One of the most spectacular ski circuits in the Dolomites follows the front line of the Mountain War
Where, more than a century ago, soldiers of the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy fought a brutal war against each other and the perils of the mountains - such as hunger from supply shortages, avalanches, and rockfalls - there is now a ski circuit through the spectacular mountain world of the Dolomites. It can be completed in a day and, due to its historical background, is known as the First World War Ski Circuit.
The Great War Ski Tour - Giro della Grande Guerra, in Italian - meanders for 80 kilometres beneath the mighty Dolomite peaks. Ski buses, pistes, and cable cars form a ring, encompassing the Giau Pass, the Falzarego Pass, Arabba, Alleghe, and the Badia Valley in South Tyrol.
At the heart of the Great War Ski Tour stands Mt. Col di Lana, a symbolic mountain of the First World War, near which open-air museums are located. In the Alta Badia, the rear part of the Val Badia, the entry point to the ski circuit is at the Falzarego Pass. A taxi bus runs there from Badia.
From the Falzarego Pass, the cable car takes you up to Mt. Lagazuoi, which, at almost 2,800 metres, is the highest point of the ski circuit. From the cable car cabins, you can see the firing slits of the Italian mine tunnels and the Tre Sassi Fortress on the road to the Valparola Pass. From the summit, the Lagazuoi piste descends to the Col Gallina Chairlift and finally to the 5 Torri Chairlift. Afterwards, it's on to the Giau Pass and the subsequent passes.
Great War Ski Tour clockwise:
- length: 78 - 100 kilometres
- skiing: 25 - 41 kilometres
- cable cars: 17 - 23 kilometres
- ski buses: 36 kilometres
- time required: 6.5 - 7.5 hours
- doable: January to mid-March
Great War Ski Tour anticlockwise:
- length: 84.5 - 99 kilometres
- skiing: 34.5 - 43 kilometres
- cable cars: 20 - 26 kilometres
- ski buses: 28.5 kilometres
- time required: 7 - 8 hours
- doable: January to mid-March
Start early in the morning so you can complete the circuit in a day without rushing. The Dolomiti Superski ski pass is required to use the cable cars on this ski circuit.
