This lovely loop walk in Valdaora di Sopra is designed for families and anyone wishing to discover nature and the animal world up close. The trail winds past local farms, stables, and the Kinderwelt adventure park, offering the opportunity to observe piglets, horses, Highland cattle, alpacas, cows, and calves.

Although it mostly runs on paved roads and protected sidewalks, the route features significant mountain gradients and critical sections on uneven dirt or grassy ground. For manual wheelchair users, the presence of an assistant or the use of an electric power attachment is essential.

Reachability

By car: The main parking lot with reserved disabled parking spaces is located at the playground, school, and Congress House in Mitterolang.

By public transport: The trail is easily accessible via Citybus lines 435.1 and 435.2 or the CallBus service. The reference stop for the starting point is Mitterolang, Congress House. In addition, along the route and in the village centers, there are several other useful bus stops (such as the Pittola stop, the stop below Restaurant Panorama, the one before the turnoff to Kinderwelt, and the Oberolang Church stop), which offer convenient hop-on and hop-off points along the way.

Description

The route starts from the playground and Congress House area in Valdaora di Mezzo. Taking Via dello Slittino on a steady paved uphill section with a gradient between 8% and 10%, you reach the Pittola farm (CallBus stop), where a short, flat gravel area allows you to observe piglets in the outdoor enclosure. Continuing uphill on asphalt, you pass the Tolderhof riding stables, where horses can be seen.

At the intersection below Restaurant Pizzeria Panorama, turn left onto a gentle and pleasant panoramic flat section along Via Aue (public transport stop), walking alongside pastures with Scottish Highland cattle and alpacas. Upon reaching the Aparthotel Winkelwiese and the subsequent bus stop, turn right onto a steep paved climb (interspersed with transverse drainage channels), following the signs for the Kinderwelt adventure park.

Kinderwelt Playground

The entrance to the playground is located in the woods and features an extremely steep downhill ramp (estimated 18% slope) on a natural dirt surface. Afterwards, the trail crosses a wooden bridge and continues wide and downhill, though bumpy in places (gravel and exposed roots): here you will find various play stations for children.

Climb to the Church

At the end of the Kinderwelt play area, keep right and climb up towards the church via a steep grassy ramp. Once you reach the church square of Valdaora di Sopra (equipped with a fountain, bench, and bus stop), head downhill along Via del Borgo on cobblestone paving. Here you will find Cafe Pub Pfiff for a break or snack (no accessible restroom available). At the end of the 10–12% cobblestone downhill pavement, immediately before the stream bridge, turn right onto Via Erschbaum, a paved road that gently and regularly descends past the Schlosserhof farm, where you can see cows and calves in the open barn.

Final Link and Return

Shortly after the Schlosserhof farm, near a fountain and a bench, turn left onto a dirt path that leads to a wooden pedestrian bridge. After crossing the bridge, face a short, steeply inclined gravel section (18% gradient). Once past the dirt track, the path continues uphill for about 50 meters on asphalt before joining the flat sidewalk on Via Canonico Gamper, which leads directly back to the Valdaora di Mezzo playground and the starting point.

Accessible Alternative: To avoid the climb to the church and the subsequent descent, you can continue to the end of the Kinderwelt playground and, instead of keeping right, walk straight for 50 meters and take the wooden bridge on the left, which leads to Via Aue after a few dozen meters. From Via Aue, descend for about 200 meters until you reach the road bridge. After crossing it, you rejoin Via Erschbaum and merge back onto the main route.

If you also wish to avoid the subsequent steep dirt section, do not cross the road bridge onto Via Erschbaum, but continue straight downhill along the left side of the brook on Via Hans von Perthaler until the intersection with Via Canonico Gamper. This detour allows you to bypass two of the steepest and most challenging parts of the itinerary.