Skiing in Alta Badia

Italy is beautiful not only in summer, when the sun is gilding your skin and the water is deliciously warm. It is also worth visiting them in winter, when they invite tourists to their slopes.

One of the exceptionally attractive places perfect for snow fun is the Alta Badia ski resort, located in the province of Bolzano in northern Italy. It offers some of the most beautiful ski runs in the Dolomites. It belongs to the Dolomitisuperski ski -pass region and tempts visitors with an exceptionally large number of sunny days, magnificent views and extensive and sunny routes. It guarantees very good skiing conditions throughout the season - from the end of November to mid-April.

The Ladin minority lives in the region and its culture is worth getting acquainted with. The Ladyinians are very proud of their linguistic identity, they have their own radio and television and a newspaper published in the Ladin Dolomitan language.

Alta Badia Ski Resort

Alta Badia is a resort nestled at the foot of the Sella massif, near the town of Corvara. Every year its attractive location attracts thousands of tourists wishing to test their skills on the slopes. 130 km of varied pistes await them, served by 52 ski lifts (8 gondolas, 30 chairlifts and 13 drag lifts). At an altitude of 1,400 to 2,778 m above sea level, the trails are covered with snow to provide skiers with the best conditions for winter sports.

There are 95 routes in total, and the longest one is Lagazuoi with a length of 7.2 km (elevation difference is 1130 m). The trail allows you to enter Passo Falzarego, also known as the Dolomicka Road. The Armentarola / San Cassiano route is also beautiful, as is the Vallon-Corvara route, which is 4.3 km long. We can find here 70 km of blue runs, 52 km of red runs, and 8 km of black runs. Perfectly organized lifts with a capacity of 76,700 people per hour allow you to quickly get to the slopes.

The resort together with Val di Fassa, Val Gardena and Arabba / Marmolada form the huge Sella Ronda carousel. It is a complex of routes and lifts surrounding the Sella mountain range. Experienced skiers can cross four passes throughout the day: Passo Pordoi, Passo Campolongo, Passo Gardena and Passo Sella. We can overcome the merry-go-round by moving clockwise or vice versa. Follow the orange signs in the first case, and the green signs in the second.

You should set off on the routes no later than 10.00, otherwise you may not make it to the last lift, which starts at 15.30. If we miss the spot or it turns out that we are not in as good condition as we thought and we covered the route after a long time, we have to use taxis. Unfortunately, they are not cheap. Before going to the slopes, we should also check the weather and dress appropriately - after all, we will spend the whole day on the route.

Prices of passes in Alta Badia in the season 2013/2014

In the Alta Badia resort, easy and medium-difficult routes prevail, making it a great place for practicing skiing or learning to drive. You can also try carving, i.e. riding on the edges of skis. Beginners or families with children can take the opportunity to visit the Kroplantz station , less than 20 km away. There are specially prepared routes for the little ones, there are even kindergartens for children from 3 years of age.

As mentioned above, the Alta Badia routes are connected with others to form a huge carousel together. If we want to take advantage of the possibility of a day-long stay among the landscapes of the Dolomites, we can buy the appropriate pass. A day ticket for an adult costs from € 42.00 (in the period 30.11-21.12) to € 52.00 in high season, i.e. in the period 22.12-06.01 and 02.02-15.03. Youth will pay from € 29.00 to € 36.00, while seniors - from € 38.00 to € 47.00. The prices of 1-day passes for the Alta Badia resort itself range from € 23.00 for children and seniors to € 27.00 for adults. A detailed price list of passes at the Alta Badia Ski pass and Dolomiti Superski Ski passes is available at the above links.

However, you cannot think that this place is just for ski lovers and others will be bored. Nothing like that - you can admire the area during long snowshoe hikes, as well as during a sleigh trip. In summer, golf courses await tourists, visitors also have the opportunity to ride bikes and horses, and walk along mountain trails.

The charm of the Italian slopes

Apart from the beauty, the advantage of Alta Badia is its location in the heart of the Dolomites. Tourists who choose it will have excellent access to the attractions of other resorts, as well as many opportunities to spend time. In the largest town in the region, Corvara, there is an indoor ice rink, and in the intimate Pedraces, there is a charming lake, on the surface of which you can glide in winter. The guests of the resort can also taste local specialties - Ladin cuisine is only seemingly simple and homogeneous. In the past, despised by urban Italians, today, in the age of ecology and attaching great importance to healthy eating, it gains a lot of respect.

In Ladin pubs (Herrengröstel) we will try bread soup, barley soup and broth dumplings, as well as fried dumplings with spinach or cheese. The menu also includes cheese dumplings and tutres, i.e. round pancakes with poppy seeds, sauerkraut or spinach. For dessert, we can order strudel, pancakes with candied fruit or cookies with apples. Simple, nutritious and very tasty, they will strengthen us before returning to the slopes.