Culture & Sights in the Dolomites Region Alta Badia

If we take the path above the Church in Badia, after about half an hour, we arrive at a junction; one road leads to Valgiarëi and the other to Sotciastel. The name of this farm is easy to  explain; the Ciastel farm is further above. As it's the case in many other places the name of the settlement below is given with the preposition "sot" (below).

In the 1980s Sotciastel became famous as the result of research carried out by the University of Trento in cooperation with the Provincial Monument Office and the Ladin Cultural Institute "Micurá de Rü". These excavations proved that a Bronze Age settlement including permanent living quarters once stood here. The kind of articles found: parts of weaving looms, kitchen implements, agricultural tools, jewellery, pins and awls lead us to believe that the settlement was agricultural and pastoral, was inhabited the whole year round and that above all sheep, goats, oxen and cattle were reared.

The settlement in Sotciastel appears to have been one of the first in the valley where people lived for a longer period of time.

Along the slope from the Lagazuoi to the Capanna Alpina You drive past a very particular natural phenomenon.
In winter, when everything freezes, wonderful ice-waterfalls arise on this mountain. They are particular, because in summer water flows rarely at this point.
The waterfalls are very interesting for climbers.

Pastor Heinrich Videsott was born on July 3, 1912 in Mantana near Brunico and died on December 9, 1999 in La Val. Pastor Videsott particularly stood out for his spiritual charisma, his deep piety and great compassion. He showed an unlimited willingness to help and was an ambassador of the goodness and love of God.

The Chapel "Piceplan" was built in 1887 and is dedicated to the Mother of God.

Twice a year the community pilgrims to the chapel.

Saint Joseph Freinademetz, the saint of Alta Badia, is the first South Tyrolean Saint.

Today, the hamlet of Oies is a much-visited place of pilgrimage, especially the birthplace of the missionary Josef Freinademetz, who belonged to the Society of the Divine Word. The Steyl missionary was born in 1852 and died of typhoid fever in China on 28 January 1908.

He was beatified by Pope Paul VI in Rome on 19 October 1975 and canonised on 5 October 2003.

The cellar of the Oies farm was converted into a chapel and decorated with works by the artists Kollreider from Lienz and Lois Irsara from Badia.

In 2022, on the initiative of the meditation group of La Val, and under the direction of labyrinth expert Gernot Candolini, a labyrinth was built in the centre of the area occupied by the former church of San Genesio. It is a simple Gothic labyrinth, consisting of five paths traced with brook stones. Many things here in Dlijia vedla remind us of the transience of life: the remains walls of the old church, the abandoned cemetery.

Memento mori - Memento vivere!

Everything passes quickly, and the moment never stops. So be shrewd and aware, enjoy the view, feel the hope that lurks in life, let yourself be inspired and blessed by goodness and change.

"This place here is a place of power, you must make use of it" Dr. Karl Gruber, Regional Conservator

                                

Mount Conturines, located in the Fanes-Senes-Braies natural park in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage, is the highest mountain in the Fanes group of which it is also one of the most representative.

The hike to Mt. Conturines, in the Fanes-Senes-Braies nature park, starts in San Cassiano / Capanna Alpina. The ascent to the cave is challenging, the hike is therefore recommended for well trained mountaineers only.

On trail no.11 climb up o the Col de Locia towards Fanes until you reach the Gran Plan (great plain in Ladin language). Continue to the left on a slope of mountain pines and climb on steep screes to the foot of Mt. Conturines at 2800 m, where you will find the entrance of a bear cave.

The discovery of the Conturines cave at the end of the 80s (in 1987) was a big sensation: In the cave there were found fossil remains of a cave bear. Studies of the bones have subsequently revealed that the fossilized skull, teeth, and bones found in the cave do not originate, as initially suspected, from a cave bear of recent times, but rather do belong to a cave bear of the Middle Ice Age. The Conturines bear was named Ursus ladinicus, in honor of the Ladin valley where it was found.

The access to the cave is allowed only on the occasion of guided hikes organized by the Alta Badia Tourism Cooperative. The fossil remains are exposed in the Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus in San Cassiano.

The Deer Park “Sompunt”, between La Villa and Badia includes more than 7 hectares of meadows and forest where more than 30 species of deer and fallow deer live together in harmony.
The park can be easily reached by car, bus or by foot.

Starting from the hut “Paraciora” and following an easy marked path, you can admire these wild animals living in uncontaminated nature.
The path is approx. 1 km long.

The route is indicated by arrows and information boards on which you will find some information about the park and its majestic inhabitants. The trail is also suitable for trekking strollers.

• Every Tuesday from 1st July till 1st October from 10. 00 a.m. until 11.00 a.m. you can visit the Deer Park with the owner. Meeting Point is the hut “Paraciora”. The visit is free.

Our Park offers a playground for children and there are also ponies, donkeys, rabbits, ducks, chicken and goats to see.

The hamlets are farming communities spread over the slopes of Val Badia at an altitude of between 1200 and 1700 metres.

They differ from typical farms in the rest of South Tyrol in their concentrated form as well as their basic structure and administration.

The space under the bridge leading to the barn and the paths that link everything together belong to all the farmers in the hamlet.
The surrounding field are devided so that each family can earn a living.

The farm houses are located one next to the other in the hamlets and next to them the fodder stores, the corn silo, the wood shed, the well and a small chapel.

The parish church Saint Catherine of Alexandria, mentioned in 1347 and consecrated in 1452, is the first church of Corvara. In the small church, built in late gothic style, you can admire some admirable works of art.

For example, there are some frescoes and a winged altar dating back to 1520, the only well-preserved winged altar in the Val Badia valley. The altar was realized by the workshop of Ruprecht Potsch and was restored in 1975. The legend tells, that the landscape paintings on the two panels of the altar are by the famous painter Titian, who was probably in Corvara for a short time. Art experts attribute the work to an artist from the so-called Danube School, Albrecht Altdorfer.

Around the church there is, as usual in our alpine area, the town cemetery.

The Santa Barbara church, built in the late Gothic style, was built in the 15th century on a panoramic hill just outside the village of La Val.

Historical evidence indicates that the church built in honor of Santa Barbara, patron saint of miners, is the work of the miners of Valparola, who worked the iron minerals extracted from Monte Pore.

The painting on the outside wall depictings a crucifixion in the open countryside and various mural paintings inside are of particular historical value.

The Santa Barbara church can be reached with just a half-hour walk from the village centre of La Val along the "Memento Vivere" meditation path, consisting of the stations "Birth", "Childhood", "Youth", "Adults age" and "Old age".

Alta Badia, also known as the Gourmet Valley in the Dolomites, has been awarded for years by the leading gastronomy guides. And indeed, in Alta Badia you can find four Michelin stars on just 15 square kilometers.

And the best thing is: good food is not only to be found in top-class restaurants. For years, high-quality gastronomy has been one of the most important aspects of Alta Badia's tourist offer so you will be able to satisfy the joys of the palate both, in the valley as well as at the top of the mountain and on the ski slopes.

On the site of a small workshop that was to be demolished, next to the existing barn, a larger studio and garage were to be built. The site was to change as little as possible; the new building was to enlarge the existing structure of the farm and its size integrated into the surroundings. The entrance is under the barn bridge, which is on the same level as the new studio’s gallery and thus establishes a link between the two buildings. The garage below is equally unseen from the street, as is the entire height of the studio − both of which are accessible from the courtyard below. The new structures were built of concrete, with an insulated outer shell made of vertical larch cladding. The roof is likewise made of larch wood and has a large studio window on the northern side. The interior of the workshop has been kept white and decorated with light-colored wood.

The parish church of "Our Lady": the present church was consacrated in 1516.

Starting from the 19th century the interior decoration was adapted to the taste of the age. The exterior is simple. The Gothic altar is a work created by a workshop of the Val Gardena valley, while the lateral altars present a marked style of the Tuscan Gothic.

This chapel in the hamlet "Rü" was built in 1973 and is dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes.

This chapel was built in 1993 at a very leisurely place at the feet of the "Sas Dlacia" behind the camping area. It is dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes.

The donations from visitors have already been used to build a draw well in Africa.

From the villages of Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, Badia, and La Val, the Armentarola/San Cassiano area (1,600 m) can be reached by ski or public transport. From there, a frequent and fast shuttle ski bus service (paid) takes you to Passo Falzarego (2,105 m). Passo Falzarego is also directly accessible by bus from Colfosco, Corvara, La Villa, and San Cassiano.

From the pass, the Lagazuoi cable car takes you to the summit of the mountain with the same name (2,800 m). Before starting your descent, take a moment to enjoy the breathtaking 360° view of the Dolomite peaks, from the Tofane to the Marmolada and the Sella Group.

Slopes:
Lagazuoi: length - 3.5 km, elevation difference - 600 m
Armentarola: length - 7.5 km, elevation difference - 1130 m

Times:
Line taxi Armentarola - Passo Falzarego (approx. 10 km): 20 minutes
Lagazuoi cable car: approx. 30 minutes
Descent Lagazuoi - Sas Dlacia: approx. 30 minutes

Taxi Service

• Hotel Armentarola - Passo Falzarego (10.2 km): €8.00/person (min. €40.00)
• Capanna Alpina - Passo Falzarego (10.4 km): €8.00/person (min. €40.00)
• Capanna Alpina - Hotel Armentarola (2.5 km): €4.00/person (min. €20.00)

Contact: +39 0471 180000 (08:30-17:00)

Horse Tow

• Schedule: 09:30-16:00
• Rate: €4.00/person

The horse tow will not operate if the route is closed or in heavy snow conditions.

At the foot of the rocky walls of the "Grup dl Sela" or Sella Group, the most imposing massif of the Dolomites, you can admire the suggestive “cascades de Pisciadú”. The waterfalls, which can be reached from Colfosco with an easy walk through a large clearing, are particularly impressive in spring, when thanks to the thaw they are rich in water.

 

The small highland area La Crusc/Santa Croce, located at the foot of the magnificent Santa Croce mountain, has always had a special place in the heart of the people from Val Badia.

A story that started many hundreds of years ago
Many centuries ago, when Alta Badia was still largely uninhabited, La Crusc (Holy Cross) seems to have been a pagan place of worship. It was probably the unfavourable living conditions of the area that led the first Christians to construct a sanctuary here.

Around 1010 the monks built a chapel at La Crusc where a small church was erected in the 15th century. At the end of the 17th century the church was deconsecrated by the then Austrian Emperor and was subsequently left to decay. Pilgrims and valley dwellers rescued the little church by partially rebuilding it, and some years later in the middle of the 18th century it was enlarged and embellished with a bell tower.

For a long time the existence of La Crusc as a place of pilgrimage had been established on the basis of documents from the year 1511. And then two further parchment documents emerged with evidence pointing to an earlier existence. The first mentioned a church consecration; the second contained the story of “Morellus de Caninis” who made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1500 in order to seek favours for the La Crusc church.

Numerous relics are preserved in the altar of the church, such as those of St Leonhard (to whom the parish church of San Leonardo/Badia is dedicated), St Hippolitus, St Virgilius (Bishop of Salzburg), St Mary Magdalena, St Agnes and St Barbara.

Nowadays there are several processions to the church during the summer season, and there is an important service on the first Sunday in June.

The legends surrounding the church

The building of the church
Many, many centuries ago, the inhabitants of Badia had planned to build a chapel on the “Col d’Anvi”. During the construction work however the workers kept injuring themselves on the wooden shavings. White birds collected the blood-spattered shavings and took them to the foot of the La Crusc/Santa Croce mountain. After a while the workers began to notice this and they followed the birds in order to find out where they were flying to with the shavings. Once they had arrived at the wonderful spot at the foot of the mighty Sas dla Crusc/Santa Croce, they were so impressed that they decided to build the church there.

The legend surrounding Ottwin, Count of Lurn
People in Badia like to relate how there used to be a hermit who lived at the foot of the Sas dla Crusc/Santa Croce. This hermit was no less a person than Ottwin, Count of Lurn and Pustrissa, or possibly his son Volkold, the founder of the Sonnenburg Monastery at the entrance of the Val Badia Valley. The legend tells how Ottwin had fallen into heresy during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Upon his return to his homeland in South Tyrol, he was unable to overcome the feelings of guilt over his lapse. He therefore decided to live as a hermit in a log hut under the crags of the Kreuzkofel and devote his life to prayer and penance.

Parish church St. Genesius.                                            

Families which have owned the same land for more than 200 years are awarded a "Deed of inheritance" by the Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol. The Nagler family has been honoured in this way.

The original name was "Murin da Coz" because grain from the Coz farm was milled ("murin" means mill in Ladin) here. The oldest written documents mention Hof Palua (The Palua farm) in about 1566, Pares in 1780 and finally Murin. The first settlement can be dated 1296; the saw and the grain mill probably needed water power. In 1771 the "Brochia" family from Longiarü settled here. In common with many other family names in Val Badia, "Brochia" was reinvented in German, in this case, as "Nagler".

In those days priests as well judges came from places outside Ladinia and they could not speak Ladin which led them to renaming their family names; most written documents were set out in German or Italian. Before 1800 the Ladin language was used relatively rarely in written documents.

Now the Murin farm is private and can be visited outside doing the culture trail in Badia.

Together with the pre-existing buildings, summit station of the cable car and pizza pavilion, the new mountain restaurant forms a courtyard situation sheltered from the wind in the very exposed, protected landscape site.  The new building, however, crouches down, an elongated single-story building, and appears almost as if part of the site. The architecture goes against the usual style of a mountain hut: a wide, cantilevered platform roof protects the underlying perimetric floor-to-ceiling glass façade, which makes the building appear more transparent and lighter. Familiar materials, though, were used: wood terraces, wood furniture, as well as natural stone masonry for the kitchen and adjoining room area. Three timber-clad cubes divide the otherwise completely open floor plan of the spacious guest area, which feels more like a lounge than a mountain hut.

Many centuries ago, when Alta Badia was still largely uninhabited, La Crusc (Holy Cross) seems to have been a pagan place of worship. It was probably the unfavourable living conditions of the area that led the first Christians to construct a sanctuary here.

Around 1010 the monks built a chapel at La Crusc where a small church was erected in the 15th century. At the end of the 17th century the church was deconsecrated by the then Austrian Emperor and was subsequently left to decay. Pilgrims and valley dwellers rescued the little church by partially rebuilding it, and some years later in the middle of the 18th century it was enlarged and embellished with a bell tower.

For a long time the existence of La Crusc as a place of pilgrimage had been established on the basis of documents from the year 1511. And then two further parchment documents emerged with evidence pointing to an earlier existence. The first mentioned a church consecration; the second contained the story of “Morellus de Caninis” who made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1500 in order to seek favours for the La Crusc church.

Numerous relics are preserved in the altar of the church, such as those of St Leonhard (to whom the parish church of San Leonardo/Badia is dedicated), St Hippolitus, St Virgilius (Bishop of Salzburg), St Mary Magdalena, St Agnes and St Barbara.

Nowadays there are several processions to the church during the summer season, and there is an important service on the first Sunday in June.

Old parish church St. Genesius.                                                         

The Alta Badia Valley, which spreads over 16 km in the southeastern part of Südtirol/Alto Adige, lies in a sunny basin surrounded by imposing Dolomite peaks and framed by two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Puez - Odle Nature Park and the Fanes - Senes – Braies Nature Park.

The Puez-Odle natural park, measures 10,722 hectares and spreads across the municipalities of Corvara and Badia in Alta Badia, Ortisei, St Christina and Selva in Val Gardena as well as San Martino in Badia and Funes.

Part of the natural park are the mountains of the Odle group, the Pütia group and the high-plateau-like Puez group with the Sassongher mountain.

The Dolomite high route no. 2, known as the "high route of legends" leads through the area of the Puez natural park.

From a geological perspective, Puez-Odle natural park is particularly interesting since all the rock strata typical for the Dolomites can be found here, such as Gröden limestone, Bellerophon strata, Wengen and St Cassian strata, Schlern dolomite, Raibler strata, Dachstein dolomite as well as Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks.

The Dolomite massif which splits off from the orographic core of the Sella and turns north in the Puez and Geisler group, has its outermost branch in the Peitlerkofel. Beyond that, the quartz foothills form the Lüsen caldera and the Plose elevation, whereas the Porphyr massif splits off from the Raschötz in the west.

This difference of geological structures result in this zone's diversity of shapes and landscapes. The grey and uniform Puez plateau's typical, tabular structure forms a contrast to the slim and bold shapes of the Cir and Geisler peaks, the Sassongher and the Peitlerkofel. This groups' sceneries are characterised by recessed, cliffy and austere shapes. Kilometre by kilometre, the eyes wander over deep solitude, a sort of moon landscape whose rough waves, grey pebble fields and white rock ledges which embody a harsh sterility.

Colz Castle, also called Rubatsch Residence, is a massive building, which boasts a curtain wall with four round towers and many embrasures.

The castle dates back to the year 1536, when Ferdinand I. permitted Hans von Rubatsch to build himself a residence. At the end of the 16th century the castle entered into the possession of the Lords of Colz. In the course of time, the building served many functions, like the one of a poorhouse. Finally, it entered into the possession of a farmer’s family.

Colz Castle gained some popularity thanks to the knight Franz Wilhelm Prack zu Asch, also called “Gran Bracun“, who lived in the Ladin valleys between 1573 and 1581 and was known for his cruel but heroic battles.

Finally, Colz Castle was restored, today it is private. 

Church of St. Jakob and St. Leonard: the church was first mentioned in a document of the XIV century.

The bell tower is in gothic style while the inside of the church is in rococò style. The interior paintings are the work of M. Günther, executed in 1778, and make this church the most significant rococò monument in Ladinia.

The biotope relaxing zone is frequently visited by young and adult guests that appreciate the three ponds, a lawn with showers, a bar with restaurant and a children's playground.

The small lakes are divided into pond, children's pool and regeneration pond which was built separately, to ensure the protection of the regeneration zone during bathing season. The pond is purified mechanically, but most of all biologically.

Prices:

Adults: € 9,00
Children (7-14): € 7,00
Children (up to 6 years and only if accompanied): € 4,00
1 Entrance + 1 Sunbed with umbrella: 14,00€
2 Entrances + 2 sunbeds with parasol: 25,00€

A church of the village was already mentioned in a document of the 15th century.

The reconstructed building dates back to 1782. The exterior aspect of the building consists of clearly separated architectural parts, while the interior decoration presents a subdivision in pilasters.

Spectacular Dolomite peaks and legendary passes. Offering many fascinating options for nature lovers, epicures and athletes, the Sellaronda ranks among the most beautiful and popular tours in the Alps. Fabulous slopes and thrilling ski touring races in winter, legendary bicycle competitions and leisure tours with race bicycle and mountain bike in summer. Top-class events and individual excursions. The Sellaronda makes your dreams come true.

In the Alta Badia valley, in Corvara and Colfosco you are directly on the Sellaronda, in winter as well as in summer. After start, a varied day awaits leading over a unique run traversing four Ladin valleys Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Arabba and Val di Fassa and one will make outstanding experiences on the way. First and foremost, the Sellaronda tour is a leisure, stress-free tour which combines beautiful downhill runs with gastronomical specialties.