Sentiero Friedrich August

The Frederick Augustus Trail takes its name from a Saxon prince's fondness for the Dolomites. Its mountain setting lies beneath the western walls of Sasso Piatto and Sassolungo, among meadows, ridges and highland pastures.

Why it matters

The Frederick Augustus Trail—Friedrich-August-Weg—is a historic alpine route associated with Saltria, the Sella pass and the rock towers of Sasso Piatto and Sassolungo. A mountain hut and the trail honour Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, whose interest in the Dolomites is recorded in local sources.

What to notice

The route's surroundings include the neo-Gothic chapel of 1857 at Zallinger, the Sasso Piatto and Frederick Augustus huts, highland pasture and alpine flora such as anemones, gentians and edelweiss. The Giogo di Fassa is a 2,305-metre saddle at the border with Trentino, with views toward the Marmolada, Sella group and Five Fingers ridge.

Context and history

The trail preserves the memory of the Saxon royal guests who made the western Dolomites fashionable in the decades around 1900. Frederick Augustus III of Saxony was a habitual visitor to the region's huts, and the path and the hut that bear his name commemorate that attachment; the area portal recalls him with open affection as a prince in love with the Dolomites. The trail's historical engineering reflects an era when mountain huts and marked routes made high-alpine terrain more accessible. Later infrastructure and huts form part of its surrounding landscape.