Rosengarten / Catinaccio
The Dolomite massif of the alpenglow
Photo: unbekannt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Rosengarten is one of the best-known Dolomite massifs and famous for the Enrosadira, the intense rose-red glow of its walls at sunset. According to legend, King Laurin turned his rose garden into petrified rock. The massif, with the Rosengartenspitze, offers demanding via ferratas and hikes across scenic alpine meadows.
Highlights
- Enrosadira, the rose-red alpenglow of the walls
- Legend of King Laurin's rose garden
- Via ferratas and hut hikes around the massif
- View from the Kölner Hütte and the Karer Pass
Good to know
| Elevation | Rosengartenspitze 2,981 m |
| Special feature | Enrosadira (alpenglow) |
| World Heritage | UNESCO Dolomites |
| Starting points | Karerpass, Eggental, Fassatal |
Practical info
Getting there: By car or bus to the Karer Pass; cable car to the Kölner Hütte.
Best time: June to October; sunset for the Enrosadira.
Cost: Cable cars payable (please verify); hiking trails free.
Safety: Via ferratas only with a set and experience; hiking trails well marked.
Tips:
- Stay for sunset at the Karersee or Karer Pass
- The Karersee in front reflects the massif especially beautifully
Background & History
The Rosengarten, Italian Catinaccio, is one of the most famous mountain massifs of the Dolomites and owes its poetic name to one of the most beautiful legends of the Alpine region. According to the legend, the dwarf king Laurin possessed a magnificent rose garden here. When his kingdom was taken from him, he cursed the roses so that they should never again be seen by day or by night. In his anger, however, he forgot the twilight, and so the rock faces glow to this day at dawn and dusk in that rosy light which the Ladins call Enrosadira.
This legend tells in the guise of a fairy tale what natural science explains as the alpenglow: the warm light that the pale dolomite walls take on shortly before sunrise and after sunset. Geologically the massif consists of the petrified remains of prehistoric coral reefs that formed around 250 million years ago in a tropical sea and were later folded up. With its bold towers and walls, foremost among them the Vajolet Towers, the Rosengarten has belonged since the pioneer days of mountaineering to the great destinations of longing for climbers and is today part of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.
To make your trip run smoothly , our guides and gear tips for this destination:
