Civetta Ski Resort Dolomites Italy
Set spectacularly below the looming Monte Civetta and above the deep valley and lake at Alleghe, Civetta ski resort is the Dolomites best kept secret. Civetta is a quiet and beautiful alternative to the popular Cortina & Sella Ronda resorts.
A surprisingly extensive skiing area, Civetta is surrounded by the Dolomites most imposing peaks which, in addition to its namesake, include Pelmo & the glacier-draped Marmolada.
Pros & Cons for Civetta Ski Resort
Pros
- Beautiful & quiet Dolomites resort.
- Interesting diversity of piste trails for all abilities.
- Stunning landscapes under Monte Civetta & Pelmo.
- Large amount of piste terrain.
- Tree skiing opportunities within the resort.
- Quality backcountry skiing nearby.
- Easy bus links to Cortina & Arabba-Marmolada ski resorts.
- Good après ski.
- Great value lift pass & accommodation.
- Uncrowded away from the Alleghe area.
- 3 traditional mountain villages at its base.
Cons
- Limited advanced on-piste trails.
- Lifts are generally older than in other Dolomiti ski resorts.
- Snow making isn't as extensive as other major Dolomites resorts.
- Limited ski in / ski out accommodation.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Several towns at its base, no central village.
- One of the lowest elevation ski resorts in the Dolomites.
- Quiet towns.
- Ikon Pass is now valid in the ski area & may increase visitation.
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Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
A large stand-alone ski resort, Civetta has three main base areas at Alleghe, Pescul & the Val di Zoldo. The ski area is relatively low in elevation, in fact one of the lowest in the Dolomites. The vast majority of Civetta's ski terrain is below 2,000m but it is extensive & ranges across a vast area.
Check out the full ski trail map for Civetta below.
In total, Civetta’s 80km of mainly beginner & intermediate trails are served by 22 ski lifts with a full skiable vertical of just over 1,100m. The rambling terrain covers all directional aspects & is mostly at or below the tree line. The upside is that sheltered skiing can be found somewhere in the resort on bad weather days & the northerly aspect, tree lined trails hold their snow superbly well.
The on-piste trails at Civetta provide great fun for all abilities, but better skiers will have to push hard to get the most out of it as true advanced terrain is in limited supply. Advanced skiers can ski trees above Pescul, Pecol & Zoldo or try their hand at the relatively limited alpine off-piste. Lower pistes can get icy, particularly on the long valley run into Alleghe and the lower sections of the valley runs into Pescul.
Near the resort, the best freeride backcountry skiing is on the flanks of Civetta mountain, up past Rif Coldai and then descending over the pass, along Lago Coldai then down toward Alleghe. Alternatively, further afield the flanks of Pelmo are delightful in the vicinity of Rifugio Città di Fiume.
Civetta is a major link (and a good starting point) in the self-guided Dolomites Great War Circuit Ski Tour. The circuit, which even though on piste, is an arduous 80km journey on skis involving four ski resorts, the Marmolada glacier, at least two bus trips and a memorable horse drawn section. The Great War Circuit is best done in an anticlockwise direction starting in Pescul as early as possible.
Lift Pass
Civetta has one of the best value lift passes in the Dolomites. Aside from the affordable local lift pass, the comparatively expensive Dolomiti Superski pass is also valid in the resort, and necessary if going to ski the Great War Circuit.
All lift passes are 5% cheaper is pre-purchased online at least 2-days before you intend to ski.
Check out the gargantuan ski trail map for Dolomiti SuperSki below.
Anyone with an Ikon Pass can ski up to 7-days shared between: Civetta, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Kronplatz/Plan de Corones, Alta Badia, Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi, Val di Fassa/Carezza, Arabba/Marmolada, 3 Peaks Dolomites, Val di Fiemme/Obereggen, San Martino di Castrozza/Rolle Pass, Rio Pusteria - Bressanone, Alpe Lusia - San Pellegrino. Holders of an Ikon Pass can ski for free for 7-days, with no blackout period. Holders of Ikon Base Plus Pass and Ikon Base Pass can ski for free for 5-days with no blackout periods. You can go directly to the chairlift or gondola with your valid Ikon Pass as there is no need to stop at a local ticket window. The Ikon Pass is valid in the Dolomites from 15 November to 15 April in a given season.
Where is Civetta, Italy?
Civetta ski resort is situated between the villages of Alleghe, Pescul and the Val di Zoldo in the southeast Dolomites less than 2hr (140km) drive north of Venice Marco Polo International Airport. By road, the closest Dolomiti ski resorts to Civetta are Cortina d'Ampezzo (the Cinque Torri Fedare chairlift is an 11km, 20min bus ride away from Pescul) and Arabba Marmolada (the Marmolada cable car at Malga Ciapela is a 13km, 20min bus ride from Alleghe).
The gateway airport for Civetta is Venice (VCE), however other options could include Innsbruck (INN), Verona & Milan. The most efficient mode of transport to the Civetta villages of Alleghe or Pescul are private transfers. A rental car provides the ultimate freedom to explore the region. We recommend renting cars from Austria rather than Italy!
For more information on the best ways to get to the area, see our Travel to the Dolomites page.
Civetta Accommodation
Civetta ski resort is surrounded by numerous authentic mountain villages providing abundant lodging options. Three main base areas at Alleghe, Pescul and in the Val di Zoldo are complemented by other nearby towns including Selva di Cadore (north of Pescul) and Caprile (north of Alleghe).
Search & book all Civetta ski accommodation.
Pescul is our favourite due to its peace & quiet, but some services are limited - a classic Dolomites’ mountain village. Access to the resort is via direct chairlift. The bus to Cinque Torri ski area of Cortina leaves from the valley station at Pescul. The Hotel Orso Grigio is far & away the most comfortable place to stay. A more interesting alternative is Rifugio Aquileia, totally off-grid on the flanks of Pelmo amongst some excellent backcountry terrain, but you will have to ski in!
Alleghe is a full-service town sited beside the frozen Lago di Alleghe. It will appeal to everyone and is best placed to link (by bus) to the nearby Marmolada glacier. In Alleghe it is hard to go past the lakeside Europa Mountain Apartments or Sporthotel Europa Sul Lago as the places to stay in the heart of the village. A comfortable gondola will get you up the mountain & also down it if you over-indulge in all the après fun at the many bars in Piani di Pezzè. Otherwise, a ski trail goes all the to the edge of the lake.
The Val di Zoldo has numerous hamlets including Pecol, Mareson & Pianaz. The closest part of the resort to Venice, access is via numerous ski lifts (including a gondola, chairlift & surface tow) depending on the starting point.
Between the Val di Zoldo and Pescul, is the high pass at Palafavera (1,514m). The Rifugio Palafavera has the best high-altitude ski-in ski-out accommodation at Civetta & is also the quietest place to stay in the resort.
Ski Lessons & Guiding
For on & off-piste skiing or snowboarding lessons, plus local resort & backcountry guiding at Civetta or on Pelmo, search, compare & book via our Civetta Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Review
The Powderhounds reviewed Civetta in 2018 & 2019 & enjoyed it immensely. We are due to return soon. Click on the review link in the left column to read our inciteful & witty prose!
See how Civetta 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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