Province of Belluno
Belluno is Veneto's highest and greenest province, the only one entirely enclosed by the Dolomites, the mountain range declared a...
Updated 11 July 2026
Province of Belluno
Explore
Towns in the province
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Province of Belluno now
The story
The story of Province of Belluno
The Province of the Dolomites
Belluno is the only Italian province almost entirely contained within the Dolomites mountain system, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009 for its geological and landscape value, unique in the world. Nine of the twenty-one protected Dolomite systems lie within Belluno's territory, from the Dolomiti Bellunesi to the Sella group, from the Marmarole to the Friulian Dolomites. Vertical spires, pale rock towers, plateaus and glacial valleys alternate in a landscape that changes color with the light, culminating in the famous "enrosadira," the reddening of the rock at sunset. The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, established in 1993, protects a wild area of forests, chamois and golden eagles. For mountain lovers, Belluno is an open-air laboratory of geology, hiking and landscape photography.
Belluno, a City on the Piave
The provincial capital stands on a rocky spur at the confluence of the Piave and Ardo rivers, with a Venetian-influenced old town gathered around Piazza dei Martiri and Piazza del Duomo. The Palazzo dei Rettori, the Cathedral of San Martino with works from Titian's school, and the bell tower designed by Filippo Juvarra tell centuries of rule by the Venetian Republic. From the public gardens and the Bastione, one of Italy's finest views unfolds: the lower town, the Piave flowing tightly between the rocks, and, in the background, the walls of the Dolomiti Bellunesi and Monte Serva. Belluno is also home to the Civic Museum, with archaeological collections and a picture gallery, and an ideal starting point for exploring the entire province.
Renaissance Feltre
Feltre is one of the best-preserved walled towns in Veneto, rebuilt in the 16th century after a fire and laid out according to an almost intact Renaissance urban plan. Via Mezzaterra, the main street, is lined with palaces frescoed with grotesque motifs, noble coats of arms and trompe-l'oeil architecture, testimony to the refined taste of the local bourgeoisie. The Castello di Alboino overlooks the town from above, while the Cathedral of San Pietro and the Loggia hold works of sacred art. Nearby, the Sanctuary of Saints Vittore and Corona, a Romanesque-Gothic masterpiece, is one of the most important religious monuments in the Venetian Prealps. Feltre is also the gateway to the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and the Vette Feltrine.
Titian's Cadore
Cadore, the vast area stretching along the upper course of the Piave toward the Austrian border, is the birthplace of Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), the greatest Venetian painter of the 16th century, born in Pieve di Cadore around 1488. The master's birth house, now a museum, holds documents and reproductions of his work. Pieve di Cadore, the area's historic capital, overlooks the artificial Lake Centro Cadore, while the villages of Domegge, Calalzo and Auronzo di Cadore open the way toward the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Cadore is also the birthplace of Italian eyewear manufacturing, with Calalzo and the Boite Valley as the historic cradle of the eyewear industry, and a land of ancient craft traditions tied to woodworking and stone carving.
Cortina and the High Mountains
Cortina d'Ampezzo, nicknamed the "queen of the Dolomites," is the province's most famous resort, having hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and set to co-host, alongside Milan, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Surrounded by some of the most photographed peaks in the world, such as Pomagagnon, Cinque Torri, Cristallo and Tofana di Mezzo, Cortina combines Alpine elegance, boutiques, historic hotels and a long tradition of skiing and mountaineering. Nearby lie the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the absolute symbol of the Dolomites, reachable via a classic hike from Rifugio Auronzo, and Lake Misurina, a body of water set among the mountains.
Agordino and Val di Zoldo
The Agordino, west of the provincial capital, is dominated by the walls of Civetta, Pelmo and the Marmolada, the "Queen of the Dolomites" by altitude at 3,343 meters and home to the last glacier in the Dolomites. Agordo, the main town, is a starting point for climbers and hikers heading toward San Lucano, a wild valley declared a regional nature park. Neighboring Val di Zoldo is famous throughout Italy as the cradle of migrant ice-cream makers: starting in the 19th century, generations of Zoldo natives carried the art of artisanal gelato across Europe, a story told at the Museo del Gelato Artigianale in Fornesighe. The two valleys offer skiing, climbing and some of the most scenic trails in the Dolomites.
Alpago and Lake Santa Croce
Southeast of Belluno, Alpago is a gentler, greener plateau, framed by the Prealps and overlooking Lake Santa Croce, one of Veneto's largest lakes and a European reference point for wind sports such as windsurfing and kitesurfing thanks to its steady winds. Less touristy than the more famous Dolomites, the area preserves quiet villages, mountain pastures and a cuisine tied to alpine cheeses and game dishes. Nevegal and Col Visentin, just above Belluno, offer panoramas stretching from the Dolomites to the Veneto plain and, on the clearest days, all the way to the Venice lagoon.
The Great War in the Mountains
Between 1915 and 1918, the mountains of Belluno were the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of World War I, with the front line running along the Dolomites and the Monte Grappa massif, on the province's southern edge. Trenches, galleries carved into the rock, forts and military cemeteries still dot the Tofane, the Lagazuoi, Col di Lana and the slopes of Grappa, home to historic memorials and open-air museums. The Museo della Grande Guerra on the Lagazuoi and the trails around the Cinque Torri let visitors walk among original positions, while in Longarone the Vajont memorial recalls another deep wound of the territory: the 1963 disaster.
Outdoors and Skiing
Belluno is one of Italy's capitals of active mountain life in every season. In winter, besides Cortina, resorts such as Civetta, Alleghe, Arabba-Marmolada, San Vito di Cadore and Auronzo offer slopes connected to the Dolomiti Superski circuit, among the largest in the world. In summer the province turns into a hiking paradise, with hundreds of kilometers of CAI trails, historic via ferrata routes such as those on the Tofane and Civetta, and the Alta Via delle Dolomiti crossing the entire territory. The Piave and its tributaries offer rafting and kayaking, while road cycling and mountain biking find ideal terrain on legendary passes like Falzarego, Giau and Fedaia.
When to Go
Belluno province has two clearly distinct high seasons. Winter, from December to March, is dominated by skiing and snow sports, with Christmas and New Year particularly busy in Cortina. Summer, from June to September, is ideal for hiking, climbing and cultural visits to Belluno and Feltre, with July and August the hottest and busiest months at altitude. Spring and autumn, less crowded with mass tourism, offer alpine blooms or the colors of larch forests, cooler weather and lower prices, ideal for those seeking tranquility, though some huts and lifts remain closed off-season.
Unmissable Experiences
- Ammirare le Tre Cime di Lavaredo dal Rifugio Auronzo o lungo l'anello escursionistico classico
- Admire the Tre Cime di Lavaredo from Rifugio Auronzo or along the classic hiking loop
- Admirar las Tre Cime di Lavaredo desde el Rifugio Auronzo o en la clásica ruta circular de senderismo
- Admirer les Tre Cime di Lavaredo depuis le Rifugio Auronzo ou lors de la boucle de randonnée classique
- Die Tre Cime di Lavaredo von der Rifugio Auronzo aus oder auf der klassischen Wanderrunde bewundern
- Admirar as Tre Cime di Lavaredo a partir do Rifugio Auronzo ou no clássico circuito de caminhada
- 从奥龙佐山屋出发，或沿经典环形徒步路线，欣赏三峰山的壮丽景色
- リフージョ・アウロンツォから、または定番の周回ハイキングコースでトレ・チーメ・ディ・ラヴァレードを眺める
- التأمل في قمم تري تشيمي دي لافاريدو من ملجأ ريفوجيو أورونتسو أو عبر مسار المشي الدائري الكلاسيكي
- रिफ़ूजो आउरोंत्सो से या क्लासिक पैदल-मार्ग पर घूमते हुए ट्रे चीमे दी लावारेदो को निहारें
- Полюбоваться Тре-Чиме-ди-Лаваредо от приюта Рифуджо-Ауронцо или на классическом кольцевом маршруте
- Θαυμάστε τα Tre Cime di Lavaredo από το καταφύγιο Rifugio Auronzo ή στην κλασική κυκλική πεζοπορική διαδρομή
- Admironi Tre Cime di Lavaredo nga streha Rifugio Auronzo ose në rrethin klasik ecës
To see
What to see in Province of Belluno
Routes · Trovido Route
