Ski World Heritage sites at 3 Zinnen Dolomites

Parked up high in northern Italy, close to the border with Austria, is the 3 Zinnen ski area, part of the Dolomiti Superski destination where ski goes hand-in-hand with epic views that rise up around you in a jagged panorama of the magnificent UNESCO-protected Dolomites. Some of the area’s most famed views surround you – the three grey monoliths known as the Three Peaks stand like sentries over your passage down the pistes.

With over 115 kilometres of ski slopes and a mix of red, black and blue runs, the resort is a thing of beauty with perfectly maintained pistes that are ready when you are. Even better, there are state-of-the-art cable cars and lifts which will sweep you right to the top of the mountain to start your day.

Coming from Innichen or San Candido, where our member hotel Atto resides, there’s a handy ski train – the Ski Val Pusteria express train - which will take you directly to 3 Zinnen – you won’t even need to take your ski boots off, just hop aboard with your skis and let the train do the work. The other plus point is fewer cars in 3 Zinnen, as the train stops at nearly every alpine village along the way. Incidentally, you can also go the other way – if you feel the need to explore further, then the Ski Val Pusteria express train also will take you the opposite way to Kronplatz, Plan de Corones, for more snowy adventures.

Talking of adventure, the fun doesn’t need to stop at sunset – instead of indulging in après ski, why not try night skiing on Mount Baranci, a 3-kilometre run that is floodlit and ready for thrills from 7-10pm. There are also toboggan runs to enjoy by day, which is great fun for a family bonding experience, especially as no one has to carry the sledge uphill, thanks to perfectly placed cable cars.

No ski holiday is complete without the regular refuelling stop, as important a part of the day as skiing itself. Luckily 3 Zinnen has a wealth of mountain huts and refugios to suit all tastes, which largely focus on the regional produce of South Tyrol. Traditionalists will love the cosy wooden huts serving homemade dumplings while vitamin D seekers can soak up the sun on the terrace with a cold beer or mountain meadow schnapps. Many of the huts sits alongside the slopes making for easy ski-in and ski-out – ideal after a large lunch and perhaps one too many Schnapps!