How to find the viewpoint of Santa Magdalena and Val Di Funes - Dolomites, Italy
Welcome to our blog post on everything you need to know about visiting the Santa Magdalena viewpoint of Val Di Funes in the Italian Dolomites!
Keep scrolling for more information on how to get there, how to find it and how long you need to spend at this beautiful viewpoint and most importantly, when to visit!
About Val Di Funes
The beautiful valley of Val Di Funes is nestled within the Dolomite mountain range, in northern Italy as well as in the South Tyrol area.
It's a popular place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer, and is filled with beautiful spots to visit. But one of our favourite spots in Val Di Funes had to be this beautiful viewpoint over the small village of Santa Magdalena / St. Maddalena!
This picture postcard village in the Dolomites is something not to be missed, and is also a super easy place to visit. Plus it looks stunning all year round, no matter what season you visit.
The key point to note about visiting this viewpoint, is that it is located along a private road only accessible to local residents, so you cannot drive directly to the viewpoint - instead you must walk there!
So we thought we'd share some our top tips on visiting the viewpoint of Santa Magdalena - from how to find it, how long you need to spend here, the best photography spot and most importantly, when to visit!
How to find the St Magdalena Viewpoint of Val Di Funes
How to get to Santa Magdalena / St. Maddalena
By Car
St. Magdalena is just a 45 minute drive from the city of Bolzano (the capital city of South Tyrol) or a 25 minute drive from the town of Bressanone/Brixen. There is then several parking options in and around the village of Santa Magdalena - see section below.
By Public Transport
It is also possible to visit Val di Funes by public transport. Simply take the train to from where you can then take the 340 bus which runs up the Val di Funes terminating at Ranui. The 340 bus departs hourly from Bressanone/Brixen (between approx. 8:30 and 19:30), stopping regularly at Santa Magdalena village in Val Di Funes.
Within the valley there is also the number 339 bus which connects different places within Val Di Funes. After visiting the viewpoint of St. Maddalena, you could then take the 339 bus to get to Zannes, from which you can hike to Geisler Alm. Although, the bus route 339 only runs 3 or 4 times a day.
Parking
There are several pay and display car parks in the village of Santa Magdalena which cost €4 for the whole day and can be paid with either cash or card. We parked in Parkplatz Bergerplatz - Use @what3words ///pick.meows.fridge for directions to this car park we used.
How to find the viewpoint of St. Maddalena village and Church
As mentioned above, the viewpoint is located along a private road only accessible to local residents, so you cannot drive directly to the viewpoint - instead you must walk there.
The viewpoint is only a gentle 30 minute walk uphill from the village centre of Santa Magdalena. Simply use the @what3words location ///received.singed.clever to navigate your way to the best viewpoint of Val Di Funes!
You then simply follow the same route back down to the car park...
Additional Visitor Information
When to visit the St. Magdalena Viewpoint
- Time of year - Although Val Di Funes looks beautiful all year round, we would recommend visiting either in later Spring (May or June) or early Autumn (September or October), as the Dolomites are generally quieter in terms of tourism during these months. Plus in late Spring, you will get to see the beautiful luscious rolling green hills sprinkled with wild flowers, and in autumn you might get to see the leaves turning a warm golden hue.
- Time of day - We visited for sunrise which was beautiful, although we would say that sunset would probably be better. As you would be able to capture the last light on the mountains behind the village!
Note: we visited the St. Magdalena viewpoint in late September for sunrise.
How long to spend at St. Magdalena
The walk up from the village car park to the viewpoint takes around 30 minutes each way, so about an hour round trip for just the walk. We would then allow at least 15 minutes at the top to take photos. So you need a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes but it really depends on how slow you want to take the walk and how long you want to allow for photos and to just generally enjoy the views! The walk to/from the viewpoint also passes the village church, which could be an additional place to visit.
Otherwise, there is not much else to do in Santa Magdalena village. Although whilst in the area, we would recommend checking out a couple of other points of interest in Val Di Funes - check out our blog post on three places to visit in Val Di Funes.
Comment below if you have any questions, and I'll be in touch soon! Or get in touch online here.
Helen x
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