The Legend of King Laurin: Enchanted Sunsets

Deep in the Dolomites, among the rosy rocks of the Catinaccio — or Rosengarten, as it is called in German — lived Laurin, the legendary King of the Dwarfs. A shrewd and powerful ruler, he led a people who mined silver, gold, and precious stones from the heart of the mountains.

But what truly made King Laurin unique was not his wealth. He possessed two magical items: a belt that gave him the strength of twelve men and a cloak that made him completely invisible.

However, his most treasured possession was something else entirely — a magnificent rose garden that grew before his crystal castle. These roses, created by the Valkyrie Sittlieb, were enclosed by a delicate silk thread and guarded as the greatest of secrets. No one dared to cross that enchanted threshold.

The forbidden tournament and the abduction of Similde

One day, the King of the Adige announced a great tournament to find a worthy husband for his beautiful daughter, Similde. Laurin was not invited — he was a dwarf, and thus deemed unworthy. Offended yet determined, the Dwarf King appeared anyway, hidden by his magical cloak of invisibility.

It was love at first sight. Laurin fell deeply in love with the princess and, without a second thought, kidnapped her. He escaped on horseback through the mountains, carrying her away to his underground kingdom.

The twilight of the roses

But the King of the Adige’s knights soon gave chase. When they reached the rose garden, a fierce battle began. Though Laurin fought valiantly, empowered by his enchanted belt, he was no match for so many foes. He tried once more to flee, cloaked in invisibility.

The knights, however, spotted him by following the movement of the roses, which swayed as he passed. They captured him, tore away his belt, and led him away in chains.

Wounded in pride and convinced that he had been betrayed by his beloved roses, King Laurin cast a curse:

“May no human eye ever gaze upon my garden again — neither by day nor by night!”

But he forgot about… the twilight. And so, to this day, at dawn and dusk, the Dolomites glow in shades of pink: it is King Laurin’s enchanted garden blooming once more, offering one of the most breathtaking spectacles in the entire Alpine world.