Corvara - the cradle of tourism in Alta Badia

In fact, it was as long ago as the 18th century that mountaineers first discovered the beauty of the area and the mountains surrounding it. In those days, young lads from Corvara used to accompany the first hikers up to the peaks of the Dolomites. These visitors were mostly geologists and natural scientists from Great Britain who were interested in the unique landscape of the Dolomites.

The first ski school of the valley was founded in Corvara in the 1930s and the first ski lift was constructed in 1938, when the Col Alto toboggan lift was opened. This toboggan lift was replaced in 1946 by a chair lift, the first of its kind in Italy. The Col Alto chair lift went into operation in 1947.

Nowadays Corvara is the undisputed tourist centre in Alta Badia and, with its modern accommodation and entertainment facilities, it is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Alpine region. The cosy yet cosmopolitan mountain village of Corvara offers you a range of accommodation from 4 and 5 star hotels, comfortable hostelries and family-run guesthouses, to bed & breakfast and holiday apartments. There is a choice here which will suit every taste and budget perfectly.

There are countless tempting restaurants, comfortable bars, patisseries, tearooms and chocolate shops, all of them very popular and well patronised. There is a wide choice, catering for an international public, without in any way affecting the peace, the cosiness and the traditional character of the mountain village.

In winter, Corvara, situated directly as it is on the pistes of the world’s largest ski carousel, the “Dolomiti Superski”, has access to a network of modern lift systems. Those who enjoy leisurely skiing and families with small children will have fun on the many red and blue runs all around Corvara. Seasoned skiers have a choice of challenging runs such as the Vallon-Boè (4.5 km long) and the Col Alt, as well as direct access to two of the most beautiful skiing round trips in the Alps, the Sellaronda and the First World War ski tour.

The mountain landscape and the picturesque surroundings have a charm of their own, even in summer, and motivate the visitor to get moving. Two modern lifts whose valley stops are right in the centre of Corvara make it possible to reach heights of over 2,000 metres effortlessly. Up there your gaze may roam free, starting from the summits of the Alta Badia Dolomites as far as the Marmolada glacier and the tops of the Austrian Alps. Perfectly prepared hiking tracks in the valley and on the high plateau of the Col Alt Pralongià, the multitude of possible hikes in the nature reserve of Puez-Odle and the more demanding ascents to the Sassongher and the Boè will delight all hikers and mountaineers.