Molina di Fiemme sits in the Fiemme Valley in Trentino, in the heart of the Dolomites. What follows is what we do when we are here ourselves, season by season. No booking partners, no paid placements, just the places we keep going back to.
Skiing in Dolomiti Superski
The Val di Fiemme is one of the best known ski regions in Italy. It sits inside the Dolomiti Superski network, which means one pass and a very large number of connected slopes across the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The valley is known for wide, well groomed pistes, modern lifts and a relaxed atmosphere that suits families and anyone who would rather ski than queue. From the apartment the Alpe Cermis lift in Cavalese is the closest option, and Predazzo with the Latemar area is a short drive up the valley.
There is terrain for every level, from gentle blues for a first week on skis to steep descents for people who know what they are doing. On a clear day the scenery is the reason you came.
Cross-country skiing on the Marcialonga trail
The Marcialonga is a 70 kilometre cross-country ski race held every January in the Dolomites. It is one of the most famous long distance races in the world and draws thousands of participants from dozens of countries.
The course starts in Moena, runs down the Fiemme Valley and finishes in Cavalese, passing snow covered peaks, deep forest and one village after another, including Molina di Fiemme right in front of the apartment. On race day you can stand at the edge of the track with a coffee and watch the field come through.
Outside race weekend the same trail network is open to everyone. It is demanding if you ski the whole thing, but you can take any section at your own pace, and the valley floor is flat and forgiving.
Cross-country skiing at Passo Lavazè
Passo Lavazè is the cross-country centre we use when we want height and quiet rather than distance. The area has loops for beginners, intermediates and experts, all well maintained, with open views across to the surrounding peaks.
It is a straightforward way to spend a winter day. Park, ski, eat something at the hut, ski again.
Hiking in the Paneveggio nature park
The Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Nature Park starts just above the valley and covers everything from easy forest walks to serious mountain days. This is the forest that supplied spruce to violin makers for centuries, and it still feels like that kind of place.
The walks we recommend most often:
- Lago di Paneveggio, an easy loop around the reservoir through the spruce forest, fine with children.
- Val Venegia, a gentle valley walk with the Pale di San Martino standing straight up at the end of it. Probably the most photographed view in the area, and it earns it.
- Baita Segantini from Passo Rolle, a short steep climb to a hut and a small lake with one of the great Dolomite panoramas behind it.
The park is also good for cycling and climbing, and the visitor centres are worth a stop if the weather turns.
Via ferrata on the Bombasel
The Ferrata Bombasel runs through the Lagorai range above Cavalese, reached from the top of the Alpe Cermis lift. It crosses rocky terrain past a chain of small alpine lakes and opens onto a wide view over the Dolomites on the far side of the valley.
It is a moderately difficult route. It asks for sure footing and a head for heights in a few exposed places, and it is secured throughout with steel cable and rungs. You need a via ferrata set, a helmet and a harness, all of which can be rented in the valley.
The season usually runs from early summer into October, with July and August the most reliable. Check conditions before you go, snow can sit in the gullies well into the summer.
Historical via ferratas on the First World War front
Many via ferratas in the Dolomites follow paths cut by soldiers during the First World War, and climbing them is as much a history lesson as a day out.
The best known is the Lagazuoi near Cortina, a mountain fought over by Austrian and Italian troops for years. Tunnels run right through it and you can still walk sections of them with a head torch. The via ferrata is of medium difficulty and the view from the top is extraordinary.
Closer to the apartment, the Lagorai range carries its own front line, with trenches, positions and supply paths still visible along the ridges. It is far quieter than the famous routes and, for that reason, often the more affecting one.
Rafting on the Avisio
A different way to see the valley, and one most guests do not expect. The rafting stretch runs from Cavalese down to Molina di Fiemme and takes around three hours.
The course suits families: calm water, small drops and a few short lively sections. Just enough to get everyone shouting and laughing without anyone being genuinely frightened.
What makes it worth doing is the perspective. You normally look down on this valley from the peaks. From the river you look up at it, and Fiemme turns out to be just as good from below.
Eating in the valley
There are plenty of restaurants in Val di Fiemme, from traditional Trentino cooking to straightforward Italian food done well.
Our regular is the Pizzeria Roma in Tesero, a few minutes drive from the apartment. Fresh dough, a wood fired oven, a crisp base and a properly moist topping. Beyond pizza they do pasta, risotto, meat and fish, and it is the kind of room where locals and visitors end up at neighbouring tables.
In Molina itself there is a bakery and a supermarket for everything else, both within walking distance of the front door.