Sass Pordoi viewpoint - Pordoi Pass

Sass Pordoi and the Terrace of the Dolomites.

There are places where the mountains stop being a backdrop and become the true stars of the scene. Sass Pordoi is one of them. At 2,239 metres above sea level, between Sass Pordoi and Sass Becé, the pass marks the border between Trentino and Veneto and is one of the best-known mountain passes in the Dolomites. It is only 12 kilometres from Canazei, but the climb with its 28 hairpin bends is already part of the experience: a spectacular road that has become legendary over the years among cyclists, motorcyclists and hikers.

The pass is also one of the four along the historic Strada delle Dolomiti (Dolomites Road), built at the beginning of the 20th century to connect Bolzano with Cortina and open these mountains to tourism. History is still visible here: the surrounding trails and peaks preserve traces of the First World War, remembered today by the Great War Museum and the Pordoi Ossuary. Yet the true symbol of the pass is the ascent to Sass Pordoi, the famous Terrace of the Dolomites. In just a few minutes, the cable car takes you to almost 3,000 metres, where a panorama opens up that seems to go on forever. Nearby, you can recognise Marmolada, the Sella Group with the pyramid-shaped Piz Boè, Sassolungo and Catinaccio; further in the distance rise the Tofane of Cortina and Monte Pelmo, and on the clearest days the view stretches as far as the Austrian and Swiss Alps.

Close your eyes and imagine: millions of years ago, this entire area lay beneath a vast tropical sea, the ancient Tethys Ocean, and the Sella Group was a true coral atoll rising out of the water. Walking on the Terrace of the Dolomites means standing on the remains of an ancient sea, now transformed into rock.

In summer, Passo Pordoi is the starting point for hikes, via ferrata routes, climbing and bike tours, while the cable car makes high altitude easily accessible to everyone. In winter, it is an iconic stop on the Sellaronda, the ski tour linking four Dolomite passes, and also a gateway to some of the area’s most famous freeride descents. The Sass Pordoi cable car is also one of the few lifts in the Dolomites to remain open for such a long period each year: from mid-May to early November, then after a short break it reopens before Christmas and stays in service throughout the ski season.

Throughout the year, the Terrace of the Dolomites also hosts special events: in autumn, the highest wine symposium in the Alps, and in July it becomes a spectacular stage for international skyrunning with the Dolomyths Run Skyrace.

Suitable for