San Cassiano Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to the Dolomites! Whether this is your first or 100th visit to the region, I'm betting the drive in still left you in awe. The charming town of San Cassiano doesn't just offer great views but a quaint town center for you to get your bearings.

‍

Check-In

Before you get too excited, head straight to your hotel to drop your bags and check in. Don't yet have a place to stay? I can recommend a few:

• Budget Stay: Hotel Falzares: This was our accommodation during our stay. It's pet-friendly, has a spa, offers free breakfast, and has an incredibly nice and welcoming staff. For the price point, it's hard to beat.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Hotel B&B Frohsinn: Although you won't get a spa with this one, you will be right at the ski lifts so you can ski door to door here with ease.
• Luxury Stay: Hotel Tofana: This is easily one of the nicest accommodations in town and has everything you could ask for (and more) during your stay.

Regardless of which hotel you end up booking, I do suggest you get one with a spa or sauna. If you take advantage of the trails or the slopes, you'll be thankful for that wind down each night.

‍

Grab a Bite in Town

Unless you arrived to town early and you have time for a hike or a go on the slopes, take it easy tonight. Head right into the main piazza for a bite to eat. If the weather is good enough, I recommend grabbing an outdoor table so you can keep your eyes on the San Cassiano Church, highlighted by the mountains behind it.

I'll be honest with you though, we weren't super impressed with the restaurants right in town and enjoyed more dining at the many rifugios (mountain lodges) in the area instead. If you have the time or energy to head back out in your car, I recommend eating at one of those instead. These are usually found on trails or slopes but some are accessible by car.

After your meal, enjoy an early night in. Not too much happens late here anyways and you'll want to be well rested for tomorrow's adventure.

‍

Day 2

Your plan for day 2 will vary based on the season you're visiting San Cassiano. I'll go into more details below about the different seasons but for now, you just need to know if you'll be here on a snowy day or not to make your plans.

‍

Summer/Fall Option: Spend the Day Hiking or Biking

We visited San Cassiano in the heart of summer so spent most of our time on the many hiking trails. Biking is also extremely popular here, with the chance to rent a regular mountain bike or an e-bike, but I'm a hiking girlie so I stuck to my own 2 feet rather than 2 wheels.

There are a number of great trails you can hop on right from the center of town, without the need to drive to a trail head. The trail you choose will depend on your level of fitness and just how much you want to challenge yourself.

My recommendations include:

• San Cassiano - Rifugio Fanes: 15.8 miles/25 kilometers, difficult: This loop trail can be trimmed to about 13 miles if you take the bus back to your starting point. This is the long hike I did from San Cassiano and while it's certainly challenging, it's absolutely epic.
• Cabinovia Piz Sorega - Malga Saraghes: 3.2 miles/5 kilometers, moderate: If you're looking for an easier, more family-friendly trail, this is a good choice. It's an out and back trail, peaking at the rifugio Malga Saraghes. We did this as our last hike of the trip and found it very peaceful.
• Passo Gardena - Colfosco via Cascate Pisciadù: 3.5 miles/5.6 kilometers: I recommend another route below at the Garden Pass but if you'd rather avoid driving the road, this is a good way to walk it. The stats for this are for point to point but you could make it an out and back trail.
• Corvara - Pisciadù Waterfalls: 5 miles/8 kilometers: This trail has less elevation gain, making it easier than other options. Much of the gain happens at the peak, so if you have weak knees, you can turn around a little bit early and avoid the biggest strain.

‍

Winter/Spring Option: Spend the Day Skiing

Although I haven't been to San Cassiano in the winter...yet...I have snowboarded in other parts of the Alta Badia skiing area and can say with confidence that the slopes are lush and varied.

The slopes here aren't the most challenging and are best for beginners and intermediate skiers or snowboarders. There are also a number of cross country trails for skiers if that's more your speed.

There's a gondola right outside of the town center that'll take you up to a number of runs and ski lifts, connecting you to other towns in the region, as far as Corvara and from there, beyond.

Corvara is one of the places on the famous Sella Ronda so although you might be pushed for time if you start your day at the slopes of San Cassiano and then to complete the loop, you could quickly drive to Corvara and complete it from there.

‍

Unwind at the Spa

After your day spent outside hiking, biking, or skiing, you deserve a rest.

Remember when I recommended that you book a stay at a hotel with a spa? You'll be thanking me right about now!

I highly recommend you stop at one of the many rifugios that you'll undoubtedly pass for a filling lunch. If you're still hungry, grab dinner at your hotel or head back into the village to see what looks best.

‍

Day 3

Unfortunately your 3-day trip to San Cassiano is coming to an end. Based on how much time you have today, you might be able to squeeze in a few more runs or another trail.

While you certainly can rinse and repeat what you did on Day 2, if you're looking for something a little different today, I've got you covered.

‍

Drive the Gardena Pass

The Gardena Pass or Passo Gardena is a famous drive in Alta Badia that goes from Calfosch to Plan De Gralba. The heart of the road is only about a 20-30 minute drive from San Cassiano, making it an easy day trip option.

Just know that the road is incredibly windy and, unless it's bad weather, you can expect many bikers to be climbing their way up and flying back down. Although the views are distractingly beautiful, do your best to keep your eyes on the road and use the pull-offs when you want to take it all in.

There's a pin on Google Maps called, "Passo Gardena Mountain Viewpoint." I recommend you drive and find some space on the shoulder there for a seriously incredible view.

‍

Eat Lunch at Dantercepies Mountain Lounge

To take more advantage of the drive, stay for a while. At the top of a small hill near the viewpoint mentioned above is the Dantercepies Mountain Lounge. This rifugio is the perfect place to grab lunch. If you like deer (or are open to trying it), their deer (cervo) goulash is delish.

You can either take the ski lift directly to the lounge, in the summer or winter, or enjoy a short but scenic hike to the top.

‍

San Cassiano Travel Tips

Gear up even more for your trip with these helpful travel tips.

‍

Alternative Activities

You're surrounded by so much when staying at San Cassiano that it can be overwhelming. While you can certainly swap the hiking day out for mountain climbing or skiing for ice skating, I would recommend staying in or around San Cassiano as much as possible.

The first time I went to the Dolomites, I was so eager to see and do it all that we ended up spending far too much of our trip in the car instead of actually outside exploring.

I know it can be tempting to try and squeeze in everything but the more you can do in San Cassiano itself the better. And what better excuse to plan another trip to another town in the Dolomites next year!

‍

Best Time to Visit

Is there a bad time to visit? Not really, with the exception of ~May and ~November when the snow hasn't yet fully melted or has just started to come in.

During these months, the ski lifts and many of the mountain lodges are likely closed. It's not great weather for skiers or hikers and is really just ideal for those that want a quiet getaway without any plans.

For those that want to spend ample time on the trails, the snow typically melts in June and starts falling in October, so July through September is a pretty safe bet for hiking. Trails might be dangerous in June and October but it'll really depend on the weather each year.

For skiers and snowboarders, ski season typically kicks off in December and keeps going until April. Some years you might have slopes open through April and even in May but again, that'll depend on the year's weather.

Learn more about the best time to visit the Dolomites to further plan your trip to San Cassiano.

‍

How to Get Around

There is public transportation in San Cassiano, connecting you to the surrounding villages. But, if you want better access and a quicker drive time, you'll be grateful for your car.

If you don't live in Italy and have your own car, you can rent one from the airport or at some train stations when you arrive.

‍

Local Foods to Try

One of my favorite things about living in Italy, other than the epic views and friendly people, is, of course, the food.

Something I didn't realize though until moving here was just how diverse Italian food is and how much it changes from region to region and even among cities and towns right next door to each other.

While you're in South Tyrol, skip over the Italian classics you know and love and try these local foods instead:

• Tris di Canederli: Canederli are like large dumplings, usually served in broth. This particular plate comes with 3 different types of dumplings.
• Cervo (deer): This and other game meat can often be found on menus throughout the Dolomites. I recommend goulash di cervo for a really tasty and filling plate.
• Spätzle: This dish of gnocchi-like spinach pasta is common in Germany and Hungary and also a big hitter in South Tyrol. It's typically served with ham and a cheesy sauce.
• Mezzelune: Similar to ravioli, only in a half moon shape, like the name suggests. They're typically made with buckwheat flour and filled with spinach, ricotta, onion, and garlic.
• Strudel di Mele: Apple strudel is another dish that many associate with Germany and Austria but is also a super popular dessert throughout the Dolomites.

‍

Language

While most of us can guess correctly that people in San Cassiano speak Italian, you might be surprised to see and hear German and Ladin (the regional dialect) just as often. For example, San Cassiano (Italian) is also referred to as San Ciascian (Ladin) and St. Kassian (German). It's not uncommon to see signs and menus with all 3 languages.

South Tyrol was part of Austria until 1919, at the end of WWI, when it was annexed to Italy.

This recent history is apparent not only in the language but also in the architecture of the homes and the traditional clothing you'll see workers often wearing in restaurants.

History buffs will also have plenty of chances to explore World War I history in and around San Cassiano, with bunkers, hideouts, and war museums in the area.

If you're visiting San Cassiano as part of an Italian trip, I'd recommend learning some basic words and phrases of Italian but if you're heading to Austria afterwards, stick with German and you'll be just fine.

‍

How Will You Spend Your Trip to San Cassiano?

With so much to see or do in San Cassiano and Alta Badia in general, you'll have no trouble filling your days with outdoor adventures, regardless of the season you visit.

Although a small village, it offers a lot to its guests, especially those that are looking for incredible mountains, welcoming people, and a good yet affordable variety of accommodation options.

While I'll likely continue to explore new areas of the Dolomites, this is a place I could come back to again and again.