Grande Strada delle Dolomiti

TomassoRizzi's picture

Location

Dolomites
Italy
46° 29' 14.6184" N, 11° 48' 48.078" E
IT
General info: 

Want to see some spectacular views… by car? The Great Dolomite Road runs 65 miles through some of the finest alpine scenery in Europe: Belluno–Cortina d'Ampezzo–Pordoi Pass–Sella Pass–Val di Fassa–Bolzano. For even more gorgeous views, you can take a cable car up from the pass to the summit of Sass Pordoi. And, of course, there are plenty of hiking trails!

At 7,346 feet it is the highest surfaced road traversing a pass in the Dolomites. In the spring and early summer, passes labeled private://closedprivate:// are often bare, dry, and, as far as local drivers are concerned, wide open. Conveniently for Italian tour operators, no direct public transportation route covers the Great Dolomite Road.

The Sass Pordoi cable car takes you in few minutes from the Pordoi Pass to the summit of Sass Pordoi, where a beautiful view of all the Dolomites is available all around you.
You can get to the summit, perhaps eating at the restaurant, and descend again with the cable car, or you can descend by foot along one of the three following itineraries.

The Sass Pordoi is an ideal starting point for hikes to Piz Boe, to the mountain passes Gardena and Campolongo and to Colfosco through the Val Mezdi.

Getting there: 

No public transport through the entire route.

Costs: 

Cable car Sass Pordoi
Opening dates: 18.05 - 20.10
Opening times: 09.00 - 17.00
One way 8,5€, Return ticket 15€.

Interesting places nearby

At the gates of Queyras and the Guil valley, sat on the edge of a mountain overlooking Mont Pelvoux and the Massif des Ecrins, the ski resort of Risoul.

Ristolas has a small ski area with three parallel drag lifts, but is close to the larger village of Abries, with which it is jointly marketed, that has a larger ski area including a new six seater chair lifts.

A traditional hillside village with three separate ski areas in the mountains above together providing a good mix of ski conditions and gradients. There is a huge modern hotel complex at Aremogna (1625m) with doorstep skiing.

The ski resort Zverovka – Spálená is located in the beautiful surroundings of the West Tatras - Roháce. Ski slopes are suitable for experienced skiers, beginners and family ski trips.

BASE: 3608ft
SUMMIT: 5249ft
VERTICAL DROP: 1640ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 4
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 0
Surface: 4

BASE: 2952ft
SUMMIT: 5085ft
VERTICAL DROP: 2132ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 2
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 0
Surface: 1