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Discover the Val di Fassa, heart of the Dolomites

by | March 29, 2024

Val di Fassa

Several valleys offer the possibility of spending wonderful Holidays in the DolomitesThe Val di Fassa is located in the heart of this mountain range and preserves an ancestral culture which is manifested by the language, Ladin, popular traditions, gastronomy and magnificent landscapes.

Val di Fassa for a holiday in the Dolomites

La Val di Fassa is a very long valley in the heart of the dolomites. It is administratively located in the Trentino and is bordered by the South Tyrol and the VenetoCulturally, it has a particularity, it is a central valley of the Ladin region.

The inhabitants of this region speak a Rhaeto-Romance language, Ladin, which has resisted both German, which replaced it in most of the valleys of South Tyrol, and Italian, which is the official language. Ladin is the official language: you will therefore see administrative signs written in Italian and Ladin in the Val di Fassa, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and in three languages ​​(including German) in Val Badia and sometimes in Val Gardena. It's a great change of scenery for your vacation in the Dolomites.

This short linguistic digression leads us to shed light on the reasons for the persistence of this language and culture for centuries: it is the isolation of these valleys, and even more so of the Val di Fassa.

Let's go down the Val di Fassa from Canazei to Moena.

Visit Canazei, at the foot of the high peaks of the Dolomites

The Avisio torrent basin is formed in the upper part of the Val di Fassa at the foot of the Marmolada, the highest peak of the Dolomites at 3343 metres, which is home to the only glacier in the Eastern Dolomites. The valley here is closed by several road passes that can be crossed all year round. The high peaks of the Dolomites are everywhere around the village.

Le Fedaia Pass, overlooked by the Marmolada which provides access to Veneto from the Alleghe side, the Pordoi Pass which connects Canazei to Arabba on the southern flank of the Sella mountain range, the Sella Pass which connects Canazei to Val Gardena.

The bridgehead of the valley is therefore the village of Canazei. Small traditional village located at the bottom of the Val di Fassa at an altitude of over 1400 metres, which has become a large ski resort linked to the Sella and Val Gardena. We stroll through its authentic alleys in which the large houses have become family guesthouses. Tourism here is international, especially in winter. It is an ideal resort for your Holidays in the Dolomites.

Speaking of skiing, the Canazei area and that of Vigo and Pozza di Fassa are united and offer unimaginable landscapes in the Sella and Catinaccio region.

Your vacation in the Dolomites in Vigo and Pozza di Fassa

Going back down the valley towards Moena we pass through small villages where we notice the churches with pointed bell towers: Campitello, Pool et Vigo di Fassa which houses a pleasant spa and wellness center.

Here you can visit the Museum of Ladin Culture. We are at the living center of a world that has kept its traditions, its language, its cuisine and its way of living and understanding the world while integrating into the modern world in which we live.

It is also from Pozza di Fassa that you can reach the region of Rosengarten-Catenaccio and Latemar which is reflected in the blue waters of the Lake Carezza, another well-known image of South Tyrol, which is located just after the Passo di Costalunga which constitutes the linguistic and administrative border between Trentino and South Tyrol.

Discover Moena, the fairy of the Dolomites

We thus arrive at Moena, whose nickname is the Fairy of the Dolomites.

Without a doubt the natural site in which the village is located is magnificent. At sunset, the dolomites take on their characteristic red hue and the forests surrounding this old village are so dense that one can easily imagine a whole life of wild animals but also legends so present in these remote lands.

The old village is worth a visit: small bridges that cross torrents, colorful facades, narrow streets. It is a real village inhabited year-round like the whole Valley, moreover, which also lives from mountain tourism and skiing, but not only.

The Moena ski area is divided into two parts: Alpe Lusia et San Pellegrino pass, named after the pass that connects Val di Fassa to Falcade, in the Agordino Region in Veneto. Excellent news for all skiers who spend their Holidays in the Dolomites.

The Val di Fassa ends here geographically, but naturally it continues through the long Val di Fiemme and the Val di Cembra up to the Adige plain around Thirty.

When visiting the Val di Fassa, you cannot miss discovering the magical world of the nearby Pale di San Martino, which can be reached via the road from Passo role which goes up from Predazzo, the first village after Moena. Whether from this side, or from the wilder side of the Val Venegia, the aim of the hikes is to reach the Segantini hut in front of the very aesthetic peak of the Cimon della Pala. A very beautiful immersion in the Dolomites region.

Discover the beautiful landscapes of Val di Fassa

People come on holiday to Val di Fassa to enjoy hiking in the Dolomites. But in addition to hiking along the paths of the countless small side valleys that climb the slopes to the base of these enormous Dolomite rocks, you can access magnificent viewpoints thanks to the ski lifts open during the tourist seasons.

The cable car of the Marmolada of course allows access to a panoramic terrace at an altitude of over 3200 meters. You will be able to sweep across all the great massifs of the dolomites.

Another wonderful viewpoint is the Sasso Pordoi. At over 2900 meters above sea level, you are on a summit, your feet almost in the abyssal void of these vertical rocky cliffs so typical of the Dolomites. The most seasoned hikers can continue the very rocky hike towards Piz Boé, the summit of the Sella group, with its lunar landscape.

The other arrivals of the ski lifts are less original and unique but they all allow you to enjoy the clear landscapes of the Dolomites.

The peaceful conquest of these summits should not make us forget that during the First World War, many battles took place on these summits to ensure control of strategic points.

At the Passo Fedaia and Passo Pordoi, as well as at the Marmolada, you can visit museums that explain how the opposing troops fought in terrible living conditions. In Moena, a large cultural centre entirely dedicated to the Great War in the Dolomites also allows us to find the explanations and the memory of these times which are fortunately now over.

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The Val di Fassa is an ideal region for a holiday in the Dolomites because the villages are well preserved and not spoiled by more recent residential architecture. The forests and streams are wild and give the impression of living an adventure on every outing. The landscapes seen from below or from the panoramic viewpoints are extraordinary. And finally, coming to a region that has managed to preserve its centuries-old language is the assurance of encountering an authentic and traditional mountain.

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