc d'inviern.jpg|Langkofel Group (Italian: Gruppo del Sassolongo) seen from Seiser Alm during winter. File:Dark and gloomy atmosphere at Alpe di Siusi in italian Dolomites.jpg|View from the plateau

References