Val Senales Ski Resort Italy

The Val Senales ski resort includes the Hochjochferner glacier & has the second longest ski season in Italy, behind fabulous Cervinia. Opening in September each year, the ski area (like many in the dual-language region) is known by a variety of names. It is variously called Val Senales, Schnalstal Gletscher (Glacier), Alpin Arena Schnals, or Alpin Arena Senales. Choose whatever rolls of your tongue easier!

A high altitude resort close to where the famous Oetzi the Ice Man was found (now housed in a museum in Bolzano) & home to Europe's highest hotel, there are plenty of reasons for skiing Val Senales. Not the least of which is exploring the incredible Val Venosta all the way from Merano to the Austrian border (see 'Attractions' section below).

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

Val Senales ski resort has a season extending from mid-September to early May by virtue of the glacier. The signature ski run on the mountain in winter is the exceptional 8km long Smugglers Run which includes a full top to bottom on a lactic acid building 1,201m of vertical. Unlike many European glacier ski resorts, a third of the 42km of piste trails are rated advanced, providing experienced skiers with some fun skiing.

The main access cable car to the top of the mountain has been replaced a few seasons ago, improving access up to the top of the ski area.

Check out the ski trail map for Val Senales below.

Val Senales Ski Trail Map

Lift Passes, Dates & Openings

The long ski season at Val Senales runs from mid-late September all the way through to early May. For purposes of lift pass pricing, the Season is split into A, B, C and D.

In the early season from mid-September to early November, the skiing is limited to the upper glacier with its skiable vertical limited to around 210m. The terrain can be wholly taken up by ski race teams that have paid to reserve the slope to train for the upcoming racing season, so be wary of any early season visits. The main ski season starts from early November (hopefully after some snow has fallen!) on expanded terrain

Lift pass prices are most expensive during the limited opening of 'Season A' until Early November. After that the lift pass pricing can vary up to €13/day/adult between Season B and the high Season D. prices are nevertheless affordable relative to other ski areas in Europe. Note too that passes can be up to 7% cheaper if pre-purchased online.

Where is Val Senales Italy?

Val Senales ski resort is in the upper Schnalstal of north-eastern Italy, above the village of Maso Corto (a.k.a. Kurzras) which is 26km by road north of the closest major town, Naturno (a.k.a. Naturns). Hard on the Austrian border, the resort is 72km by road north-west of Bolzano & in the German speaking, South Tyrol - Alto Adige region. From Innsbruck, Maso Corto is around 3hr drive (190-200km) via either the Brenner Pass or the more interesting Reschen Pass via the excellent secret stash of Nauders.

The closest international gateway airports include Innsbruck (INN), Munich (MUC), Venice (VCE) & at a stretch, Milan (MXP). Direct private transfers are the quickest mode of travel to Val Senales & Kurzras but come at a cost if in a small group. The larger the group the better the deal!

Search & book here for a private transfer direct to Val Senales.

Trains to Bolzano can be utilised for travel to the region. Onward journeys are via Merano. From Merano train station, the route 250 bus (buy tickets from the driver) will get you the rest of the way to Maso Corto & Val Senales via Naturno, but only around 3 services run per day. A better bet is to take the regular regional trains from Merano to Naturno station & catch one of the 13 daily services on the route 261 bus route to Maso Corto. Depending on the time of day, from Bolzano to Naturno by train takes between 1½hr to 2hr. It is a big effort, but you are doing the world (and our ski seasons) a huge favour by taking public transport.POW (Protect Our Winters)!

Search & book here for train tickets to Bolzano, Merano & Naturno.

Val Senales Accommodation

Maso Corto - Kurzras, along with some excellent on-mountain hotel & rifugio lodgings, provides the incredibly convenient accommodation to the ski resort. As with many towns & locations in the region, for historical reasons, Val Senale’s resort village of Kurzras has two names & is also known as Maso Corto. Similarly, Val Senales is also referred to as Schnalstal. Kurzras - Maso Corto sits high in the valley at 2,011m altitude, all but guaranteeing a snowy landscape all winter long. The local mountains rise spectacularly up to 1,700m metres above the valley floor. Away from each of the accommodation providers, there are relatively few services in the ‘village’.

For first tracks & a bird eye view of all the surrounding mountain splendour, try a night at the highest hotel in Europe at 3,212m elevation, the Glacier Hotel Grawand. Access is via the cable car direct from Kurzras - Maso Corto. Another ski-in ski-out alternative is the more relaxed Bella Vista situated high on the opposite side of the valley. Accommodation includes alpine-style dorm beds as well as a selection of private rooms. Spanking views are complimentary!

In the valley at the base of the ski lifts in Maso Corto, a cluster of four decent hotel & apartment lodging options are available. Right at the cable car valley station, the pick of them is Piccolo Hotel Gurschler. Behind is the Sporthotel Kurzras and Aparthotel Maso Corto. Finally, a few steps away is the Blu Senales Hotel.

Search & book a place to stay via the Val Senales (Maso Corto - Kurzras) Ski Accommodation Listings.

A string of small villages & hamlets line the valley to the south toward the larger town of Naturno. Before Naturno, there are numerous superb accommodations like Hotel & Chalets Edelweiss and Hotel Oberraindlhof. In Naturno, there are loads of options try the centrally located Kleinkunsthotel).

Alternatively, if one has a car, the eye-popping historic walled village of Glorenza - Glurns, the spa town of Merano (try the Gästehaus Salvatorianerinnen), or even bustling Bolzano can make convenient bases for day trips to the mountain.

Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski rentals are available in Maso Corto village via our local partners. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Val Senales Ski & Snowboard Rental page.

Nearby Ski Resorts & Attractions

The Val Venosta (or Vinschgau) is a South Tyrolean, predominantly German speaking part of Italy, which rises west of Merano (Meran) & Bolzano (Bozen). Val Venosta’s stunning combination of glacier-draped mountains, ice bound lakes, drowned bell towers, gorgeous ancient walled villages, castles, monasteries & ski resorts make it an all-round European ski safari location to be reckoned with.

Nearby ski resorts are all part of the Südtirol Skiarena & include the family-friendly Belpiano - Malga S.Valentino (Schoeneben-Haideralm) & Meran 2000, the massive verticality of Skiworld Ahrntal - Klausberg & Speikboden, smaller local ski hills like Watles & Trafoi, plus the high alpine of Solda-Sulden to name a few.

Within a one-hour drive of Maso Corto, the gorgeous town of Glorenza (a.k.a. Glurns) in the centre of the valley is like a window into the past. A walk down its perfectly preserved 16th century cobbled streets reveal fortifications, tower gates & porticoed arcades. Throw in the amazing 12th century Marienburg Kloster & castle in Burgusio & the 1,200 years of human history at the St John’s Abbey in Müstair (10km/12min drive west just over the border in Switzerland) and Glurns starts to seem like a European ski & culture holiday hotspot.

Once in the upper valley, some brilliant Austrian ski resorts are a short drive away via the easy Passo di Resia (Reschen Pass). Nauders (awesome on a powder day) & Serfaus Fiss Ladis lead to the Inn valley via Landeck Zams & the best resorts in Austria.

A symbol of the upper Val Venosta is the 14th century bell tower of Curon that juts remarkably from the waters of Lago di Resia. In winter it is possible to walk (or skate) across the ice to see it firsthand. The frozen lakes are a mecca for ice sports including ice skating, ice hockey, ski kiting, ice kiting, ice sailing & general slipping & sliding!

Reviews & More Info

The Powderhounds were close to reviewing Val Senales in the past, but a foul week of weather stymied our attempt. We will add more information on this resort after we visit, definitely in the coming ski season. Stay tuned for our photos & insights. We did get to visit Oetzi the Ice Man in Bolzano in early 2018. An incredible experience - definitely go check him out.

See how the region’s ski resorts compares to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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If you have a question about skiing & snowboarding at Val Senales or elsewhere in Europe, CONTACT US.