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Photograph Santa Maddalena Church in the Dolomites

Villnöß, Italy

3.0/5
based on 3 reviews

Description

Added by Jason Hatfield

A medieval church, a beautiful verdant valley, and the stunning Dolomites for a backdrop, it doesn't get much more incredible than this!

Santa Maddalena, also known as St. Magdalena, is a picturesque medieval church sequestered in the northern mountains of Italy. The Odle Mountain Group of the Dolomites tower above the surrounding valley and provide an incredible backdrop for images. To reach the best vantage point to photograph Santa Maddalena, start from the spot marked on the map and follow the small trail a short way up the hill.

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Photograph Santa Maddalena Church in the Dolomites Reviews

First- do not click “Directions” straight from the Outbound app to get here. It will take you to the wrong town/church because there is one about an hour away with the same name. Second- DO NOT trust your GPS when navigating around this area. Lots of the roads are prohibited to drive on and google maps does not know this. There are signs but we got turned around a couple times and ended up on prohibited roads. That being said- do not drive anywhere near the church itself. There was a woman at the top who tried to assault my wife and me. She confronted us about our car being in the wrong place as we were trying to find out how to get out of the area. Rightfully, she was upset that our car was there. Shockingly, she got violent. She was screaming in my face and tried to punch me as I rolled my window up. Then she told us to take the “exit road” that was actually a tiny trail with a cliff that would have led to death or serious injury, and finally she threw rocks at our car as we drove away. In short, do not make the same mistake we did. Stay away from the church itself and photograph it from afar. Ultimately, yes it was my fault for driving where it was forbidden, but I really never thought someone could be so evil. Just be mindful.

First- do not click “Directions” straight from the Outbound app to get here. It will take you to the wrong town/church because there is one about an hour away with the same name. Second- DO NOT trust your GPS when navigating around this area. Lots of the roads are prohibited to drive on and google maps does not know this. There are signs but we got turned around a couple times and ended up on prohibited roads. That being said- do not drive anywhere near the church itself. There was a woman at the top who tried to assault my wife and me. She confronted us about our car being in the wrong place as we were trying to find out how to get out of the area. Rightfully, she was upset that our car was there. Shockingly, she got violent. She was screaming in my face and tried to punch me as I rolled my window up. Then she told us to take the “exit road” that was actually a tiny trail with a cliff that would have led to death or serious injury, and finally she threw rocks at our car as we drove away. In short, do not make the same mistake we did. Stay away from the church itself and photograph it from afar. Ultimately, yes it was my fault for driving where it was forbidden, but I really never thought someone could be so evil. Just be mindful.

Don't discount this stunning location in winter too. The view of this small church and farming community from the hillside, with the Odle group mountains in the background is magnificent.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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