Lake Sompunt and the Paraciora Deer Park in Pedraces in Badia are popular destinations for those seeking relaxation
Image gallery: Pedraces in Badia
Opposite the centre of Badia, on the other side of the Rio Gader stream, the district of Pedraces or Pedratsches stretches below the mighty rock faces of the Gardenaccia High Plateau and Mt. Sasso di Santa Croce. Historic farmhouses and newer homes spread across the meadows and slopes here. In between there are small shops. Pedraces also includes the hamlet of Sompunt, where you can find a lake and a game reserve. The extensive Paraciora Game Reserve is home to roe deer and red deer, which can be observed from a circular path.
On the seven-hectare site there is also the farm of the Sompunt family with its sun terrace, which invites you to enjoy a coffee in the sun. If you then follow the road from Sompunt further uphill, either as a hike on foot, by bike or by car, you come to Lake Sompunt at 1,460 m a.s.l. In winter it turns into an ice skating rink with view on the rugged rock faces of the Sasso di Santa Croce.
But above all, skiing and snowboarding is what it's all about in the cold season, because above Badia lies the Alta Badia Skiing Area with its World Cup slopes and beginner's runs. The 130 km of downhill runs with a view on the Dolomites also include the circumnavigation of an entire mountain massif: The Sella Ronda takes you around the Sella Massif on skis in one day.
