Italy, Europe
Alta Badia
Alta Badia: 130km slopes across six Ladin villages. Gran Risa World Cup slope, Sellaronda circuit access. UNESCO Dolomites, 53 lifts.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
4 Dec 2025
Closes
6 Apr 2026
Days open
123
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Alta Badia delivers 130 kilometres of meticulously groomed slopes across a spectacular section of the Dolomites, where dramatic limestone peaks tower above six authentic Ladin villages. With elevations spanning 1,324 to 2,778 metres, the resort combines reliable snow conditions with exceptional intermediate terrain featuring long, flowing descents across sun-drenched plateaus. The area forms a crucial section of the famous Sellaronda circuit whilst serving as a regular World Cup venue, hosting the challenging Gran Risa giant slalom course each December.
Approximately 90% of the local population still speaks Ladin as their first language, creating an authentic cultural atmosphere rarely found in such highly developed ski destinations. The UNESCO-protected Dolomite landscape provides a breathtaking backdrop to world-class ski infrastructure serving all ability levels.
1454m
Vertical
114
Runs
130 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
Watch
See Alta Badia in motion
The Terrain
114 runs across 130 km of piste
Alta Badia spreads 114 runs across 130 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 57%, with 65 beginner runs to find your feet and 8 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
114
runs
114 runs across 4 grades
Beginner65 runs · 57%
Intermediate41 runs · 36%
Advanced8 runs · 7%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Alta Badia
The winter season in Alta Badia typically operates from early December through mid-April, with optimal conditions prevailing from late December through March. The resort receives approximately 3.5 metres of natural snowfall annually, complemented by an extensive snowmaking system covering nearly 100% of marked runs.
The predominantly high-altitude terrain above 1,800 metres ensures cold temperatures throughout winter, maintaining excellent snow quality even when lower resorts struggle. Most slopes benefit from quality sunshine exposure whilst the north-facing Gran Risa preserves icy race conditions throughout the season. December brings the annual World Cup races attracting thousands of spectators, whilst March offers classic spring skiing with extended daylight hours and consistently reliable coverage on upper elevation sectors.
Season 2025-2026
4 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
123
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Alta Badia, and where to stay
Situated in South Tyrol's Val Badia, Alta Badia spans approximately 16 kilometres across six villages—Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia, and La Val—each retaining distinctive Ladin heritage through architecture, cuisine, and daily life. The valley sits 75 kilometres east of Bolzano and 200 kilometres north of Venice, occupying a sheltered position that protects against harsh weather systems whilst maintaining exceptional snow preservation.
International access is convenient via airports in Innsbruck (135 kilometres, 2 hours), Venice (175 kilometres, 2.5 hours), and Verona (250 kilometres, 3 hours), with efficient shuttle services and generous parking facilities for self-drive visitors. The area's position within the Dolomiti Superski network provides seamless connections to neighbouring valleys, whilst bus services link all villages efficiently throughout winter.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Alta Badia, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.
23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola
The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.
23 Aug 2026
Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire
The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.
22 Aug 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
114
runs
Beginner57%
Intermediate36%
Advanced7%
Expert0%
130 km of piste
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base1324m
Summit2778m
Annual snowfall
4m
Season
2025-2026
4 Dec 2025 - 6 Apr 2026
Trail coverage
114 runs
130 km
About Alta Badia's trail map
Explore Alta Badia's full trail map with 114 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Alta Badia intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.