Canazei
Canazei is the most important centre of upper Val di Fassa, a Ladin valley in Trentino set in the heart of the Dolomites, a UNESCO...
Updated 17 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Canazei now
The story
The story of Canazei
The town of upper Val di Fassa
Canazei lies at around 1,465 metres, at the upper end of Val di Fassa, the Ladin valley in Trentino that runs alongside the Avisio stream. It is the highest and uppermost municipality of the valley, a reference point for those heading up toward the great Dolomite passes. The village grew up around its historic core, with the parish church and the timber-and-stone houses typical of Fassa architecture, keeping a compact village scale over time despite its strong tourist vocation. The municipal territory also includes Alba di Canazei, a hamlet a short distance further along the valley, also popular as a quieter base to stay. Canazei is today one of the reference centres of Val di Fassa for services, hospitality and connections to the ski area.
The UNESCO Dolomites: Sella, Sassolungo and Marmolada
Canazei is framed by some of the most representative mountain systems of the Dolomites, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2009. To the north-east rises the Sella group, a rocky plateau ringed by vertical walls that marks the border between Trentino, Alto Adige and the Veneto. To the west stand the spires of the Sassolungo, among the most photographed profiles in the Dolomites, clearly visible from the valley floor and from high-altitude trails. To the south, beyond the Fedaia Pass, the Marmolada dominates the skyline, the highest peak of the Dolomites at 3,343 metres, known as the "Queen of the Dolomites" for the scale of its glacier and its south faces. This combination of mountain groups makes Canazei a natural base for close observation and exploration of Dolomite landscapes of world value, among mountain huts, panoramic trails and viewpoints also reachable by cable car.
Skiing: the Sella Ronda and the mountain passes
In winter Canazei is one of the gateways to the Sella Ronda, the famous ski circuit that runs around the Sella massif through the Ladin valleys of Fassa, Gardena, Badia and Livinallongo, within the Dolomiti Superski area. From the village it is possible to reach the passes that make this route possible, in particular the Pordoi Pass and the Sella Pass, linked by slopes and lifts that allow the loop to be completed in either direction in a single day. The Col dei Rossi cable car, which climbs to Belvedere, provides the direct link between the village and the slopes, while also offering a panoramic viewpoint open in other seasons too. The area also includes the Fedaia Pass, at the foot of the Marmolada, which further extends the skiing on offer toward the glaciers. Canazei is therefore a strategic base for large-scale alpine skiing in the Dolomites.
The culture and language of Ladin Fassa
Val di Fassa is one of the historic Ladin valleys of the Dolomites, and Canazei fully shares its linguistic and cultural identity. Fassa Ladin, an ancient Romance language spoken in the valley, coexists with Italian in signage, school teaching and everyday life, and is a recognised part of the local cultural heritage alongside the other Ladin communities of the Dolomites. This identity is also reflected in local traditions, woodworking crafts, seasonal festivals and village architecture, elements that coexist with the town's strong international tourist vocation. Visiting Canazei therefore also means coming into contact with an Alpine culture distinct from other areas of Trentino-Alto Adige, with a history tied to the isolation of the Dolomite valleys and their later opening up to mountain tourism.
Mountaineering, via ferratas and summer hikes
Beyond the winter season, Canazei has long been a reference point for Dolomite mountaineering, thanks to its proximity to historic rock faces of the Sella and Sassolungo groups, a destination for climbers since the earliest decades of Alpine mountaineering. In summer the network of trails and via ferratas starting from the village allows exploration of plateaus, saddles and high-altitude mountain huts, with routes of varying difficulty suited to both hikers and more experienced mountaineers. Cable cars also running in the summer season ease access to high altitudes, reducing elevation gain and widening the possibilities for day hikes toward the Sella or toward panoramic balconies overlooking the Marmolada. This combination of accessibility and high-mountain environment makes Canazei a chosen base both for multi-day trekking and for day trips toward some of the best-known rock faces of the Dolomites.
Not to be missed
- Col dei Rossi cable car up to Belvedere
- The Sella Ronda ski circuit via the Pordoi and Sella passes
- Views of the Marmolada from the area's panoramic terraces
- The Sassolungo group and its rock faces
- Alba di Canazei and the trails of Val di Fassa
To see
What to see in Canazei
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Routes in Canazei
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