San Cassiano ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in San Cassiano
Overview
San Cassiano sits at 1537m and is a pretty alpine village with a pedestrian zone lined by cafes, bars, shops and restaurants including two Michelin-starred.
Linked to the Alta Badia lift system, this resort is a gem if you are looking for a more sophisticated and relaxing holiday but also with full access to the Sella Ronda pistes and beyond.
Après-Ski
San Cassiano is a lively yet small resort with several good bars and restaurants. In fact, all of Alta Badia is a paradise for those who love their food.
There are 3 Michelin star restaurants and the dishes combine South Tyrolean and Italian cuisine with local Ladin specialities.
For more bars and restaurants, you can either head into La Villa or take a taxi over the pass in to Cortina.
| Key information (local area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1537m |
| Top lift | 2778m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 130 |
| Longest run | 8 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 38 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 2 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed |
San Cassiano ski area guide
A ski holiday in San Cassiano in the valley of Badia is a delight for any skier. There are 51 ski lifts, 130km of pistes and 38km of cross country slopes to explore. From San Cassiano, there is easy access to all the Alta Badia ski area and beyond via Corvara on to the Sella Ronda Tour. This opens up a whole new ski area taking in the sights of Arabba and Val Gardena.
As with many Italian ski resorts, the on-piste refuges serve up some of the best cuisine in the Alps and at very reasonable prices. If you like your food, one of the highlights of any ski holiday in San Cassiano is to book yourself on the Santa Croce gourmet ski tour. This takes in 8 delightful family run refuges where you can wine and sample the local specialities amongst some of the finest scenery in the Dolomites. The skiing is on easy to medium pistes.
Beginners
San Cassiano's's nursery slopes are accessible from the town centre and after you have managed to get the snowplough turns perfected, there are lots of wide easy cruising blues in every direction to progress your technique.
Intermediate
For the intermediates, the local and entire Super Dolomiti area is heaven with literally miles and miles of piste at your finger tips. One of the best days out is to ski the Sella Ronda - it can take up to a full day depending on your ability, fitness and the number of pit-stops but definitely worth it.
Advanced
From San Cassiano, head towards Arabba that sits at 1610m where you will find lots more challenging terrain including some fantastic off-piste. Arabba is also on the Sella Ronda circuit which you can join and continue round the Gruppo Sella back to San Cassiano.
Another 40 mins skiing from Arabba takes you to the Marmolada mountain. The best known run is the Bellunese from Punta Rocca at 3300m down to Malga Ciapela, a vertical drop of 1800m and some 12km long - amazing and stunning scenery all the way.
Featured chalets in San Cassiano
The self catering accommodation in and around San Cassiano largely is mainly private ski chalets and apartments dotted around the lower slopes yet still close to the centre. No matter what type of accommodation you choose, you can be sure that they are all extremely welcoming and friendly and close to all the restaurants serving up fantastic local dishes.
See all rentalsThings to see & do in San Cassiano
Whilst San Cassiano is a little smaller and quieter than La Villa and Corvara on the other side of the valley, there are still several great options if you dont fancy skiing or want to try or see something different. One of the favourite past times is a visit to the Daniela Steiner Spa at the superb family run Rosa Alpina hotel. This wellness spa offers everything including luxurious body massages - ideal after a hard day on the slopes.
A few more suggestions...
- A trip to the Hidden Valley with its frozen waterfall and horse pulled tow-ropes at the bottom to take you back to the ski lift. The Hidden Valley — an easy and breathtakingly beautiful route, suitable for any intermediate skier — is an 11km run down the Armentarola Valley and joins the Sella Ronda at San Cassiano
- A long ski from Colfosco (or slightly shorter from Covara) to the bottom of the Marmolada glacier takes you to the Sottaguda gorge - this is definitely worth the burning legs getting there but you definitely need to be on the first lift to make it!
Our view on San Cassiano ski resort
A wonderful resort on the pass with Val Gardena and perfect for family ski holidays with as close to ski-in, ski-out as you can get.
If you like San Cassiano, you may also want to take a look at Megeve and Crest Voland in the French Alps.
