Easy hiking in the Dolomites - Val di Fassa

The journey begins in the charming mountain village of Vigo di Fassa, in the heart of the Dolomites. You can reach here by train and bus or by car through some of northern Italy's most beautiful landscapes. Once you've checked into your family-run hotel, a few days await surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks, blooming alpine meadows, and the Ladin culture that characterizes the valley. Take a stroll through the village, settle down at a café, or enjoy an Italian dinner while the evening sun colors the light limestone mountains pink – a phenomenon that has made the Dolomites famous worldwide.

For three days you stay in Vigo di Fassa and choose from several well-marked hikes. With the help of local buses and cable cars, you can easily reach the starting points, and you decide which tours suit the weather, your daily form, and interests. Common to all options are the fantastic views over the Dolomites' dramatic limestone mountains, blooming alpine meadows, and genuine mountain environments. Today we suggest a gentle start at Rosengarten (Catinaccio in Italian):

Hike from Rosengarten to Gardeccia

With the cable car, you easily reach the high mountains before continuing on foot toward the open valley of Gardeccia. The hike goes through larch forests and over alpine meadows with impressive views toward the dramatic Vajolet Towers. Several cozy rifugios make this a perfect tour for a long lunch with mountain views. 6 km, 50 m up/down

Hike from Rosengarten to Carezza

Take the cable car up from Vigo di Fassa and hike through the lower slopes of the Rosengarten massif. The trail passes alpine meadows and forest sections before ending with a chairlift down toward Carezza. An easy hike with fine panoramic views over the valleys. 6 km, 360 m up, 225 m down

Today we suggest two lovely hikes:

Hike in Val Duron

From Campitello di Fassa, you follow a wide and easy trail through the beautiful Val Duron. Surrounded by green pastures and traditional mountain huts, you have constant views toward the Sassolungo massif. Along the way are several rifugios where you can pause and enjoy local specialties and a cool drink. 7 km, 420 m up/down

Hike in Val Dona

From Fontanazzo, the path leads into the quiet and less visited Val Dona. Here you hike through flower meadows and along streams with a good chance of spotting marmots. A peaceful tour that shows another side of Val di Fassa. 7 km, 700 m up/down

Today you do the last hike with base camp Vigo di Fassa. After a short bus ride to the fairy-tale turquoise Lago di Carezza, you follow a scenic trail through spruce forests, open meadows, and gentle mountain slopes. Along the way, views open toward Latemar and Rosengarten before you reach the charming village of Moena, often called the fairy tale of the Dolomites and center for Italy's Vasaloppet Marcialonga.

While the luggage travels by car to the next hotel, after a short bus ride to Pozza di Fassa, you take the cable car up to Buffaure. From this natural viewpoint high above the valley, you begin an easy and scenic hike toward Canazei. The trail goes through blooming alpine meadows, larch forests, and open slopes with magnificent views toward the Marmolada glacier, Rosengarten, and Sella massif. The hike is a pleasure for those who want to experience high mountain landscapes without demanding climbs. Finally, you check in satisfied at the trip's second hotel in Canazei at the top of Val di Fassa.

The last hiking days depart from Canazei. With the help of cable cars, you reach some of the Dolomites' most spectacular viewpoints and choose the hikes that appeal most. Today we suggest:

Hike Via del Pan and Marmolada

Take the cable car from Alba and follow the classic Via del Pan (bread route), one of the Dolomites' most panoramic trails. Here you hike along the mountainsides with magnificent views over the Marmolada glacier, Lake Fedaia, and Val di Fassa. From the lake, you take a local bus back to Canazei. 7 km, 125 m up, 445 m down

Hike around Sassopiatto

With the cable car from Campitello, you reach high altitude and hike around the mighty Sassopiatto. You can choose to take another lift up toward the Sassolungo pass or follow the trail along the mountainside toward Rifugio Sassopiatto. The entire way you're surrounded by dramatic rock formations and extensive views. 10 km, 400 m up/down

Today you can round off the trip with the week's most high-alpine environment up on the Sella massif, which stands between the valleys Fassa, Gardena, and Badia, and has given its name to legendary round tours like Sella Ronda on skis or bicycle. The cable car takes you up toward Pordoi Pass and further to the almost 3,000-meter-high plateau Sasso Pordoi, often called "the terrace of the Dolomites". Here awaits a barren high mountain landscape with some of the area's most impressive views before you return the same way.

After breakfast, it's time to bid farewell to Val di Fassa. With memories of turquoise mountain lakes, blooming alpine meadows, dramatic mountain ridges, and the hospitable Ladin culture, you leave the Dolomites behind – perhaps with a wish to soon return to even more of the fantastic trails that await in this inexhaustible UNESCO World Heritage site.