Surrounded by the spectacular Pale di San Martino, part of the Dolomites, this lovely Italian ski resort has one of the prettiest village centres we’ve seen, with twinkly lights, fantastic shops and excellent pizzerias.
Now one of the better-known resorts in the Dolomites, San Martino came from humble beginnings.
The first settlement here was a religious hospice, offering shelter for travellers crossing the Alps via the Rolle Pass. All that’s left of this hospice is the San Martino church.
After the monks mysteriously left in the fifteenth century, the area remained largely abandoned for four centuries. It was eventually rediscovered by English explorers and became known as a summer resort for mountaineers, climbers, hikers, geologists and botanists.
Although destroyed by the retreating Austrians in the First World War, the resort was soon rebuilt and has gone from strength to strength ever since, with tourists beginning to come here to ski in the 1920s.
Ongoing investment in the area has led to continual improvement. Last year, the snow-making system was modernised, while this season a new gondola, called the Colbricon Express, is being installed.
The gondola will reduce the journey time from San Martino to Valbonetta to just 6 minutes and, like all the lifts in the area, will be powered by 100% renewable energy from two nearby hydroelectric plants.
San Martino is located at the southern edge of the Dolomiti Superski area and boasts 60km of runs. With a long season from late November to after Easter, this is a wonderful resort for all abilities.
The beginners’ area is located at a snow-sure 2100m and has great facilities including a drag lift and magic carpet. And the progression to the wide, open blue turns is excellent.
Aside from skiing, there are some brilliant activities to try in the local area, such as winter mountain biking, snowshoeing and winter Nordic walking.
And for the less adventurous, the resort centre offers great shopping, from art galleries to chocolate shops and designer clothing boutiques. There are some fantastic pizzerias too!
Interested in visiting San Martino di Castrozza?
Contact us today for further information.