Culture & Sights in the Dolomites Region Alta Badia

Gigant – the giant, is a work of art in polished steel that was created by the artist Daniele Basso for the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Ski World Cup in Alta Badia. The giant takes up the skier of the World Cup logo and symbolizes the sport of skiing. It is, above all, an acknowledgement to all the volunteers who contributed to the great and unique success of the Ski World Cup in Alta Badia.

The artwork was set up at the Piz La Ila mountain station where the descent to the famous Gran Risa slope begins.

The centre point of the First World War ski tour is the symbolic mountain of the 1st world war, Mount Col di Lana. The 80 km (49 mi) tour takes you around this mountain. Everywhere, you will find traces of World War 1: Artefacts from the war era, trenches running right through the rocks, parapet walks and forts.

In Alta Badia, you will start in Corvara and go to Campolongo Pass until you reach Arabba. Via Arabba and Porta Vescovo, you will reach Malga Ciapela/Marmolada. From here, you can take a detour to Marmolada Glacier (3,342 m / 10,964 ft). The lifts at Marmolada are included in the Dolomiti Superski pass.

Continue with the ski bus to Alleghe, where you can explore the runs of the skiing region Civetta. The ski bus takes you from Pescul to the Fedare hut (Giau Pass). From the Fedare slope you reach the forcella Croda Negra (Croda Negra pass) with a two-seater chair-lift.

On the north side of the Forcella Negra the new Averau-Troi ski track brings you to the Col Gallina and to Passo Falzarego where you continue for Alta Badia with the Lagazuoi ski tour.

For the whole tour you need approximately 7 and 8 hours. Therefore, we recommend to take off in the early morning in order to finish the tour in time before the lifts close.

The tour can be done either clockwise or anti-clockwise, and in both cases there are sections in the ski bus, the ticket for which must be purchased directly on board - not included in the ski pass. The counter-clockwise route includes an atmospheric section of approx. 1.5 km in which skiers are pulled by a parade of Norse horses. 

One of the most spectacular descents of this tour is definitely the ski slope that from the top of Lagazuoi descends towards Armentarola in Alta Badia, the longest ski slope in the Dolomites.

Would you like to share the magic of the Armentara meadows with your loved ones back home? Why not do it in a romantic and old-fashioned way, by sending an illustrated postcard? We have prepared a special box in which we collect postcards that will be sent twice a year: with the first snowflakes and in early summer, with the first blossom. You don't even have to think about the postage stamp, we post it ourselves!

The "Ciasanöia" is the old tavern and was an important meeting point for the residents of Badia.

It is similar to a castel and was built in 1614 for the nuns of Sonnenburg (Castel near Brunico). It was the seat of this Domination.

Today the house is privat and not open for the public.

Alta Badia is a true treasure trove of wonders, containing masterpieces sculpted by Nature itself—from the most majestic, shaped over millennia, to the more delicate and ephemeral ones, yet persistent due to their cyclical nature. Among these stands out the snow cave, located at the foot of Cima Dieci, inviting you to discover a nature of icy and pristine beauty, revealing the frozen heart of a cave adorned with impressive wavy walls, patiently sculpted season after season.

The cave continues to grow in size in the summer: the narrow hollow carved out by the stream is filled with cold air which is denser and therefore heavier than the summer air outside. This in turn sets off an inverted chimney effect: the heavy cold air sinks down to the bottom of the cave, giving rise to a strong draught from the top to the bottom of the snow cave. Warm summer air is now drawn into the cave from the upper openings, causing the cave to melt from within.

In the meantime, the warm is cooled by the ice and thus flows out through the lower opening as heavy air. This effect can continue for months, melting an ever larger cavity in the ice.

Access to the cave is officially prohibited. You may approach the entrance to take photos, but be cautious of the risk of falling rocks.

"La Roda", the giant wooden bicycle, can be seen in the meadows at the finish area of the Maratona dles Dolomites cycle marathon. The artwork, created by a local artist in 2016 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the cycling marathon, has become a symbol of the passion for cycling that can be felt everywhere in Alta Badia.

Bicycle events in Alta Badia:

• Sellaronda Bike Day - 07.06.2025 and 13.09.2025
• Dolomites Bike Day - 21.06.2025 
• Maratona dles Dolomites - 06.07.2025

The late Gothic church of Colfosco, with the Sella Massif in the background, is a popular photo motif of the Dolomites.

The parish church of St. Vigil was first mentioned in 1419. In the following years it was restored and expanded several times.

Particularly interesting are the neo-Gothic lobby on the outer facade with a grooved and beveled pointed arch portal, the bulbous spire and the church altar. This dates from the late 19th century and is from the local artist Johann Valentin - Badia. In the middle niche of the altar there is an 18th century picture of the Virgin Mary and on the sides there are the statues of St. Vigilius and St. Kassian. For safety reasons, the valuable statue of St. Vigilius has been replaced with a copy.

If we take a look at Vila Ruac and Alfarëi we can see one of the oldest in the whole valley.
This is a late-Romance house in the architectural style of the medieval period, the oldest kind of house which can be found in the valley. What was once the hay barn has a stable on the ground floor and is characterized by a wide balcony, the "parincinch", where agricultural products were dried.
A short distance away there is an old sawmill and a mill. On the path leading from the farm to the old mill, which has recently been restored, we can see various types of fencing which were often used.

The house "Alfarëi" is today a restaurant where typical food is prepared on reservation.

The area around the Lagazuoi mountain offers a combination of hiking, skiing, culture and world history, in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the Dolomites. The mountains of the area Lagazuoi - 5 Torri, bear traces of one of the most tragic events of the twentieth century, the First World War.

Do not miss: in winter, at the end of an impressive 8.5 km descent, the most ecological taxi in the Alps awaits you. A heard of horses pulls the skiers from Sas Dlacia to the Armentarola ski lift to get back to the Skicarosello ski area which connects all villages of Alta Badia.

The Gran Risa slope is one of the most technical slopes in the Alpine Ski World Cup circuit. With its gradient (average 36%) and curves the Gran Risa represents a challenge even for the greatest champions. In fact, the greatest ski stars such as the unforgettable Alberto Tomba who celebrated some of his greatest successes or Ted Ligety, Michael von Grünigen, Bode Miller and Marcel Hirscher have met here in recent years.

The Gran Risa slope is one of the most technically and demanding slopes in the alpine ski circus. With an altitude difference of 448 m, a length of 1,255 m and a maximum gradient of 69%, it challenges the world's best skiers every year.

The start of the piste can be reached from La Villa with the Piz La Ila cable car and via the ski slopes on the Piz La Ila - Piz Sorega plateau.

The descent through the forest starts just below the junction of the black and red slopes of Piz La Ila and runs through the forest close to La Villa. Since the slope extends mostly north and long parts through the forest, it is in the shade for the entire day. This makes it particularly speedy and sometimes even icy.

After overcoming the steep slope at the start, a marked bend leads the descent into a steep, narrow gully. The descent then leads to a second change of direction to arrive at the finish.

If you want to follow the footsteps of the world's best skiers, such as Ingemar Stenmark, Mark Girardelli, Michael von Grünigen, Ted Ligety, Bode Miller, Marcel Hirscher and of course the most successful racer in Italy - Alberto Tomba, and try the Gran Risa, you should be a well-trained skier.

But it’s worth to try, the satisfaction will be great because Gran Risa means pure emotion and adrenaline!

Technical data of the slope

Start at:1.868 m (6128ft)
Finish at:1.420 m (4658ft)
Drop: 448 m (1469ft)
Length:1.255 m (4117ft)
Maximum slope: 69%
Average slope: 36%

The Sassongher mountain, 2665 m high, located on the south-eastern border of the Puez-Geisler Nature Park, UNESCO World Heritage, is the mountain which most represents the town of Corvara. From its summit you can enjoy a 360° view of the Dolomites.

The imposing massif overlooking Corvara is particularly attractive seen from the Campolongo pass.

For some years now, a bench and a large wooden panel with the writing Corvara, have been on the first curves of the pass where there is a particularly beautiful viewpoint.

Locals and tourists love to sit here and admire this Dolomite giant. Of course, many photos and selfies are shot.

Walk, breathe, gather and learn

Alta Badia, in collaboration with Etifor, has identified the Masisti Forest at Passo Campolongo as the ideal location for creating the Food Forest. Thanks to the WOWnature project, the reforestation process began in 2020 after the damage caused by the Vaia storm. In this forest, which is open to visitors during the summer months, a rich biodiversity has developed, and you can now find delightful surprises, including blueberries, raspberries, wild strawberries, juniper berries, and elderberries. Visitors can create their own self-guided paths to discover what Mother Nature has to offer. Along the trail, informational panels reveal the secrets of the forest and provide tips on how the herbs and fruits gathered are used in traditional Ladin cuisine.

The Armentara meadows, a natural biotope in which flora and fauna merge harmoniously, are a natural spectacle of rare beauty. By crossing soft mountain meadows, in summer you can admire rare orchids, silicate spruce trees, larch meadows, stone pine forests and more than 60 varieties of birds. Wide pastures testify the work of our farmers who have shaped the landscape respecting its delicate natural balance.

In winter the Armentara meadows are the idyllic location for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

The idyllic mountain lake, situated at 2252 metres above sea level, lies in a deep natural basin surrounded by the rugged cliffs of the Sella Group. The lake can be reached from the top station of the Boé cable car in just 20 minutes on an easy footpath. Those who want to walk a little longer can reach the Franz Kostner hut on the Vallon from Lake Boé on path no. 638.

Permanent exhibition of paintings by R. Mussner c/o Stüa dal Te Raetia. The works are also for sale.

The Coz residence is a short distance away from San Linert. The name "Coz" appears to be of pre-Latin origin and comes from the word "koltju" although we do not know where this word comes from or what it means. This is one of the oldest farms in the area.

The Coz residence we see today was built by the Colz family in 1604. The residential part was renovated in 1996/97. The Colz family sold the farm to the Winkler family from St. Lorenzen in 1695 and they sold it to Jakob Irsara in 1754 and his family still own the farm.

The house is a rectangular form and a hipped roof with two wings. The decorations in the house chapel are very valuable; built in 1613 we can see scenes from the creation, the life of Moses, the Crucifixion and the copper snake. On the external wall we can see two saints; St. Christopher and St. Florian.

In addition to the living quarters there are also smaller buildings such as the corn silo, the smithy and the fodder store.

Now the Coz residence is privat and can be visited outside doing the culture trail in Badia.

Sompunt is located between Badia and La Villa and was an important residence for the families Mayrhofen and Koburg (rich families in the 19th century).
The house was already mentioned in the year 1296 and it is painted with decorations of the 16th century.

Today the house is privat and inhabited.

The circuit crosses the 4 Dolomite passes - Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella and Gardena - and 5 famous resorts: Corvara and Colfosco in Alta Badia, Arabba, Canazei and Selva di Val Gardena. In 2020, the Sellaronda was awarded the title of 'best ski tour' by the portal skiresort.de.
Alta Badia is the ideal starting point to begin the tour, which can be done clockwise or anticlockwise: either way, you will cross 40 km of beauty and enchantment, surrounded by the extraordinary Dolomite landscapes.
Clockwise the signs are orange, anticlockwise green. 
The slopes are suitable for skiers of average experience in good physical condition. For those who wish to dare more, there are some 'disgressions', such as the Gran Risa giant slalom slope in La Villa in Alta Badia or the Saslong descent in Santa Cristina in Val Gardena. 
To complete the Sellaronda, one must calculate about 6 hours between descents, ascents and breaks included.

Some data:

• Total length: 40 km (lifts and slopes)
• Slopes: 26 km
• Ascent time on the lifts: approx. 2 hours - calculate that waiting times are possible
• Average duration of descents: approx. 1.5 hours

The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus tells the fascinating story of the cave bear that lived over 50,000 years ago in the Dolomites and was discovered in the Conturines cave, considered the highest-altitude site in the world where the remains of the cave bear and cave lion have been found. Visitors can also explore the geological history of the Dolomites, beautifully narrated through stunning fossils.

The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus, an annex of the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor in San Martino in Badia, is spread over three floors.

On the top floor, the formation of the Dolomites is illustrated with unique fossils of great scientific interest, typical of the area surrounding San Cassiano.

Next is the section dedicated to the formation of the cave, its discovery, and the excavations that unearthed thousands of bones. All the essential aspects of the cave bear's life and its environment are explained through the Ursus ladinicus remains, dating back more than 50,000 years.

On the ground floor, visitors can explore a reconstruction of the bear's cave, where they can admire "the mother bear in eternal hibernation with her cub."

Accessible for people with disabilities: The Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus is fully wheelchair accessible.

In the 19th century La Val was widely known for its sulphur baths of Al Bagn in Rumestluns. They contained water which should prevent sexually transmitted diseases, scurvy, rheumatism, red murrain and others. A popular guest was the physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max Planck. After the reconstruction of the building in 1978, the baths were removed from the guest house because of their high operating costs. The source (silicic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrogen sulphide and elements) was restored in 2009 and can nowadays be used publicly.