At 3,343 metres the Marmolada is the highest peak in the Dolomites, the Queen, as everyone calls it. It also holds the only real glacier in the group, sadly shrinking fast these days. To reach it without being a mountaineer, start from Malga Ciapela at around 1,450 metres, where the cable car climbs in three stages: after the stations at Banc d'Antermoja and Serauta it touches Punta Rocca, above 3,250 metres. From up there, on a clear day, the view runs unbroken across most of the Dolomites and beyond.
The trip up is also a trip into history. At the Serauta station, around 3,000 metres, the Museum of the Great War has displays that look out onto the tunnels soldiers carved into the ice between 1915 and 1917, when the front line ran right through here. At Punta Rocca, a small chapel cut into the rock holds a Madonna statue blessed by Pope John Paul II. In winter the same mountain turns into a ski destination, with a long run down to the valley. Thanks to the cable car, you can visit even if you don't normally walk in the mountains.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Marmolada cable car depart from?
On the Fassa side, it leaves from Malga Ciapela at around 1,450 metres. The cable car climbs in three stages, passing through Serauta and reaching Punta Rocca above 3,250 metres.
What is there to see at the top of the Marmolada?
A huge view over the Dolomites, the Madonna chapel at Punta Rocca, and, at Serauta station, the Museum of the Great War with views of the tunnels carved along the front line.