Falcade - Valle del Biois: holidays in the Belluno Dolomites

The Val del Bios, which includes the towns of Cencenighe Agordino, Vallada Agordina, Canale d'Agordo and Falcade, is a Dolomite valley located in the province of Belluno and surrounded by a succession of famous peaks. A winter holiday destination for the renowned Falcade ski resort, the San Pellegrino Ski Area also offers other important possibilities for the whole family. In summer, it is frequented by lovers of walking in the forest or at altitude, and cycling. A land of cultural, spiritual and historical traditions, it is the birthplace of Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I.

The Biois Valley, whose name derives from the Biois stream that runs through it, is a valley enclosed by important Dolomite peaks, declared World Heritage by UNESCO: the Pale di San Martino with the majestic Focobon group, the Marmolad, the Cime d'Auta and Monte Civetta.

The Valle del Biois is a valley about 20 km long, stretching from the San Pellegrino Pass to Cencenighe Agordino, connected to Trentino by the San Pellegrino Pass and the Valles Pass.

The most famous municipality in the Val del Biois is Falcade, located to the north and included in the Dolomiti Superski, the world's largest ski area. Among cross-country skiers, the 'Alochet' cross-country skiing centre at the San Pellegrino Pass and the 'Pietro Scola' cross-country skiing centre in Falcade are well-known.

There is also an ultra-modern Snowpark with three lines and various facilities, three ski schools with school camps for taking your first steps on skis, snowshoeing and ski mountaineering routes, climbing and ice skating, dog sledding and a renowned Veneto Ski College. In the evening, great fun in the refuges, shows and torchlight processions on the snow

Descending from Falcade, the first municipality one encounters is Canale d'Agordo, a destination for religious tourism due to being the birthplace of Pope John Paul I, from where the characteristic Val di Garés develops. Rich in ancient Tabià dating back to the 16th century, in winter it offers 5 km of cross-country skiing trails with the 'Franco Manfroi' Cross-country Ski Centre. Canale d'Agordo was the first town with a tourist vocation in the entire Val del Biois: in the second half of the 19th century, some of the most famous mountaineers in the Dolomites stayed in the famous 'Al Gallo' hotel.

Continuing southwards, you come to Vallada Agordina, guardian of an important treasure, the Monumental Church of San Simon, a national monument since 1877, inside which is a cycle of frescoes by Paris Bordon.

The last municipality of the Val del Biois is Cencenighe Agordino, located at the crossroads of the Val del Biois and the Val Cordevole, once an important coal processing centre.

In summer, the Val del Biois is ideal for children: a well-equipped amusement park has been created on the Piana di Falcade. Moreover, the area lends itself well to soft cycling, suitable for the whole family, or more challenging rides to the mountain refuges.

There are numerous opportunities for walks that lead from Falcade towards the Valle del Focobon, to the picturesque Valfredda or to discover the numerous hamlets. Historically interesting are the 'Via H. W. Tilman' trails, on the places frequented by the partisans, and the path of the charcoal kilns - 'El Troi de le Ial' - in Cencenighe.

In Falcade, it is also possible to practice sports fishing in a small private lake or along the Biois stream, while a few kilometres from the town, in Vallada Agordina, there is a well-equipped equestrian centre.

Discovering traditions

The Val del Biois valley features hamlets characterized by typical barns called Tabià and by churches: a true attraction for art lovers, who can also visit the Augusto Murer Museum, with a rich collection of works, sculptures and paintings by this artist from Falcade.

This land attracts also many gourmets. The cuisine is simple, genuine and varied: main courses like home-made pasta flavored with poppy, lasagna da fornel, papazoi (small flour dumplings) and casonziei; second courses like game meat, pastim, salami and local cheeses. You can try delicious desserts like the carfogn, fried ravioli filled with poppy seeds, and at the end of the meal sip a good glass of flavored grappa.

The two traditional events not to be missed in the Val del Bios are 'Se Desmonteghea', the traditional transhumance festival in Falcade in the last week of September, and 'La Zinghenesta', the highlight of the carnival in Canale d'Agordo.