This post is the continuation of a series documenting our travels to a small part of the beautiful Dolomites in Northern Italy. We were now based in the small village of Laion in the Val Gardena region of the Dolomites. We had ridden up the funicular to Rasciesa and done a hike there on our first day (An unplanned hike on a misty day up in Resciesa – The Delightful Dolomites, Part 6 ).
On our second day there which was the better half’s birthday we had finished a beautiful hike from Seceda to Col Raiser after taking the cable car up to Seceda ( Seceda to Col Raiser, – A memorable morning trek – The Delightful Dolomites, Part 7 ). We had taken the cable car down from Col Raiser to the town of Santa Cristina. We had finished the hike well in time and still had the energy and enthusiasm to do something more. The sunny morning had turned to an overcast afternoon but that hadn’t dampened our spirits one bit.
Happy us after our morning hike at Santa Cristina
We were determined to make the most of our time here & had the Val Gardena cable car pass for 3 days. So we decided to take the chairlifts from the town up the hills which would take us the closest we would get to the Sassolungo group of mountains. We had been on numerous cable cars, funiculars and cog wheel trains all over Europe but had never ridden the open chair lifts. This was our chance and since it was included in the pass we didn’t even think too much about it and jumped at the chance.
The majestic Sassolungo dominates the skyline at Santa Cristina
We walked from the Col raiser cable car station across town to the low key chair lift station to Monte Pana and the helpful attendant there understood that we were novices at this and told us what to do when the continuously moving chairlifts came at the boarding pad. We managed to get on and sit on one without incident and were moving up the hill in the open chairlift. After the initial butterflies in our stomachs settled we started enjoying the new experience and mustered up enough courage to take a few photos on the way up.
Taking our first chairlift ride up to Monte Pana
When we reached Monte Pana we decided not to linger here for now and take the second chair lift from Monte Pana to Mont Seura. So we walked across the meadows at Monte Pana and got to the next Chairlift station. This chairlift had a windshield sheltering us from the elements but the process of getting on one was still the same. We started getting better at it and didn’t need any help getting onto this one and we were on our way to say hi to the Sassolungo from up close!
The next chairlift up from Monte Pana to Mont Seura
This time I had the confidence to have the SLR ready for taking some photos of our ride up as the better half took videos of the same. This chairlift ride was much longer and we enjoyed the private ride up the mountain. I was starting to like these chairlifts !
Photos from our chairlift ride up to Mont Seura
We got off the chairlift and there we were, close to the mountain we had admired from afar from the last few days. We walked part of the trail to get a bit closer to the base of the mountain
Getting off the chairlift and taking the trail to get a bit closer to the Sassolungo
It was one of the rare places where I asked the better half to take a photo of me with the mountain. We then got to the place where the trail forked into two with trails going on either side of the mountain. We however were done with long hikes for the day and decided that this would be as close as we would get to the Sassolungo.
Getting my photo clicked with the Sassolungo at Mont Seura
At the fork in the trail with the Sassolungo in the background
The birthday girl poses with the mountain
There was a mountain hut serving food there at Mont Seura and we went there as it would have been a great spot to have lunch. Sadly it didn’t have any good vegetarian option for the better half. So we decided that we would have lunch back down in Monte Pana.
The picturesque location of the mountain hut at Mont Seura
So we walked back to the fork in the trail and took a few too many photos with the mountain before walking back to the chairlift station.
The majestic Sassolungo looks smaller from up close at Mont Seura
The better half happy at a birthday well spent
Hikers and bikers decide what trail to take at the fork
Happy us with the valley below & Monte Pana in the distance
We then took the chairlift down and enjoyed the long and picturesque ride down with the wind shield up this time. With every ride we were getting more and more used to this new mode of travelling up and down the mountains (For us i.e !).
Enjoying the ride amidst the conifers down to Monte Pana
Getting more and more confident to take selfies without losing our phone on the chairlift
The final descent down to Monte Pana
Monte Pana had a larger selection of places to eat. We were well past lunch time and had long since digested the refreshments we had eaten up at Pieralongia. We chose a cafe with self service and tables with a view of the mountain to have a well earned lunch. We ordered a Margherita Pizza for the better half and a burger for myself with a huge side of fries that both of us would share. The food was hot and the location was great – nothing more we could ask for!
Enjoying a birthday lunch at Monte Pana
You can always rely on a good Margherita Pizza in Italy
A hot meal with a great view at Monte Pana
We enjoyed our lunch and then said goodbye to Monte Pana for the day ( We would be back here the next day as it was the end point of our hike across the Alpe di Siusi – more on that in a later post) and took the chairlift down. As luck would have it the clouds were starting to give way to blue skies and sunshine in patches again, showing us how fast the weather can turn in the Dolomites.
Saying goodbye to Sassolungo and Monte Pana for the day
The town of Santa Cristina in the valley from the Monte Pana Chairlift ride down
We were starting to enjoy these more and more !
Blue skies make a return as we get down to Santa Cristina
We then got to the bus stop which we had spotted from the chairlift and took the bus back to Ortisei where we quickly changed buses and got to our hotel in Laion.
One more photo of the Sassolungo from Santa Cristina
Walking down to the bus stop with blue skies taking over
We reached Laion with beautiful blue skies overhead. Having seen the vagaries of the weather we decided to use the beautiful weather and long days of summer to explore the village itself. As with all small towns in Italy it had pretty cobblestone streets in the older part of town. We first went to the central square which was empty in the evening. This wasn’t a tourist town and you could tell – I made a mental note to my self to seek out more such towns and villages in the future. We had lucked out this time just because we couldn’t afford the hotel prices in Ortisei, but if I had to do it all over again I would stay in Laion/ Lajen out of choice.
The Piazza Centrale of Laion on a beautiful summer evening
We then walked up the smaller cobble stone street to the church we could see from our hotel room balcony. It was a small church called the Church of our Blessed Lady and it was open. So we went inside the small gothic church and did our church routine of sitting in the pews for a few minutes.
The Unsere Liebe Frau ( Church of our Blessed Lady) in Laion
The simple gothic interiors of the church
Beautiful skies overhead as we exit the church
We then walked on to the larger St Laurentius church which we knew had a cemetery behind it with beautiful views of the valley beyond. We walked to the imposing looking church and tried the door and it was open, so we went inside.
The imposing St Laurentius church in Laion
It was much prettier than we had anticipated. In addition to being much larger in size it had an impressive painted ceiling. This showed the life and martyrdom of St Lawrence – sadly there was no information regarding the artist and the art in the church itself & we had to rely on the internet later which also had very little information about the church. It was beautiful art nonetheless and I clicked away to glory.
The beautifully painted interiors of the St Laurentius Lajen
Happy us at the St Laurentius Laion
We then finished our routine and went out and back to the cemetery. European cemeteries are not of the creepy varieties shown in horror movies but beautifully tended places. They almost always have flowerbeds covering the final resting place of the townspeople and this one had a good view as bonus. So we walked around the place respectfully and took photos of the green valley beyond.
The beautiful view from the well tended cemetery at St Laurentius in Laion
We then exited the cemetery and started our walk back to the hotel. We stopped again at the main square and took a few photos.
Piazza Centrale Raion
The small lanes of Laion with the church of our Blessed Lady in the background
The cobblestoned streets of Laion
Back in front of our Hotel Andechserhof
Our great hotel Anderserhof in Laion
It had been a memorable day in the Dolomites – we had started off with one of the most beautiful hikes we had ever done from, then had our first experience of riding chairlifts, gotten close to a famous mountain & had a beautiful evening walk in a small Italian mountain village.
Happy us at the end of a long but memorable day in the Dolomites
The better half’s birthday would end with a great three course meal at the hotel Andechserhof where the flower arrangement from breakfast had made an appearance again at our dinner table.
Enjoying a three course meal at the end of a memorable birthday
We had another long hike planned across the famous high altitude meadows which were the highest such Alpine meadows in Europe called the Alpe di Siusi. The weather was predicted to be sunny but we knew that it could turn anytime at the drop of a hat. Whether we would get a full sunny day is the topic for another post.
Some other time, some other day.
Till then,
Ciao!
yogictravel 
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