The Skiers' Guide to 3 Peaks Dolomites

The Three Peaks is not only a Nature Park in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites but also an award-winning ski resort, with over 115km of pistes and offering breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime views of the iconic Tre Cime (or Drei Zinnen), three dramatic rocky spires that have become the symbol of the Dolomites.

Known as 3 Zinnen and located in Italy’s South Tyrol, this destination offers a uniquely interconnected experience that can be a bit tricky to grasp at first. Everything here is seamlessly connected, and names appear in both German and Italian, with German being the more commonly used language. The 3 Zinnen area lies within the Puster Valley—one of the largest longitudinal valleys in the Alps, stretching from east to west. Also known as ‘Pustertal,’ this region is served by the Ski Pustertal Express, a train linking the Three Peaks to the nearby Plan de Corones ski resort. Together, they offer an impressive 200km of ski slopes, all accessible by train.

The best places to stay for easy access to the slopes of 3 Zinnen and a range of accommodation options are Versciaco/Vierschach (1131m), San Candido/Innichen (1175m), and Sesto/Sexten (1310m). All three towns are conveniently located along the Ski Pustertal Express, along with other stops in the valley. San Candido, an alpine town at the base of Monte Baranci, offers a lively atmosphere with plenty of cafes, shops, bars, and restaurants. In contrast, Versciaco and Sesto have a quieter, village-like charm with slopes right on their doorstep. The après options here are limited, but there are also some lovely bars, hotels and restaurants.

This is a huge ski area between 1130 - 2200m of mostly easy beginner runs, with majestic panoramic views. There’s also a healthy amount of intermediate red runs, with some black piste too. In fact, the area is home to the Holzriese 2, the steepest slope in Italy with a 72% gradient. The Helm-Vierschach is the longest run, a 4.8km red down from the higher reaches of Monte Elmo. There isn’t a great deal of off-piste or areas of deep powder, and the challenging pistes are probably why advanced riders would come here, but that’s not to say that scoring some backcountry is impossible.

The ski area is also known for its own special tour that any keen rider will want to tick off - the Giro delle Cime, a 34km trip which covers the mountains Helm, Stiergarten, Rotwand and Kreuzbergpass. For children, there’s a ski-cross course and a Rudolf Reindeer ski technique trail. Nightskiing is also available, with floodlights illuminating Monte Baranci from 7 - 10pm and the mountain hut Rifugio Gigante Baranci opens for dinner.

Accessed by a very sophisticated lift system, many visitors to the area are quick to say that the lifts are almost overkill in comparison to just how much piste there is, but there’s still some development of the resort underway - one glance at the trail map and you’ll see just how many ‘new’ things are cropping up.

There are plenty of Rifugio mountain huts scattered across the ski area. For casual self-service on a sun-soaked terrace, the Ristorante Monte Elmo has everything on offer, from south Tyrolean dumplings to classic carbonara. Other great sun terrace restaurants include the Rifugio Rudi and Restaurant Gigante Baranci. For a more gourmet experience on the mountain, Jora Mountain Dining, which is based at the bottom of the Doris lift, is famed for chef Markus Holzer’s local dishes and exquisite pasta creations. In each of the towns, there’s a decent choice of eateries on offer too. In Sesto, Restaurant Pizzeria Samyr serves up delicious Mediterranean fare, while Gasthof Waldrude specialises in local dishes. Elsewhere, Angelo’s Pub, Helmhotel and Pizzeria Restaurant Temple are all recommended.
Après Ski Despite the proximity to Austria, this is not the place to come if you’re looking for umbrella bars and thumping music. You’re more likely to find people enjoying a quiet drink and delicious food - in Versciaco’s Punka, where there’s often live music and DJs, you can reward your efforts with affogato and tiramisu.

Despite the proximity to Austria, this is not the place to come if you’re looking for umbrella bars and thumping music. You’re more likely to find people enjoying a quiet drink and delicious food - in Versciaco’s Punka, where there’s often live music and DJs, you can reward your efforts with affogato and tiramisu.

There are the usual family fun options such as snow-tubing run and toboggan runs, while the family of giant snowmen make an entertaining installation. Reindeer are also kept here, and the smallest herd in the Alps can be visited for feeding time too.

For non-skiers, there’s a limited number of alternative snowsports available such as cross-country touring and snowshoeing. It might be worth taking a trip to the nearby Dolomit-Panorama Spa at the Rainer Family Resort for a spa day - although, most of the hotels here have their own spa facilities.

The 3 Peaks - 3 Zinnen ski resort is huge, with many villages and towns connected to it thanks to the Ski Pustertal Express we mentioned earlier. This can make choosing where to stay feel a bit overwhelming, but we would recommend either Sesto or Versciaco, because of their proximity to the ski lifts.

The village of Sesto / Sexten branches off into the smaller hamlets but has a decent town centre with shops, bars and accommodation options. It’s only a short walk (or free bus ride) from the town centre to the main lift. The best central accommodation is the Berghotel or the Hotel Kreuzbergpass.

Alternatively, Versciaco / Vierschach is conveniently located by the ski lifts and train station, with the JOAS Natur Hotel B&B offering attractively modern rooms and apartments in a ski-in location.There’s only a very limited number of high-altitude accommodation, and most of those are the traditional guesthouse lodgings type - but watch this space because locations are being added regularly!

All resort facilities including the cable cars, technical snowmaking system, restaurants, etc. are powered with electricity that comes from over 97% renewable energy with a certificate of origin. The small remainder is produced by power generators to cover consumption peaks or power outages. Mostly biomass is used for heating, and snow making employs the ATASS system from Techno Alpin, a modern snow monitoring system for efficient snow production - the demand for snow is analysed and then produced.

Pros

• Well-connected large ski area with train service
• Great lift infrastructure
• Amazing scenery

Cons

• Not a big après scene
• Limited expert terrain & off-piste
• Expensive for the number of slopes