Val di Fassa Ski Resort Italy
Val di Fassa ski resort in the Dolomites is a classic Italian 8-part degustation. The entree is on Catinaccio, mains are centred on Col Rodella, the Belvedere or Ciampac & Buffaure, with Sass Pordoi & Fedaia on the flanks of Marmolada the dessert selection. The collection of different ski areas total a surprising small 75km of piste trails but includes hugely diverse terrain ranging from perfect beginner areas to serious freeride routes plus everything in between.
Val di Fassa Italy has numerous classic Dolomites villages (Canazei, Campitello, Pozza di Fassa, Vigo di Fassa) & mountain rifugi, creating a superb ski destination. With lift & piste links to neighbouring resorts as well, the big questions of where to stay & where to ski each day are wonderful problems to have!
Pros & Cons for Val di Fassa Ski Resort
Pros
- Fabulous family friendly snow holiday destination.
- Glorious Dolomites surrounds.
- Excellent beginner, intermediate & advanced piste trails.
- Some quiet, seemingly isolated 'skiing gems' in amongst the hoi polloi.
- Modern, comfortable ski lifts.
- Spectacular off-piste freeride routes from Saas Pordoi & Marmolada.
- Seamless lift & piste connection with Arabba & Val Gardena.
- World-class snow-making (regardless of Mother Nature’s fickleness).
- Typically great Dolomites' mountain restaurants, bars & rifugi.
- ’Ski-in ski-out’ accommodation available on the mountain & sensational agri-turismo in the countryside.
Cons
- Ski area spread across a wide valley & not fully lift interlinked.
- Bus journeys link different ski areas (aaargh!) & most buses cost a small additional fee (double aaargh).
- Some pistes & lifts on the Col Rodella & Belvedere get busy with Sella Ronda ‘traffic’ (beep beep).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Not known as a powder ski destination but has more marked freeride options than any other Dolomites ski areas.
- No single main village or centre.
- Limited high-end (5-star) accommodation (does anyone really care, I mean really?).
- Close to historic, yet cosmopolitan Bolzano & its transport links to the rest of Europe!
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
The Val di Fassa ski & snowboard terrain has the second highest skiable vertical in the Dolomites, after Arabba Marmolada – a tidy 1,750m. The length of piste trails is a around 75km across three main ski areas & two smaller ones. Additional to the piste trails, several iconic Dolomites ski routes descend between the precipitous cliffs below Sass Pordoi, the resort’s highest point at 2,950m. Note that the most skiable vertical one can do in one hit in Val di Fassa is 1,490m & that involves an off-piste route. Generally, skiable verticals are a maximum of around 1,000m, and it should be noted that whilst the 75km of ski trails may seem smallish, the boundaries with Arabba & Val Gardena are murky enough to make it seem alot larger than that. To further muddy the equation, the distant ski areas of San Pellegrino Pass - Falcade, Moena - Alpe Lusia & Carezza are often included in the broader 'Val di Fassa' nomenclature. Don't be fooled. Whilst they can be skied when in the area, other than Carezza, they are not included on a standard Val di Fassa lift pass, & are too distant plus too disconnected to be considered part of the resort.
Check out the full ski trail map for Val di Fassa below.
Val di Fassa’s ski terrain is predominantly between the altitudes of 1,700m & 2,500m in open alpine/sub-alpine zones. Over half of the trails are rated intermediate & the resort is perfect for long cruising days with friends & family linking villages, rifugios, viewpoints & bars via the multitude of lifts & the odd ski bus! In poor weather, the best tree-lined trails are in the under-rated Catinaccio area near Pozza di Fassa – our favourite human-free super-fast sliding zone.
Interlinked with Dolomiti Superski
Part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area and on the famed Sella Ronda, Val di Fassa is also lift & piste linked to the ski resorts of Arabba Marmolada to the east & Val Gardena to the north. Dolomiti Superski lift passes are up to €8/day more expensive than a local Val di Fassa ski pass.
For more information on terrain, ski lifts, lift passes & ratings, see the Skiing Val di Fassa page.
Snow & Weather
Snowfall in the Dolomites can sometimes seem like feast or famine. During a feast, it is delicious. The off-piste opens up & the ski possibilities are endless. In famine (for example early season 2016/17) skiing Val di Fassa is still ‘haute cuisine’. The snow-making capacity is phenomenal, so one can still ski EVERYWHERE on-piste. You must see it to believe it (& we have!). While the Dolomites are not a true powder seekers destination, sometimes skiing is more than that. The Dolomites & Val di Fassa is the place to find the 'more'. Luckily, Val di Fassa includes north-aspect terrain on the very snowy flanks of Marmolada, so powder seekers get a look in after all.
Where is Val di Fassa Italy?
The Val di Fassa ski resort is amongst the most spectacular of the Dolomites peaks in Trentino Italy. The resort’s major centre of Canazei is less than 50km (1hr) by road from the major city of Bolzano.
Bolzano is easily reached by car or train from the closest airports in Innsbruck (INN), Venice (VCE), Munich (MUC) & Milan (MXP). From Bolzano, public buses can be used to reach the ski resort towns of Pozza do Fassa, Campitello, Canazei, Alba & Penia. Private transfers direct from airports or Bolzano to your hotel may prove more efficient than public bus. Search & book private transfers to Canazei, Campitello or Pozza di Fassa.
For detailed information on the best way to get there, see our Travel to Val di Fassa page.
Val di Fassa Accommodation
The ski resort has oodles of exquisite accommodation options in beautiful villages. From the top to the bottom of the valley are: Penia, Alba, Canazei, Campitello, Pera, Pozza di Fassa & Vigo di Fassa. The villages of Canazei (including Alba), Campitello & Pozza di Fassa (including Vigo di Fassa) have the best access to the major ski areas of the Val di Fassa. If you enjoy a bit of lively hustle & bustle, Canazei is the best place in the valley. For the best in local tradition in quieter surrounds, Pozza di Fassa (& nearby hamlets) is the place to rest your head.
Search & book all Val di Fassa accommodation.
As well as being the liveliest (a busiest) of the Val di Fassa villages, Canazei also has some highly sought-after accommodations with the triple treat of being near the village centre, valley ski trail & gondola lift base. The pick of the hotels is the 4-star Hotel La Perla, but if your pockets are not deep enough, the 3-star Albergo Alla Rosa or Hotel Pareda. For apartments, try the convenient Casa Maurivan. Local guesthouses (or BnBs) are often called hotels & whilst the distinction can be vague, most guesthouses (garni) are smaller family run affairs with an intimacy not usual present in hotels. In Canazei try the Garnì Stella Alpina or ski-in ski-out Garni Al Viel.
For ski-in ski-out accommodations, up in the mountains a vast range of rifugios & hotels are strategically positioned. One of the better located rifugios is the Rifugio Sass Becè perched on the Belvedere with Arabba to one side & Val di Fassa on the other guaranteeing first tracks. Above Canazei at Pecol (1,926m elevation) are two exceptional hotels accessed by gondola; the aptly named Hotel Bellavista & highly rated Hotel Tita Piaz. Both are ski-in & next to the Belvedere lifts for fresh mornings. Beyond the Belvedere at Passo Pordoi the Hotel Pordoi & Hotel Savoia provide ski-in, ski-out lodgings in a spectacular setting. Across at Col Rodella, Rifugio Salei sits in prime position for a comfortable night’s sleep & freshies in the morning.
The relatively nearby Carezza ski area (but in reality quite the distance from the main Val di Fassa), has the village of Nova Levante - Welschnofen - the closest to Bolzano & a good jumping off point to the rest of the Val di Fassa if one has a car. At the top of the ski area near Passo Costalungo, the ski village of Carezza has ski-in ski-out chalets galore. Amidst the resort, the ski-in ski out Hotel Moseralm is splendid for first tracks & mountain hospitality.
The gorgeous city of Bolzano can be used as a base to explore the Val di Fassa ski areas. In the historic old town, some absolutely sensational self-contained apartments are above the vibrant main street in the pedestrian zone.
Search & book Bolzano accommodation.
Ski Rentals, Guiding & Lessons
Ski rentals & equipment are available in all the major Val di Fassa villages. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Val di Fassa Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Exploring the diverse off-piste routes on the Sella massif & Marmolada can be more fun with better skills & the aid of local knowledge. A mass of ski instructors, ski schools & guides ply their trade in the Val di Fassa ski resort & adjoining valleys. To narrow down the field, search & book via our Val di Fassa Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Reviews
The Powderhounds visited the Val di Fassa three times in recent seasons. We barely scratched the surface due to poor early snow in January 2017 & similarly, due to extreme blizzards in early 2018. One would think the resort was conspiring against us! We successfully returned in 2019 for a longer stay to reap some long-awaited rewards. See the review & extra photos via the links in the left column (or top of page on a mobile).
See how Val di Fassa & the other Dolomites areas compare to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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