VAL DI FASSA

In the heart of the Dolomites and surrounded by great mountains, Val di Fassa combines the quality and traditions of hospitality with enchanting view. There is an abundance of green thanks to the abundant water supply brougth down by the river, fed by the eternal glaciers of the Marmolada and an abundance of wood. The wood industry is traditionally a large source of income for the people of the valleys. The Val di Fassa was one of the many areas under the power of the bishops of Trento and Bolzano. The valley, divided into smaller areas, was governed by the local rules or regole. This independent spirit is a characteristic of Fassa people. You can reach the Val di Fassa from one of its four adjacent valleys: the Val di Fiemme, the Val di Ega, the Val Gardena and Livinallongo via the high passo Pordoi which at 2239m offers both excellent views and starting points for many footpaths of "ferrate". The more famous mountain is mount Sella (3151m) known also as the "castle of the Dolomites" and Sella's highest point is called Piz Boè and the spectacular Sass Pordoi. These mountains are very popular for hikers and trekkers.

Another legendary massif is the Catinaccio (2981m), in German it is called Rosengarten "roses garden" a name that probably derives from the legend of king Laurino who had a rose covered garden on this mountain.

After the king was mortally wounded at the hands of foreign soldiers, he put a curse on the flowers that had be trayed him.

He prayed that the roses would never again blossom at night or day, but he forgot the sunset. Today, during the twilight hours, it is said that roses come into bloom on the Catinaccio range. The hike from the valley floors up to the heart of the Catinaccio is one of the most popular in this part of Dolomites. Once arriving at the top the sight of the Vajolet Towers is enough to take your breath away. They have resisted erosion from ice and wind over thousands of years and still stand as powerful and defiant as ever. The scenery is surreal, moon like and the walking equally enchanting.

The principals villages are Vigo, Pozza, Campitello and Canazei. These villages offer traditional rustic bars, craft shops and places of entertainment for those who wish to enjoy to the full on their holiday. The museum of the Ladin Cultural Institute in Vigo di Fassa is the first step for getting to know the traditions and history of the people of this valley. Significant expressions of the ancestral rites and customs of king Laurino's subjects are proposed at Christmas time and in Carnival week.

Val di Fassa share 145 kilometres of ski rums server by 59 lifts in the district of upper Val di Fassa. Also you can enter the most spectacular ski circus in the Alps, the "Sella Ronda": 40 kilometres of runs around the Sella Massif. Today the Sella Ronda route also hosts an important nocturnal ski mountaineering race: the Sellaronda Ski Marathon in which paired competitions, from all over the Alps, race over the route using sealskins and helmet lamps and ski down the long descents in the light on the moon at dead of night. The Marcialonga trail and small circuits are prepared for cross-country skiers along the bottom of the valley.