Villages and towns of the Dolomites

Valley by valley, the towns and villages of the Dolomites: a short history and the best points of interest of each place.

Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm)

The valley
Castelrotto with the bell tower of the church of Saints Peter and Paul among the houses

Village · Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) · 1,060 m

Castelrotto

A German-speaking village at the foot of the Sciliar, with the tallest bell tower in the area and living farming traditions.

The parish church of Fiè allo Sciliar with its onion-domed tower, on the village square

Village · Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) · 880 m

Fiè allo Sciliar

A quiet village at the foot of the Sciliar, known for its bathing lake and its hay baths.

Siusi allo Sciliar seen from San Costantino

Village · Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) · 998 m

Siusi allo Sciliar

The gateway to the plateau, where the cable car up to the Alpe di Siusi departs, at the foot of the Sciliar.

Alta Badia

The valley
The Val Badia with its farmsteads and the Dolomites behind

Village · Alta Badia · 1,324 m

Badia

A Ladin municipality in Alta Badia dominated by the Sasso di Santa Croce, with the Santa Croce sanctuary and the Armentara meadows.

Colfosco among the meadows, with the Sass da Ciampac above the forest

Village · Alta Badia · 1,645 m

Colfosco

The highest village in Alta Badia, at the foot of the Sella group and the Sassongher, on the Sellaronda and close to the Pisciadù hut.

Corvara in Badia in the Alta Badia basin at the foot of the Sassongher

Village · Alta Badia · 1,568 m

Corvara in Badia

The main resort of Alta Badia, at the foot of the Sassongher and a crossroads of the Sellaronda between the Gardena and Campolongo passes.

La Villa in Alta Badia with the slopes of the Dolomites behind

Village · Alta Badia · 1,433 m

La Villa

A Ladin village in Alta Badia known for the Gran Risa World Cup slope and as a base for the Pralongià and the Dolomites of Fanes.

Old wooden farmhouses and barns in San Cassiano, with Dolomite walls behind

Village · Alta Badia · 1,537 m

San Cassiano

A Ladin village at the foot of the Dolomites of Fanes, known for fine dining, its prehistoric site and as the gateway to the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park.

Arabba e Marmolada

The valley
Pieve di Livinallongo, the main village of the municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana

Village · Arabba e Marmolada · 1,475 m

Livinallongo del Col di Lana

Ladin village of Fodom, whose tourist hamlet Arabba lies below the Sella, marked by the history of the Great War on the Col di Lana.

A glimpse of the village of Rocca Pietore at the foot of the Marmolada

Village · Arabba e Marmolada · 1,143 m

Rocca Pietore

Village at the foot of the Marmolada, at the mouth of the Serrai di Sottoguda, one of the most beautiful and famous gorges in the Dolomites.

Auronzo e Misurina

The valley
Auronzo di Cadore in autumn along the Santa Caterina lake, with the Marmarole behind

Village · Auronzo e Misurina · 864 m

Auronzo di Cadore

The village strung along the Santa Caterina lake, below the Marmarole, where the road to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo starts from the south side.

Lake Misurina with hotels on the shore and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo behind

Village · Auronzo e Misurina · 1,754 m

Misurina

The Pearl of Cadore, a hamlet on the shore of Lake Misurina at 1,754 metres, known for its clean air and as the gateway to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Comelico e Sappada

The valley
Santo Stefano di Cadore in the Comelico valley

Village · Comelico e Sappada · 908 m

Santo Stefano di Cadore

Main town of the Comelico, where the Piave meets the Padola, among the peaks of the Popera and the Croda Rossa di Sesto.

Sappada's old wooden houses facing a meadow, with forests behind

Village · Comelico e Sappada · 1,245 m

Sappada

A German-speaking linguistic island at the foot of Monte Peralba, with its wooden-house hamlets and the springs of the Piave river.

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The valley
The Cortina d'Ampezzo basin seen from Faloria, the town on the valley floor and the Tofane behind

Village · Cortina d'Ampezzo · 1,224 m

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The Ampezzo basin closed in by the Tofane, the Cristallo and the Sorapis, with a pedestrian centre, two Olympic Games behind it and a collective ownership of the woods that has lasted for centuries.

San Vito di Cadore on the valley floor seen from above, surrounded by woods and meadows

Village · Cortina d'Ampezzo · 1,010 m

San Vito di Cadore

Ten kilometres below Cortina, between the Antelao and the Pelmo, with a small lake in the village and the prices of a place where people actually live.

Brenta Dolomites

The valley
Andalo in its basin, with the peaks of the Brenta group behind

Village · Brenta Dolomites · 1,042 m

Andalo

Trentino's family capital on the Paganella plateau, with the gondola climbing to 2,125 metres and the karst lake that appears and disappears.

Piazza Righi in Madonna di Campiglio, in the Brenta Dolomites

Village · Brenta Dolomites · 1,550 m

Madonna di Campiglio

The pearl of the Brenta Dolomites: elegance of Habsburg origin, the 3Tre World Cup slalom and the Vallesinella waterfalls close at hand.

Lake Molveno and the village at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites

Village · Brenta Dolomites · 864 m

Molveno

The lakeside village awarded again and again among the most beautiful in Italy, with its grassy beach below the Brenta and the Pradel gondola.

The upper Val Rendena with Pinzolo among meadows and woods

Village · Brenta Dolomites · 770 m

Pinzolo

The main town of the Val Rendena, with the Baschenis Dance of Death, the Doss del Sabion cable car and the gateway to the Val Genova.

San Martino di Castrozza

The valley
The church of Santa Maria Assunta in Fiera di Primiero

Village · San Martino di Castrozza · 717 m

Fiera di Primiero

Historic capital of Primiero, at the foot of the Pale di San Martino, with its Gothic parish church and a past tied to mining.

The church of Sant'Andrea in Siror in the Primiero

Village · San Martino di Castrozza · 744 m

Siror

Ancient village of the Primiero at the foot of the Pale, with rustic houses, wooden hay barns and the church of Sant'Andrea.

San Vigilio di Marebbe e Fanes

The valley
San Vigilio di Marebbe under snow, with the pistes at the edge of the village and the park mountains behind

Village · San Vigilio di Marebbe e Fanes · 1,201 m

San Vigilio di Marebbe

A Ladin village at the mouth of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, with the Kronplatz on one side and the plateau of the legends on the other.

Val Gardena

The valley
Ortisei from above, with houses among the meadows and the Seceda behind

Village · Val Gardena · 1,236 m

Ortisei

Capital of Val Gardena, home of Ladin woodcarving and gateway to Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi.

Santa Cristina Valgardena among the meadows, with the Odle behind

Village · Val Gardena · 1,428 m

Santa Cristina Valgardena

The middle village of Val Gardena, between the Saslong World Cup slope and the Col Raiser gondola towards the Odle.

Selva di Val Gardena at the foot of the Sella group

Village · Val Gardena · 1,563 m

Selva di Val Gardena

The highest village of Val Gardena, at the foot of the Sella and the Sassolungo, gateway to the Vallunga and the Sellaronda.

Val Pusteria e Lago di Braies

The valley
The Braies valley with farmsteads at the foot of the Dolomites

Village · Val Pusteria e Lago di Braies · 1,383 m

Braies

The municipality of the famous Lake Braies, among scattered farmsteads, the Fanes-Senes-Braies Park and the loop around the lake.

The Grand Hotel of Dobbiaco in Val Pusteria

Village · Val Pusteria e Lago di Braies · 1,256 m

Dobbiaco

The gateway to the Dolomites between Val Pusteria and Cadore, a hub toward Lake Braies, the Tre Cime and the cycle path.

San Candido in the Upper Val Pusteria with the Dolomites behind

Village · Val Pusteria e Lago di Braies · 1,175 m

San Candido

Ancient town of the Upper Val Pusteria with its Romanesque collegiate church, a gateway to the Tre Cime and the valley cycle path.

The old town of Villabassa in the Upper Val Pusteria

Village · Val Pusteria e Lago di Braies · 1,158 m

Villabassa

Historic village of the Upper Val Pusteria with its painted square and the Wassermann house, near Lake Braies.

Eggental (Val d'Ega)

The valley
Welschnofen in the valley floor among the forests, seen from the meadows looking towards Passo Costalunga, with the snowy Latemar behind

Village · Eggental (Val d'Ega) · 1,182 m

Welschnofen (Nova Levante)

The Eggental village at the foot of the Rosengarten, at 1,182 metres: the gondola starts in the centre and Lake Carezza lies within its municipality.

Deutschnofen on its plateau, among green meadows and spruce forest, with the parish church in the middle of the village

Village · Eggental (Val d'Ega) · 1,357 m

Deutschnofen (Nova Ponente)

The village on the Eggental's sunny plateau, at 1,357 metres: Thurn Castle, the Maria Weissenstein sanctuary and, within the municipality, Obereggen below the Latemar.

Obereggen on the hillside: a chapel, a farmhouse and a hotel among still-dry meadows, with the snowy peaks of the Latemar behind

Village · Eggental (Val d'Ega) · 1,550 m

Obereggen

The Deutschnofen hamlet at the foot of the Latemar, at 1,550 metres: the lifts start in the centre, towards the Latemarium in summer and onto the Ski Center Latemar slopes in winter.

Val di Fassa

The valley
Campitello di Fassa at the foot of the Sassolungo

Village · Val di Fassa · 1,442 m

Campitello di Fassa

A small village at the foot of the Sassolungo, with the cable car up to Col Rodella and a long history of mountain guides.

Val di Fassa seen from Canazei with the Dolomite peaks

Village · Val di Fassa · 1,465 m

Canazei

The village at the head of Val di Fassa, at the foot of the Sella and the Marmolada, a base for the Sellaronda and the Vajolet Towers.

View of Moena at the entrance to Val di Fassa

Village · Val di Fassa · 1,184 m

Moena

The gateway to Val di Fassa, between Fiemme and Fassa, known as the Fairy of the Dolomites and for Puzzone di Moena cheese.

Pozza di Fassa seen from the Buffaure gondola

Village · Val di Fassa · 1,320 m

Pozza di Fassa

A village at the centre of the valley, now part of the Sèn Jan municipality, with the Buffaure gondola and the Alba spa waters.

Pozza and Vigo di Fassa on the valley floor, seen from above between the forests

Village · Val di Fassa · 1,382 m

Vigo di Fassa

The historic and cultural heart of the Ladin valley, at the foot of the Catinaccio, home to the Ladin museum and cultural institute.

Val di Fiemme

The valley
Cavalese on its terrace among meadows, surrounded by the mountains of Val di Fiemme

Village · Val di Fiemme · 1,000 m

Cavalese

The main town of Val di Fiemme, home of the Magnifica Comunità and gateway to Alpe Cermis.

Predazzo's main square with colourful buildings and the forests of Val di Fiemme above

Village · Val di Fiemme · 1,018 m

Predazzo

A high village of Val di Fiemme, famous for its rocks and close to the Paneveggio forest and the violins.

Tesero seen from the San Valerio hill in Val di Fiemme

Village · Val di Fiemme · 991 m

Tesero

A village of traditions in Val di Fiemme, known for its nativity scenes, crafts and cross-country stadium.

Val di Funes

The valley
San Pietro in Val di Funes, with its bell tower among houses and meadows

Village · Val di Funes · 1,141 m

San Pietro (Funes)

The main centre of Val di Funes, seat of the municipality, base for reaching the Odle and the little church of San Giovanni in Ranui.

Santa Maddalena with its church among green meadows and the Odle behind

Village · Val di Funes · 1,339 m

Santa Maddalena

The signature hamlet of Val di Funes, with its little church beneath the spires of the Odle, one of the most photographed views in the Dolomites.

Val di Sesto (Alta Pusteria)

The valley
The village of Sesto in the Upper Puster Valley with the Dolomites behind

Village · Val di Sesto (Alta Pusteria) · 1,310 m

Sesto

German-speaking village of the Upper Puster Valley, home of the Sesto Sundial and the gateway through the Val Fiscalina to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Val di Zoldo e Civetta

The valley
Lake Alleghe with the village on the shore and the Civetta wall behind

Village · Val di Zoldo e Civetta · 979 m

Alleghe

The village on the lake at the foot of the Civetta, with the great north west face mirrored in the water.

The village of Forno di Zoldo in Val di Zoldo

Village · Val di Zoldo e Civetta · 848 m

Forno di Zoldo

The heart of Val di Zoldo, home of the emigrant ice cream makers and a base for the Pelmo and the Civetta.