This is where South Tyrol's highest mountains stand. Further east in the Alps, there is no higher summit than King Ortler at 3,905 metres. It may not break the 4,000-metre mark – which makes Piz Bernina the only four-thousander in the Eastern Alps – but it falls less than 100 metres short of this magical threshold, and that has its upsides too. The Ortler is spared by the four-thousander collectors, so things are fortunately a little quieter along its routes.

The Ortler, however, is by no means the only highlight in this mountain range. It may be the highest, but the Königsspitze is considerably more spectacular in shape, forming an unmistakable trio together with the Zebru. Mountaineers out on the Vertainspitze, the Hoher Angelus or the Suldenspitze opposite will inevitably find their gaze drawn back to this breathtaking backdrop again and again.

The area is dominated by rock and ice. Yet not all summits are as demanding as those already mentioned. Despite their considerable height of over 3,700 metres, the Cevedale and the Zufallspitze in particular are two rewarding objectives for less experienced alpine mountaineers, and there are even via ferratas, for example on the flanks of the Tschengelser Hochwand or on the Ortler itself, where the Tabaretta via ferrata, one of the most difficult in the Alps, awaits especially motivated and experienced via ferrata climbers.

Further south lie the summits around the Forno basin, which also belong to the Ortler group. This area offers fantastic alpine tours in summer, but above all, in spring, even better ski mountaineering tours.

A fascinating aspect throughout the massif is the melting of the glaciers, which in recent years has already revealed numerous perfectly preserved positions and remains from the First World War front. There are two major differences from the remains in the Dolomites: firstly, this front was fiercely contested until the last day of the war on 1 November 1918. Afterwards, the soldiers abandoned these high-alpine positions, which were manned all the way up to the summit of the Ortler, head over heels so as not to be trapped by the approaching winter. As a result, everything was covered and preserved by eternal ice, only to re-emerge almost intact now with global warming. Many more unique discoveries, such as the officers' barracks on the summit of the Königsspitze, will be released by the ice in the coming years.

The Ortler group is not only absolutely outstanding in terms of scenery and mountaineering, but also has something to offer historically that is truly unique in Europe. If you would like to learn more and experience for yourself what it feels like to be out in this very special mountain world, the best thing to do is contact a mountain guide who will lead you safely across the wild glaciers to the most beautiful places around King Ortler (or straight to its summit).