Church of St. Magdalena in Val di Funes

The way in is uphill: about 20 minutes from the car park, 20–25 at a slow pace, and enough of a haul that older walkers should allow the extra time. The mountains arrive during the climb, well before the churchyard, the Geisler peaks filling the background behind the little white church. Inside, the chapel is plain and quiet. Light decides how much of the range shows — by mid-afternoon the peaks wash out into haze, while a summer sunrise puts the first rays straight onto the rock. If the climb is too much for someone in the group, the church still photographs well from the valley below.

• Toilets: free toilets stand 45 m from the church.
• Water: the nearest drinking water is about 300 m away and sits on private premises, so carry your own for the climb.
• The climb: the approach gains height the whole way and runs 20–25 minutes at a slow pace.
• Plan B: if the walk up is out of the question, the church photographs well from the valley below.

Most arrive by car and finish on foot. The path up the meadow hill takes about 20 minutes, 20–25 at a slow pace, and it climbs the whole way; the view opens before the church does. Buses reach the valley too, and from the stop the same walk uphill remains. Anyone climbing with older company should allow the slower time and stop when they want to.

Better: early morning in summer, when the first rays land on the Geisler peaks, and the end of the day, when the sunset is worth waiting out on the hill.

Avoid: mid-afternoon; at around 3–4 pm the light on the mountain goes flat and the peaks stop standing out.

The visit turns on light: the same meadow that looks ordinary at three in the afternoon reads sharply at sunrise.