8 things not to be missed in Val di Fassa
A boost of adrenaline is ensured to those deciding to spend a skiing holiday or a weekend in Val di Fassa, in Trentino’s Dolomites. It’s a valley with a natural vocation for fun on the snow and the uniqueness of active, gourmet and wellness offers, which make it the perfect destination for a real "insider" mountain holiday. If you don’t want to miss a thing of Val di Fassa’s best, in its winter edition, follow these handy advices!
1. Watchword: variety
Val di Fassa is one of the most equipped and renowned ski resorts in the Dolomites, with 7 different ski areas, 5 ski tours (Sellaronda, First World War, Panorama, Sass Becé and Alpe Lusia-San Pellegrino), 210 km and 150 slopes, connected to each other skis on or by skibus. If you feel up to par, we dare you to try the black slopes "Vulcano" at Buffaure and "Aloch" in Pozza (illuminated two evenings a week), and "La VolatA" at San Pellegrino, three tracks with a very high steepness!
Skiing in Val di Fassa always with top conditions is a fact, thanks to the snowmaking system enhancement, the take-up of the newest technologies, the expertise of our technicians that, without the addition of chemical additives, turn water into soft snowflakes, and the non-stop work of the snowcat pilots that, in the morning, make you find a compact and perfectly groomed snowpack.
2. Kids at ski school
A children-friendly winter holiday, thanks to the Val di Fassa Family hotels, the promotions for families and the services offered by the ski schools. Specific classes on ski camps, equipped with conveyor belt ski lifts, educational games and cosy environments to relax in from the strains of a day on the snow.
Not to forget the many after-ski activities in town, such as: playgrounds with igloos; sled, bobsleigh and rubber dinghy slopes; horse sleigh rides; pony and horse tours; ice skating; mini-train rides; dives at "Dòlaondes" swimming pool in Canazei or at Aquapark "Vidor"; dairy farm, alpine farm and museum tours.
3. Ski & Zen
To taste the slow and meditative rhythm of the wildest nature, we recommend you Nordic skiing, which has become popular again in the last few years. Cross-country skiing allows you to combine outdoor activity with the untouched landscapes that surround the Marcialonga of Fiemme and Fassa’s track and the rings of "Alochet" ski centre at San Pellegrino Pass. In order to explore the territory, you can practice some charming horse riding on snow or take part in a nice snowshoe hike in Duron, San Nicolò, Monzoni, Gardeccia and Fuciade valleys. You can’t miss an amusing toboggan run either, better if by the moonlight, to top off an evening in the hut with your friends. Ski mountaineering gives you never-ending emotions as well. Think about it: slowly climbing up lone valleys, ridges and crests, and then finding yourself contemplating the transcendent beauty of the Dolomites, so perfect that they stick with you forever...
High altitude is not a luxury for skiers only. In Val di Fassa, you can reach panoramic terraces without the skis too, to contemplate sceneries of rare beauty and nature’s wonders. Where? Sass Pordoi (2,950 m, cable car from Pordoi Pass); Col dei Rossi (2,382 m, cable car from Canazei or Alba di Canazei); Ciampac (2,150 m, gondola ropeway from Alba di Canazei); Col Rodella (2,400, cable car from Campitello di Fassa); Buffaure (2,040 m, gondola ropeway from Pozza); Ciampedìe (1,998 m, cable car from Vigo or chair lift from Pera); Coronelle (2,239 m, gondola ropeway from Malga Frommer - Carezza); Le Cune (2,200 m, gondola ropeway from Ronchi - Moena); Col Margherita (2,508 m, cable car from San Pellegrino Pass).
4. Skis off, the après-ski begins!
You can start off with one of the coolest clubs in the valley, the "Paradis" in Canazei. Furnished in typical alpine style, converted from an old barn, it will warm you up immediately with some good music and great drinks. Then you can move to the "Cliff" and the "Osteria La Montanara". Another not-to-be-missed stop is by the "Dolomites Geyser" in Pozza, at the foot of the slope "Vulcano". Modern and with an open kitchen, is the only one in the valley to be completely carved out of rock. But there’s more: the evening goes on lively until late at night. You go from one pub to another, waiting for the taxi that takes everyone back home.
Are you looking for something special? Why don't you stop at the brewery "Rampeèr" in Campitello, the first one in the valley, and try the local craft beers Tin Tan Ton, Gaardón Rye Stout, Arlark, Goč, Sfiokár and Arén Pils Ladina.
5. Water alpine relax
After a day of skiing, spoil yourself with some relax. The right addresses? QC Terme Dolomiti and Terme Dolomia in Pozza take advantage of the beneficial properties of the sole sulphurous spring in Trentino. At Aquapark Vidor in Pozza and in Dòlaondes Aquatic Centre in Canazei, with Eghes Wellness Center, you are lulled by the waves, massaged by the restorative outdoor whirlpools and dropped down twisty waterslides.
6. Suggestions for dinner
Val di Fassa offers solutions for all tastes: you go from the basic yet tasty fast-food with sandwiches, wieners and French fries, to more sophisticated gourmet restaurants (two of them also have a Michelin Star), crossing pizzerias, mountain huts, dairy farms and inns. Not to be missed: #trentinoskisunrise, skiing at sunrise with a hearty breakfast at the hut; HappyCheese on the snow, local cheese and Trentino’s wines tastings; Trentodoc on the Dolomites, aperitifs and menus matching sparkling mountain wines; "A Tavola con la Fata delle Dolomiti", the gastronomic event organized by the best restaurants in Moena.
7. Freeride, nature at its purest
Heart-pounding emotions for freeriders. If you’re looking for fresh snow, Val di Fassa is an endless source of canyons, valleys and hillsides waiting to be "marked" by your skis. The most renowned freeride itineraries are Val Mezdì and Val Lastìes, between the dolomitic folds of Pordoi, off-piste on the Marmolada and along the north wall of Col Margherita at Passo San Pellegrino (we highly recommend to contact the mountain guides for updated information on practicability).
Col Margherita Freeride Park started off as a pilot project endorsed by the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Municipality of Moena, the Police Academy of Moena, the Mountain Rescue and the Lift Society, with the aim of bringing together this sport’s riders safely.
At Col Margherita you can also find an ARTVA training camp, an equipped area administered in partnership with Arabba’s Arpav and CAI, and where you have the possibility to take part in practical training about how to use this important safety device in case of avalanche.
8. Are you born a rider or do you become one?
There’s only one way to find out: come surf in Val di Fassa! The best-equipped snowparks are at Belvedere in Canazei (the soft landing on the giant mattress Big Air Bag is worth trying), at San Pellegrino Pass (slope-style trail in the American style) and at Buffaure in Pozza (known for the great variety of facilities you can test yourself with).
With regards to technical characteristics and slope prep, the San Pellegrino ski area has been for years training centre of slopestyle freeski’s and skicross’ national ski teams, in addition to alpine skiing’s.
Did you know that in our valley we have snowparks for children, too?