Alta Badia Ski Resort Italy
Nestled between the Sella massif and the looming Sassongher, Alta Badia ski resort provides the traditional Italian alpine experience in an exquisite setting. Offering classic Dolomites on-piste terrain and a veritable moving feast of bars, mountain huts and restaurants, Alta Badia is far more than just a ski or snowboard experience.
Alta Badia is fantastic thanks to fast and comfortable ski lift connections, sensational snow making, wide and well-groomed slopes, plus traditional Ladin, Mediterranean and South Tyrolean eating (and drinking) experiences that are hard to match. Beginners, intermediates & gourmands alike will enjoy all this region has to offer.
Pros & Cons for Alta Badia Ski Resort
Pros
- Superb piste trails for beginners, intermediates & families.
- Modern interconnected lift system.
- Glorious scenery.
- Huge number of high-quality mountain huts & rifugi.
- Central access to all major Dolomites ski resorts.
- The best mountain bars & restaurants in the Dolomites.
- Exceptional snow making system covering all piste trails.
Cons
- Limited advanced or challenging terrain.
- Some lifts & piste trails overcrowded.
- Some villages (La Villa) in near total shade for much of winter.
- Natural snowfalls are less reliable than in the past.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Part of the Sella Ronda & Great War ski circuits.
- Après ski is abundant, but aside from two notable exceptions, the nightlife tends to be a little quieter & more refined than in other Dolomites’ ski resorts.
- Ikon Pass is now valid in the resort for up to a week.
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Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Alta Badia has over 130km of piste trails served by 53 lifts, but in reality, its terrain is far more vast due its direct interconnections with neighbouring Arabba & Val Gardena. The resort's efficient lift system provides direct access to the famous Sella Ronda and Alta Badia's signature advanced slope, the World Cup run, the Gran Risa.
Check out the full ski trail map for Alta Badia below.
Much of the terrain in Alta Badia is gentle and perfect for beginners & intermediates, but the surroundings are quite spectacular and more challenging terrain is close by in surrounding resorts or off-piste.
International visitors may be pleased to know that Ikon Pass is valid in Alta Badia & the Dolomites, but with certain conditions/limitations. Of course, the Dolomiti Superski pass is also valid.
For more info about ski lifts, terrain, maps & passes, see the Alta Badia Skiing & Snowboarding page.
Snow & Weather
The ski terrain at Alta Badia is predominantly above 1,800m elevation so is guaranteed cold winter temperatures for premium snow conditions. With the exception of the north-aspect runs into La Villa, most of the trails get some quality sunshine through the day too.
That said, the Dolomites have seen a general decline in snowfall over recent decades, so the Italians have been great innovators in snow making technology. To its credit, in a lean snow season, Alta Badia will have nearly all its piste trails open & skiing beautifully. We have skied the resort in both snow feast (2018) & famine (2017). Both trips were equally enjoyable!
Where is Alta Badia Italy?
Alta Badia ski resort is made up of the villages of Badia, La Villa, San Cassiano, Corvara, and Colfosco. It is in the centre of the Dolomites, 36km south of Brunico (Bruneck), and 170km north of Venice.
Gateway international airports are Venice (VCE), Munich (MUC) & Milan Malpensa (MXP). Airports at Verona, Treviso & Innsbruck (130km) are options for travellers from the UK or within Europe. Bus & private transfers are available from each airport.
Train travel to Alta Badia is possible from all the airports to Brunico railway station. A short bus ride is required into the heart of the Dolomites.
For more information on the best way to get there, see the Travel to Alta Badia page .
Alta Badia Accommodation
The choice of hotel, apartment, guesthouse and rifugi accommodation options at Alta Badia can be daunting. Several villages are within the resort, and each have merits. From the Powderhounds perspective, Corvara, with its central location, sunny disposition and range of services and facilities is the best place to stay. The villages are summarised below.
Search & book all Alta Badia ski accommodation.
Corvara - The heart of Alta Badia, Corvara has a sunny disposition, major lifts allowing easy access to all points, all major shops and services, the best bars in the region, wide range of lodgings from the high end La Perla to a host of excellent guesthouse accommodations.
La Villa - Over-shadowed (literally) by Piz La Ila & the Gran Risa, much of the town does not see the sun during winter - including the excellent Hotel Christiania (ski-in ski-out) only metres from the bottom of the Gran Risa. Some options above the road get more sun & direct access adjacent warm & sheltered intermediate & beginner slopes. For a combination of light & dark, the Hotel Gran Risa is in prime position at the end of the world cup slope in the centre of town.
San Cassiano - Probably the sunniest town in Alta Badia, it’s slightly off the beaten path location make it a real option for visitors. Some of Alta Badia’s most scenically beautiful and fun runs (number 11 & 12) leads back to the town. The gondola Piz Sorega gives direct access from San Cassiano to the myriad of lifts & beginner /intermediate trails on the plateau.
Badia - At the end of the line accessing the main slopes from Badia every day would be tedious, not to mention the return at the end of the day.
Colfosco - Darkened by shadow from the Sella massif for most of winter and with gentle slopes plus a mind-numbingly painful set of lifts, it is best avoided except if a novice later in the season. Enough said!
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Rifugi, Bars, Restaurants & Nightlife
The ski resort & villages of Alta Badia are a revelation in the eating, drinking and be merry stakes. Whether it a calimero to get the heart started in the morning, a gourmet lunch, spritzers or gin & tonics in the afternoon, lively après or a dinner & ski after-dark combo you will be sated at Alta Badia.
For suggestions on the best places to gorge oneself & replenish lost calories from skiing, see our Alta Badia Food & Nightlife page.
Ski Rentals Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals from Powderhounds partners are available in the Alta Badia villages of Corvara & San Cassiano. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Alta Badia Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
A gargantuan number of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides earn their keep in the ski resort & adjoining valleys. To narrow down the field, search & book via our Alta Badia Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Alta Badia is of course part of the Dolomiti Superski area and is directly lift and piste interlinked with the massive ski resorts of Val Gardena, Val di Fassa & Arabba Marmolada.
The huge and modern Kronplatz is 30km north toward Brunico, providing an easy day trip via local buses (the number 460). Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort is a short taxi ride away up to the spectacular Lagazuoi. Quiet but delightful Civetta is accessible via ski bus from Marmolada's Malga Ciapela or Cortina's Fedare.
Reviews
The Powderhounds reviewed Alta Badia several seasons ago, had a great time & are due to return soon. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read the various reviews!
See how Alta Badia and the other Dolomites ski resorts compare to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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